Grant Writing Pitfalls to Avoid

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Modern PowerPoint Presentation
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The most common pitfalls in grant writing are
often the easiest to avoid. When youre pumping
out grant application after grant writing
application, you can fall into the trap of
overlooking the small details that make a grant
writing application stand out. With competition
for grants at an all-time high, good grant
writers know that a grant application has to hit
the mark every time. To ensure that your grant
applications dont land in the reject bin every
time.
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Here are grant writing pitfalls that you must
avoid
Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail
Good grant writers always do their legwork before
they begin. They start by ensuring they
understand the funding body from which they are
applying. This is because all funding bodies
have their own set of objectives and interests.
No matter how great your project idea might be,
if it does not fit within the funders interests
or objectives, then you are really trying to fit
a square peg in a round hole. In fact, chances
are, your proposal wont even be reviewed if it
doesnt match the funders guidelines.
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In your haste to acquire money, dont make the
mistake of applying for grants that dont fit
your vision and objectives. Instead, spend some
time researching the funder and understand their
mission and goals. If it doesnt line up, dont
waste your time trying to massage your proposal
to match their objectives. Funders publish their
interests for a reason, and they will not change
their areas of interest based on a good project
idea.
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Failing to Follow Directions

A sure-fire way to land your proposal in the
waste-paper basket is to not follow basic
directions. This is one of the most common
mistakes, but also the easiest to avoid. Funding
bodies receive thousands of applications and one
way they sort out the amateurs from the
professionals is to see who follows the
directions. So, if they request a detailed,
three-year budget, then give them one. If they
give you a word limit, stick to it. If they ask
you not to put staples in your document, then
dont. Ignoring simple instructions guarantees a
rejection for your grant application. So, make
sure to follow them down to the letter.
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Failing to Proofread Your Work

Spending several hours doing careful proofreading
might not be your idea of a good time. Spelling,
punctuation and grammar dont come naturally to
everyone. But, when it comes to grant writing,
it pays to pay someone to do it for you,
especially if you dont have the gift yourself.
In fact, getting someone to take a second look
over your work makes perfect sense. Chances are,
if your grant proposal doesnt make sense to your
editor, then it wont make sense to the funders.
Get your work checked!
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Failure to Prepare Your Budget Properly
Since a grant application is all about acquiring
money, the budget section of your proposal is
perhaps the most important. Yet, its amazing how
people can skip over this section, approximating
numbers with no research or quotes, forgetting
that money is the entire point of your
application. Proposals that arrive with math
errors undermine an organisations credibility.
Do your numbers make sense? Does your budget
match the picture that the rest of your proposal
is trying to paint?
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If the funding body is receiving hundreds of
similar grants, with similar budgets, they will
know if you are trying to fudge the numbers. So,
dont pad the budget with unnecessary or inflated
costs. Research past grants that the funding
body has made to similar organisations to yours
to ensure that you are not asking for too little
or too much. Why not involve your business or
finance manager in the grant-writing process?
Dont put together a great proposal and then blow
it with a terrible budget.
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If youre not having much luck with your grant
applications, then consider getting some
professional help. Red Tape Busters are
specialist in grant and tender writing and can
help your organisation or business win grant
funding or achieve successes with tenders. Visit
http//www.redtapebusters.com/ for more
information.
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Get professional help

• We are specialists in providing the following
  services
• Lobbying
• Tender Writing
• Grant Writing
• Resumes/Job Applications
• Organisational/Business Development.

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