Common Pitfalls in Obtaining Grants

SO, HOW DO I GET A GRANT?

First and foremost, unless your business involves the development of new technology or is a non-profit organization, you will probably be wasting your time looking for a grant. Foundations typically fund nonprofit organizations that qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. These are organizations whose purposes are charitable, educational, scientific, religious, literary, or cultural. By and large, foundations do not make grants to for-profit enterprises. Generally, the same holds true for corporations and private organizations that give grants. However, there are a few funders who will give money to a for-profit business if they are on the cutting edge of technology or are having a profound impact on society in some way.

To be successful in winning a grant, there are a number of important steps that you will need to take. First, you will need to do research in order to identify appropriate funding organizations. Once you have identified potential funders, you will then need to determine how to approach them. In many cases, it is best not to submit a grant application to a funding organization that knows nothing about your activities. So you may need to take the time to cultivate relationships with these organizations via phone calls, visits, and/or letters of inquiry. Finally, you will need to provide each funding organization with a well-written proposal which clearly states your objectives and sets forth a plan and budget for your activities. And don't expect to receive money right away. Funding organizations often take many months to review and process grant applications.

Getting a grant is hard work. There is a lot of competition for grant funds. Grants are "free" in that you do not have to pay back the money. However, if you are awarded a grant you may be required to provide periodic program and/or financial reports to the funding organization.

COMMON PROPOSAL PITFALLS

1. Failure to follow the RFP instructions regarding organization of the proposal, inclusion of required information, page limits, etc.
2. Failure to take evaluation criteria and allocated points into consideration when preparing your response.
3. Failure to understand and to demonstrate an understanding of the problem (i.e., the reason why the agency is issuing the RFP – what do they expect you to accomplish?).
4. Failure to submit your proposal on the required date and time.
5. Failure to include all of the information requested by the grantmaker.
6. Failure to tailor your response to the specific RFP.
7. Costs/budgets are unreasonable (too high or too low) or incomplete.
8. Costs/budgets do not provide any detail or breakdown information.
9. Failure to include specifics of your proposed approach to the project. What makes your theory or strategy different from another person’s?
10. Proposal is unprofessional in appearance (e.g., typos, blank pages, unnumbered pages, smudges, no whitespace, sloppy-looking, etc.).
11. Proposal is poorly written (e.g., information is not presented/organized in a logical manner, proposal is difficult to follow, poor grammar, etc.).
12. Proposal merely repeats or paraphrases the RFP without offering an original approach and methodology.
13. Proposal does not explain how or by whom the project will be managed.
14. Proposal does not contain information about your firm, its capabilities, its management and staff.
15. Proposal does not demonstrate that your firm/organization and personnel have the experience and capability to carry out the project.