Grant Writing Can Help You Fund Your Organization and Support Your Community

Have you ever been to an art museum, one with magnificently intricate paintings hung from the walls? Have you sat down to watch a tour of the known universe in the dome at your local planetarium? Have you walked through the paths of a botanical garden and stopped to photograph a vibrant flower? You can likely thank grant writers for keeping the doors to the institution open for you.

The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN (2021)        

What is Grant Writing?

Grant writing is the process through which nonprofit organizations submit written proposals to secure funding for specific programs, operations, and projects. This writing accompanies an application that presents critical questions for the granting committee to review. These enable them to determine whether they’ll grant an organization the award.

Much like scholarship essays, grant writing involves persuasion based on achievements and awards, with a precise plan of how the money will be used. Some grants enable the organizations to use the awarded funds as they need it. However, most funding pools are meant for very specific purposes. For instance, a grant intended for designing a website cannot be used to acquire new pieces for an exhibition. This means that an individual in the organization—likely the grant-writer—should ensure that the funds are being used for their intended purpose. This is called grant management.

Grant management demands that the grant writers need to communicate regularly with the departments asking for funding. Grant writers may be approached by colleagues to seek out financial support for their projects, but it is important that they connect both ways. Writing grants depends on a firm finger on the pulse of the organization.

Castillo De San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.

How Do I Submit a Grant Proposal?

So, now that you know what grant writing is, how do you apply? Here are the steps to completing your grant-writing application:

1. Meet with your colleagues. There is no way to psychically assume what your institution needs. It is critical that grant writers understand the goals of their colleagues so they can meet them. Here are some questions for your meetings with your organization’s departments:

   1. What projects would you like to initiate in the next year? Next 5 years?

   2. How does your proposed project align with the organization’s mission statement?

   3. What programs does your organization currently run, which could be improved with better funding?

   4. What does your customer-base/member-base care about? Is there something that people like that could be made better? Is there something they really dislike that could be changed with more resources?

2. Seek out your grant. Grant writers can locate specific grants using databases like GrantWatch and Grants.gov. You’ll want to invest a significant amount of detail and attention at this step to avoid the pain of re-reading the grant’s requirements and realizing you’ve been writing for a grant you aren’t eligible for. It may be helpful to double and triple check that your organization and project/program are eligible.

3. Maintain communication and conduct research. Your grant-writing endeavors will be aided by excellent record-keeping, so it is imperative that you and your institution collects, maintains, and manages data. Here are some research techniques:

   1. Reach out to experts inside your organization to help you understand relevant topics. (i.e. botany, entomology, horticulture, museum curation, facilities, education departments)

   2. Connect with the finance department and database manager(s) to understand the financial needs of the proposed program or project.

   3. If you need to outsource research, use reputable sources and cite them.

4. Fill out the grant according to the prompt and write your appeal. Give yourself plenty of time to execute this step (at least two weeks). Your readers will be reading your appeal among a myriad of other applications. Make your case succinctly, without passing on critical details. Demonstrate your organization’s continued success, especially in managing grant-funded projects. Remember that you are making an argument for why your organization deserves to be funded.

5. Edit your writing and allow your collaborators to read what you have written. Before you submit, look over your writing with fresh eyes. Have your colleagues read your proposal. If your institution requires you to acquire approval from a senior employee, make sure you allow them at least 3 days to read, review, and offer suggestions to implement.

6. Submit your proposal with adequate time before the deadline. Once you feel confident in your proposal, ensure that you can submit it early. Not only will this leave a good impression and indicate that your organization is diligent, but it will also allow you to take advantage of the psychological phenomenon called the primacy effect. People tend to remember information in the order they receive it, so the first grant applications the grant committee receive are likely to stick out.

7. Follow up, accept and manage the grant funds. Ensure that you are regularly checking your email and the grant-making organization’s website for updates about the grant. Make yourself available for questions, and to defend your organization’s request. When you have been selected, demonstrate your gratitude and follow through with the grant-makers to collect your grant. Once the organization receives the funding, ensure that the funds are being used as they are intended. Connect with your database manager to keep proper records of the paperwork accompanying the grant, especially if there are signed contracts. Track the success of your grant-funded programs so that you can continue to apply for new funds.

Grant writing can be intimidating. But, if you believe in your organization’s mission and in the capability of your colleagues to effectively represent it, it won’t be hard to make the case that you, your organization, your colleagues, and your community can do wonderful things with the financial support of a grant. If you need inspiration, just ask a colleague how they are helping to build your community.

Moreton Bay Fig installation for Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (2023)