Tips for writing a great grant application
Julian Lomas
From time to time we get asked for our top tips for writing a good bid for grant funding. While we do have some writing tips to offer (see below), it’s important to state right up front that there are no magic words and no infallible formula that will guarantee success.
By far our most important tips are:
Keep it simple & authentic: find your voice.
Know your audience, what motivates them and try to address that.
Answer the question the funder is asking not what you wanted them to ask!
Use evidence to support your bid, including evidencing the impact of your charity’s work.
If the format allows, bring your bid to life with photos, diagrams/charts, high impact quotes and case studies and high impact statistics. Write to influence both head and heart.
Make sure you send everything the funder is asking for ask for; using a check list can really help.
Always, always, always tell the truth - even half truths can come back to bite you later.
Beyond that, it’s about keeping your responses brief and to the point (while saying everything you need to say).
In terms of language and style, while always ensuring you write in your charity’s authentic voice, here are a few simple tips:
Keep it positive. For example avoid using “but” or “however”. Often you can just leave that word out and start a new sentence or replace you can replace it with “and”.
Avoid using jargon or technical language.
Know what your writing ticks are and try to avoid them. Examples of such ticks include, “in order to..”, “nevertheless...“ etc.
Avoid long sentences. try to break them down to shorter ones if you can.
Avoid strings of adjectives and exaggeration/hyperbole.
Write in the 2nd not the 3rd person, i.e. “we deliver...” not “Charity X delivers...”
Try to write in the active rather than passive voice, for example “we will deliver training...” or “we will train young people to...” not “training will be delivered...” or “young people will be trained...”
Break up the text (if formatting/space allows) by using shorter paragraphs, using bullets/lists, inserting photos, diagrams, tables etc.
Keep the formatting consistent.
When you have your final draft, even if it’s been through many drafts, take time to proof read to check for repetition, sense, grammar and punctuation. Getting someone else to do this who hasn’t been involved so far can be really helpful.
After you’ve submitted the bid, make sure to save the final version and use it to update your case for support (sometimes called a case statement). Share it with colleagues so they can use the material you have carefully prepared. If you win the funding, make sure to celebrate and if you don't, try to be resilient about it.
If you would like to know more about the services we offer or to discuss your fundraising needs further please contact us at julian@almondtreeconsulting.co.uk.