Follow the Funder's Guidelines: The Most Important Tip for Winning Massive Grants

Whenever I teach one of our Two Day Grant Writing Retreats, I'm usually quite insistent that the number one most important rule of successful grant writing is the follow the funder's directions. Ironically, I often find myself tempted to violate this iron clad rule myself, especially when I am in a hurry, facing a tough deadline or in the mood to dismiss the funder's tedious requirements as mistakes instead of directions. Luckily, my wife and staff are quick to remind me of this necessity. 

When is it harder to follow the funder's directions?  

Undoubtedly, it is hardest to follow those guidelines when they are ambiguous and open to interpretation. This often happens, for example, in large federal grants where different rules appear at the beginning of the grant application compared to the same rules written later in the application. Push comes to shove, I tend to make my first priority calling the program officer on the phone when I see this happen. Often, grant writers are nervous about calling the funder because they are worried they will blow it somehow. This is not a legitimate worry. The program officers want to see compliant applications and they are eager to help you to make that happen. A quick phone call or e-mail can quickly clear things up. 

If I do not hear back from the program officer in time, however, I usually go with the interpretation that makes the most sense to me or the interpretation that occurs toward the end of the document. My view is that they probably got smarter as they wrote the application and put their best ideas at the end. No matter what, it is smart to document your e-mail or phone call requesting a clarification. 

My Disconcerting Truth: Write the Grant First and Then Do the Research

Every once in a while, I’m surprised at the power of my own techniques. Recently, I was putting a grant application together for a new client with a new potential funder. Following my usual strategy, I started writing the client’s application without doing any research – except, of course, interviewing a staff member and a Board member.

As I wrote the application, I quickly figured out that the funder needed a much more narrowly defined project that what I was currently writing for them.  In other words, my efforts to answer the funder’s questions had given me a much more precise understanding of exactly what the funder was willing to pay for in terms of a model grant program.

Ironically, I was already about 3/4 of the way through the first draft when I noticed the funder’s own website had a lot of the information I was looking for regarding the proposed grant project. If I had scanned the funder’s entire website beforehand, I do not think I would have noticed – or paid much attention to – the valuable information posted there, information that was immediately relevant to my client’s grant application.

Since I was already writing the first draft of the client’s application, I was hypersensitive to the exact information I needed and it just jumped out at me when I flipped to the funder’s website.

I think you will have this sort of time saving experience too if you give this technique a try. Often, I find I do not need to do the all extensive research I anticipated once I actually look at the questions posed in the actual grant application paperwork.

Moreover, the client’s staff experts can often quickly provide me with the most relevant research – once they have read a draft and understand the internal logic of the application.  In a world of severe time constraints and limited rationality, I think it is usually a waste of time to ask the client to figure out the fundamental issues of significance by reading the funder’s guidelines. I have found the client’s staff can often be more helpful if they respond to a fully established rough draft of the full proposal.

Best of all, I think that if you do your research second, you will sometimes find you already know more than enough to write a tolerable solicitation document. With this technique, I have been able to avoid losing valuable hours and minutes researching things that may – in the end – have nothing to do with my client’s proposed project.