Being able to write winning grant applications is one of those skills that is invaluable. The benefits of it are manifold, whether you are running a non-profit, a profit-making business, or wishing to carry out research or a project.
I worked as a postgraduate researcher for over 10 years, first as a PhD researcher then as a Postdoc. In that time I wrote several funding applications, but was never as successful in my pursuits as currently with Think Africa. As the Chairperson of the non-profit organisation, I have been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure financial stability. This is not an easy feat and for the past three years of my chairman-ship, the team and I have had our share of rejections and wins. However, over the last nine months; we have made strides of wins, totalling six (6) successes out of seven (7) grant applications.
Writing grant applications in a team of knowledgeable people and receiving constructive feedback from funders have been a meaningful learning experience and an enlightening process.
As the application period for many grants begins again in the Fall (in Finland), I wanted to share the following tips that I have gained along the way.
Place yourself in the funder’s shoes (mindset)
If you had money and were deciding who to give it to; how would you decide or who would you choose as the recipient?
Most applications request similar data input, i.e., the purpose of the application, the problem being addressed, nature of the problem, solution focus, other players and why you are unique, your target audience and action plan, indicators of success, risk assessment, and budget. This is common information that is very similar to what you would find in most business plans.
Many funders also have their “business plans”, they have a problem or need to address, they have objectives that they aspire to fulfill by providing funding to non-profit entities, and indicators of successful implementation, etc.
Thus, in your application, there is a need to align and strongly indicate anticipated results and how they contribute to the fulfillment of their objectives.
Budget is also an important aspect of the application process. Funders are audited and most likely have limits to what they can spend, how and where. These restrictive limitations serve as guidance to what is permissible and/or not as far as the funding is concerned. It’s your task to make a funder’s decision as easy as possible, by formulating your budget clearly, precisely, transparently, and as realistic as possible.
Reduce funder’s risk
Probably the biggest risk the funder takes is that they give you the money and you do nothing with it, or you spend it but do not achieve any results. Thus one thing to look at is, how can you reduce this risk for them?
Being transparent and having a clear and realistic plan is a must. Transparency ensures trust and increases credibility. By outlining a solid implementation plan shows that (when given the money), you have thoroughly thought through the initiative; and are ready to implement it.
However, nothing speaks volumes like past behavior. They indicate that you managed to deliver substantial results, and thus, guarantee the possibility to receive future grants. In this regard, funders have evidence of what you can achieve with reduced risk.
This is also why it’s important for organisations to continue having activity. I remember when I joined Think Africa in 2018, the previous year had been a very quiet one with hardly any activities. When we applied for grants, many asked for the previous year’s annual plan, financial statements, and audited reports. When those are empty, there is hardly any way you will win a big grant. This is also understandable, if there is no past behavior, how can they trust that you can get the job done.
This was one of the main reasons we invested in showing traction, we organised a lot of activities (just have a look at our 2018, 2019 annual reports) on a volunteer basis. We applied for small grants that have lower thresholds, which we used to amplify our volunteer efforts. This allowed us to have traction and evidence of what we could achieve given the opportunities. Starting small also allows you to learn what needs to be in place in order to actually manage big grants, from accounting and audit processes, monitoring and evaluation, human resource, and a whole lot of things.
Forming good partnerships is also one way to help reduce the risk of funders and add value to your implementation and achievement of sustainable results.
Do your research
In order to successfully accomplish any of the above, you need to research, research and research. It is also necessary to understand the objectives of funders exactly in terms of requirements.
Conduct research on previous projects that they have awarded grants to and study their past criteria and relatively associating them with their current, past and future requirements is an advantage.
Always contact the responsible person in charge of the grant by giving them a call about your application proposal. It is also necessary to seek clarification and inquire, if your organization qualifies and meets the requirements. This might give you significant insights into improving your application and make you aware of the reality of your status and situation and save you time.
Inquire about the success rate of the applications, this will help you understand the competitive environment.
The grant application landscape is getting tougher and having a good application does not naturally guarantee success.
Have a good understanding of the problem you are solving, the scale and the target audience. Don’t assume funders know anything about the problem you wish to solve, or anything about you and your ability to solve the problem. Frankly, assume they know nothing and write from that perspective. It’s your job to provide sufficient and convincing information.
This aspect is often a challenge for our applications, because of the lack of adequate publication and research to confirm and support the existence and scale of the problem; especially to those who are not aware of the phenomenon.
One way we have tackled this is through sampling and small scale surveys. Conducting a small research on a sample of the target audience to highlight the magnitude of the problem and its potential to escalate exponentially.
There you go! 🙂 My three tips.
My other small tips include:
Soliciting an external party to proofread your application proposal . An outsider often notices things that you may have missed.
Use easy to understand language, be precise and concise. Verbosity in grant applications does not work in your favor.
Choose your scope carefully and be realistic in what you can achieve – under promise and over deliver – not the other way round.
But trust me, the more you do it, the easier it gets :).
Feel free to reach out to me through email mdoucem@gmail.com or myriam@thinkafrica.fi if you need feedback or consultation with your grant applications.
Happy grant writing!
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