Welborn Baptist Foundation - Grantwriting Tips

Everyone is not a born grant writer. Because of this, we want to offer helpful suggestions and advice to our applicant community:

At a minimum, you should FIRST obtain the Funding Notice published annually by the Foundation. Read it thoroughly. Once you have read it, only then should you consider seeking Foundation support. As you develop your letter of interest, please consider the following¹:

1) - Be realistic about your expectations:

“Put grants in perspective -- finally! Remind board members and executive directors that grants should never be used for operating funds. Sure there are exceptions, but the general rule is that grants are great for program expansion or start-up, but the foundation or corporation will disappoint you in a few years if you think of grant money as a stuck spigot that won't turn off. It will.”

Jeane Vogel, Editor-in-Chief, Charity Channel

2) - Make sure you’re putting your best foot forward:

“Good grants begin with good programs. BE worthy.”

“Don't separate program planning from proposal writing! By that, I mean that a good grant proposal is, in essence, a good "blueprint" for a well-thought out, credible, and logical program that addresses a real need, targets a client population, provides a rationale for its method, identifies measurable objectives, and provides a means of evaluation -- as well as presenting a reasonable budget and a plan for future funding.”
- Lynn Stearney, Development Consultant

3) Program Planning: a must
Why: Why are you doing this program?

“Develop your project FIRST and then look for a good funding match. Don't start by saying, ‘Gee, I'd like to get a grant from X Foundation.What am I doing that might be a match?’”
- Mary Kaplan, Endowment for Health

What: Establish Need/ Address Duplication
“Establish the need for the service you are proposing. Are you proposing to duplicate an existing service? The kiss of death, unless you can show that the existing service is not meeting the need. Support any assertions that you make with credible sources. Yes, that means you must conduct research. Don't complain. You might learn something.”
– Patrick Jackson, The Welborn Baptist Foundation

“The one piece I find wanting in many grant proposals is the lack of research that a potential grantee does on whether there are other programs or activities in the area that DO THE SAME THING….Everyone thinks their idea is unique, but often they just aren’t.”
- Susan Bunting, Foundation for Seacoast Health

Who: Demographics

www.census.gov

And what’s the impact on these people?

Who II: Why You?

Not just the “We’ve been around for 49 years” story… what have you done? Give success stories, cite positive impacts.

“Power of One”

Collect the data. Organize the data.

BE WORTHY.

4) Research

Do your homework

“Scour the funder's website and any other materials you can get your hands on - and confirm that they are the most up-to-date information. Then, read them thoroughly to answer your own questions. …”
- Tom O’Rourke, Fidelity Foundation

“Don't request funding for something a funder won't fund, and don't try to pass off a request for something a funder won't fund as something else.”
- Maria Sillari, PEN/ United Way

“Look for a "win-win". Understand the funder's priorities and how your organization or program meets these objectives. Sometimes looking for a win-win means stepping outside of the box and thinking about unique ways to partner so both parties gain something.”
- Kathleen Reardon, Citizens Bank

5) Follow directions.
“It amazes me how often people don't follow directions -- even when it's critical, as it is in responses to state and federal RFPs. When I teach, I like to share the following excerpt from a California newpaper article: “Placer County’s non-profit shelter...didn’t double space its application. Yolo County’s organizational chart wasn’t good enough...Pasadena took too many pages to describe its program...That’s why they are among 10 domestic violence agencies that have lost more than $1 million in (state) funding...” (Sacramento Bee, 10/6/01).”
- David Rappoport, MHAF

“I would say "Follow the Format!" There is a reason funders ask for certain information in a particular order. Imagine reading 40-60 proposals all with their own creative formatting. Be creative with the content and how you intend to achieve your objectives, not with the format.”
- Sandi Von Scoyoc, Healthy New Hampshire Foundation

“Exceeding page limitations, no matter how good the project, is an indication that you don't follow directions well.”
- Patrick Jackson, Welborn Baptist Foundation

“Follow the format guidelines and use the headings included in the RFP. After reviewing a stack of proposals there is nothing worse than coming to an application that uses 10-point font and has not labeled sections clearly. This makes the reviewer have to search through the application to determine if the necessary information has been included (and it makes us feel like we need stronger glasses).”
- Kim Firth,

Community Grants Program, NHDHHS

6) Think of the reader....

“Know your audience. The appeal letter grant that tugs on individual heartstrings does not work for a grantmaker that is interested in knowing more about your organization's overall financial health or how you intend to evaluate/measure your success.”
- Tom O’Rourke, Fidelity Foundation

“Before you send a proposal, have someone read it who knows nothing about the project or organization to be sure that an uninformed reader will know all they need to know just from reading the document. It's easy to be "too close" to a project and leave out important basics.”
- Katherine McHugh, Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust

7) Do all the parts.
“Don't omit required pieces of the application. If an evaluation plan is requested, it had better be there.”
- Patrick Jackson, Welborn Baptist Foundation

Check. Check again.

“The application: Check, double-check and check it again. Funders should not have to chase you to obtain the pieces of your proposal that you have failed to include.”
- Maria Sillari, PEN/ United Way

....and most importantly DOLLAR$. Have you included a specific dollar amount that you are seeking from the Foundation? Don’t laugh. In every grant cycle over the last five years, at least one organization has submitted a request that did not include a dollar figure.......and those don’t get considered.”

¹ Excerpted from “The Best Grantwriting Advice We Ever Received”, by Elizabeth H. Kennedy and Carol Walker Aten, presented March 26, 2003, at the Foundation for Seacoast Health, Portsmouth, NH.