Grants are funds which are distributed out by funding entities which are often government departments, trusts or corporations. They are allocated in order to fund various projects and are not required to be repaid. Entities that receive grant funding are usually educational institutions, non-profit organisations, businesses or individuals. Grant funds are normally assessed by a formal application process which involves a detailed written response. It takes successful grant writing in order to access these funds.
The first step of obtaining grant funding is to find a grant program which suits your project or organisation. This involves defining the requirements and focus of the project. The next step is to search for grant funding opportunities. You can do this using websites, grant fund finders, contacting funding entities and making enquiries through grants officers. Once you have found a grant which meets the needs of your project, you can begin grant writing.
The process of finding suitable grant funds which suit your project can be very time consuming and takes a lot of effort. However, if you find a fund which is suitable and are able to win the grant, the effort can be worthwhile. Grant funding is sometimes the only way to fund community projects. A preference is usually given to projects which contribute towards the greater good of society. This should be considered when designing your project and grant writing for it as it will have a strong bearing on whether the grant is successful or not.
Good grant writing clearly states who will benefit from the project, what is going to happen, where it will happen and the reasons which support the need for it. The timeframe for the project should also be defined in addition to a methodology and a budget for the project. Grant funding providers are allocated a budget which is not renewed if they fail to spend their funds. For this reason, they are looking for reasons to give out grants and this makes you more likely to be successful in your application.
Step one of grant writing should be to define the project and state what will happen. The need for the project should be identified, using statistics, figures and research to support your argument for the demand for the project. The people involved in the grant should also be identified and the process of how and when the project will occur should be outlined. The location for the project should also be defined and there should be justification as to why this location has been chosen.
Grant writing is very time consuming and all arguments must be supported by the appropriate statistics and research. If you are in the non-profit sector, successful grant writing could be a key aspect of your role. Grant writing takes a lot of focus, dedication and patience and there are no guaranteed outcomes. The key to successful grant writing is that persistence pays off.
If you are not experienced in grant writing or simply don’t have the time, it would be worth investing in engaging a professional grant writer to write your grant. This has the benefit of increasing your chances of success while eliminating the blood, sweat and tears that goes into writing a grant response. Tenders A to Z provides professional grant writing services and has won grants for many clients. For more information about our grant writing services go to www.tenderwritingaz.com.au.
