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Grant Writing Tips

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Following is an excerpt from the BCAA Grant writing Workbook available for $5 to BCAA members and $15 to non-members. This workbook contains: 

  • Lists of funding sources
  • Worksheets to help you define your vision, mission, values, goals, accomplishments, priorities, upcoming projects, and BIG dreams
  • Grant writing tips (see below)
  • Information on how to read a grant application 
  • Instructions on how to write a proposal letter or letter of inquiry to a foundation or granter
  • Sample budges and list of items to include in a budget.

Please contact us to order a workbook.

BCAA also offers grant writing workshops  in the spring and fall--usually six weeks before the BCAA Neodata Endowment deadlines. Be sure to check back with us for upcoming workshop dates. 

The following suggestions relate to the writing and presentation of a grant application.

1) Put yourself in the funders' position. Would you give your money to:

  • someone who couldn't be bothered to follow instructions (number of copies, stapling, etc.)? These kinds of errors can result in your application being immediately discarded. Also, spell names correctly, even if that entails a phone call to be sure.
  • someone who disregarded funding guidelines and priorities clearly stated in the application? Help the panelists give you a high score by directly addressing the areas of focus stated in the application.
  • someone who submitted an application that gave you no confidence in their ability to think clearly, organize a project, or manage a budget? Panelists want to give you money, and they also have a responsibility to the funders to be sure their money is well-spent. 

2) Learn how to describe yourself.

  • Writing about your art or your organization is a fun activity which will help you clarify your vision,  remember why you do what you do, and get you excited about yourself. If your writing doesn't excite you, why would it excite the panelists?
  • Artists often have difficulty describing their work in words. You may feel the art speaks for itself or you may simply not be a verbal person. Your work samples will speak for themselves to some degree, but it is important to help the panelists understand what you do. Ask friends or colleagues to describe your work to you--they might provide some good phrases or spark your own thoughts. Ideally, your description will be so compelling that they can't
    possibly turn you down. By the time they finish reading it, the panelists should be full of curiosity and should be eager to hear or see your work.
  • The tone of your words is important. Sincere and passionate is good; self-congratulatory or arrogant is not good.
  • Give them facts; document your accomplishments and the quality of your work.
  • Avoid suggesting that you, as a brilliant and misunderstood artist, are owed a living by society.

3) Don't wait until the last minute.

  • You run the risk of discovering that you need information or signatures that will take time to obtain. A grant application is like a recipe; you don't want to find out halfway through that you are missing crucial ingredients.
  • Your final product will be better if you give yourself time to write a draft, let it sit, and then review it.
  • Ideally, you will have two other people read it: 
    -- someone who is familiar with the project or with your work-- he or she will notice missing budget items or similar oversights
    -- someone who knows nothing about the project-they can let you know what questions might occur to a panelist who is not familiar with your work or point out specialized terminology that might be unclear. Panelists are probably not specialists in your field.

4) Be a strict editor.

  • Read your application as if you'd never seen it before. What might raise a red flag or confuse someone? The goal is to present a seamless proposal that raises no questions.
  • Notice if your mind wanders at any point. Tighten up the writing.
  • Edit mercilessly. Generally, you can cut out about half the words in your original version, (for example use the word "consider" instead of "take into consideration").
  • Spellcheck with a computer and proofread, working backwards.
  • Edit out unnecessary words such as very and really. They weaken impact.
  • Use the active voice ("we will announce" instead of "the announcement will be made").
  • Don't say anything twice.

5) Typesetting basics

  • 12 point type is too big. 9 point is too small. Use 10 or 11 point type, in Times or another basic serif font. 
  • Use a sans serif font, such as Helvetica or Gill Sans, for headings.
  • DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ.
  • Avoid script and other creative fonts. They are also difficult to read.
  • Don't cram as many words as possible on the page. Too much text will bury your important points.
  • Bullets are a very effective way of presenting a lot of information concisely.
  • Use margins of at least one inch. Panelists want room to make notes.
  • Make sure your entire application is professional-looking, including cover letter and envelope.
  • Use a footer like the one on this page. You want panelists reading the grant to know who you are at all times. They read a lot of grants very quickly. (Also- seriously- should someone drop your application on the floor, you want it to be able to be easily reassembled.

6) Remember

  • Grants get easier and easier to write. Once you have developed good quality written material, your task becomes tailoring already written material to a specific application rather than starting from scratch with each application.
  • Think of grant writing as a long-range project. Each grant is one step of the project. You can learn a lot from both successful and unsuccessful applications.

By Sue Coffee for the BCAA Grant writing Workshop 9/20/2001.