Dir.B. Floersch:
Hi, everybody. I'm Barbara Floersch, director of The Grantsmanship Center. Welcome to our mini webcast series. 8 Reasons You Won't Get the Grant and 8 Reasons You Will. The number one reason proposals are not funded is because they don't follow directions. So study those directions and follow them. If there's a deadline, you've got to meet it to be in the game, so, meet the deadline.
Funders have particular interests, and they use grants to accomplish specific things. If your proposal doesn't match the funder's interests, you won't get a grant. But if you've done your homework and the match is spot-on, that's when you'll get grant funding. If your proposal is confusing and the reader can't tell what you're concerned about or what you hope to accomplish, you won't get a grant. But when the argument is logical and all the pieces of the proposal fit together, that's when you'll get grant funding. When the proposal presents your intent to do good things, vague good things, you won't get a grant. But when it shows you understand the problem, you've got a plan, and you intend to produce results, that's when you'll get grant funding.
Proposals based on beliefs and assumptions are not credible. They're not compelling. But proposals based on facts are. Base your proposals on facts. That's when you'll get grant funding. When the proposal presents your latest and greatest idea and the justification for your approach is, well, you think it's a great idea, you are unlikely to get grant funding. But when the approach is based on data, experience, client input, and best practices, that's when you'll get grant funding. When the proposal focuses on your organization's need for money, it's out of focus. The only reason your organization matters, is because of the people it serves and the issues it addresses. So focus on your mission: The people you serve, the issues you address ... That's when you'll get grant funding. For The Grantsmanship Center: Get funded. Stay funded.