What’s in a great funding application? I was recently in a conversation with other female founders, when a question about applying for grants came up. For most people in the group, the whole concept of applying for funding was completely intimidating. Sure, amazing grants might be on the other side of that roiling river of bureaucracy, but how do you cross it? Where are those boulders below the surface, what can you do to get to the other side?
Grants, tenders, fellowships – they all have gatekeeping processes to distinguish the serious from the non-serious applicants in any number of sectors. Charity, development, education, start ups, you name it. If there is “free money” involved, you will most likely have to make an application explaining why you deserve to win and what you will do with the support.
I have worked in project design and grant writing for nonprofits for the past four years, helping individuals and organizations submit many successful applications. These processes are not meant to be easy, in fact they usually require a lot more paperwork and background research than we would like (that in itself is a big issue, but probably for another blog post!). Decisions are not always meritocratic nor transparent, and there will always be an element of chance. Still, funding applications are a necessary evil for organizations to keep their operations running and growing.
I first got into grant writing through a slightly different kind of writing. When I was in university, I had to fund my studies on my own. So I got extremely good at scholarship and fellowship applications, winning numerous competitive federal and state awards. No one taught me me how to do it (though there really should be a class for this), but over time I figured out the components that go into a winning application, bridging that tumultuous river with ease. I always loved writing and once I learned this genre of persuasive non-fiction, it just clicked. People started asking me for help with their own applications, and when that led to grant writing, I found the same rationale applied.
Inspired by that recent conversation with my founder colleagues, I wanted to share my advice on the main elements you need for a great application. These tips can be applied to a variety of cases: whether you are working with an NGO applying for unrestricted funds, submitting a bid for a specific tender, or applying for a fellowship or project competition.
Here are my top 3 tips for a winning funding application:
Know your audience. Do your research on the funder. What is their mission and how can you align your project with it? What are previous projects/organizations/individuals they have funded and what do you have in common with them (and, what new thing are you bringing to the table?). At a high level, you may want to get to know your prospective funder personally, building a relationship and gathering insights on their awarding criteria. But particularly if you are doing a cold application, learn as much as you can before you start. Read their website, check out their partners, attend webinars and ask questions.
Tell a compelling story. Everyone loves a good story, and funders are no different. Telling a compelling story about your work is key. Use storytelling to illustrate what is innovative and impactful about your project. The reason you are asking for funding should fit into that story in a logical way. Use a narrative structure by introducing your main points early on, then elaborating on them coherently. The better you can connect the funding request to your mission, their mission, and the proposed and existing activities you pursue, the better chances for winning.
Build strong arguments. Back up your appeal for funding with good data and anecdotes. There should be absolutely no doubt that you deserve the funding you’re asking for. For nonprofit organizations, applications may require a logframe (logical framework – another confusing, but helpful tool to visualize project risks and outcomes). For smaller applications, the impact questions may be more anecdotal, but more data here will definitely support your case. Try to strike the balance between being visionary about your work, and providing a clear roadmap to implementation, including how this funding will get you there!
I hope these tips help with landing your next funding bid. As always, if you are looking for more professional support on your own applications, get in touch here.
