Demystifying Grant Writing. Debunking the Grant Writer

I get very uncomfortable when someone "oohs" and "aahs" when I tell them I write grants. I do other types of writing for businesses and nonprofits as well, but for some reason, writing grants seems magical to people. Part of the reason this makes me uncomfortable is because I know other grant writers who deliberately perpetuate the myth that grant writers are "technically special" individuals who deserve (sometimes) outrageous consulting fees to write (or repackage) a grant request. This has created an ego illness among many grant writers, consultants and employees, who believe they deserve high fees or salaries because they "can" write grants.

I argue that just about anyone "can" write a grant request. You don't need to be a "writer" to be successful at securing grants. However, you do need to know the basic process of making a request that funders will be interested in supporting. You also need to know what to avoid doing at all costs.

I believe that successful grant submissions, aside from relationships with funders, have more to do with the writer being passionate about their request. This usually entails a close relationship between the writer and the organization's mission and/or its beneficiaries. I can honestly say I have never written or submitted a grant request I did not 100% support. Some would argue that I am being a bit "pollyanna-ish" but it is true. This does not mean I have not been asked to write a request for something I did not support. I have definitely been in that situation. How did I handle it? I either declined the consulting job or I delegated to another employee. Obviously, not everyone has those choices.

I think this is part of the mystification surrounding grant writers. I have not met a consultant who does not just do as s/he is requested to do. That is, after all, what they get paid to do - write the grant request. However, I believe that if you do not have the passion for the subject when you are writing, it comes across in black and white. On the other hand, if you have the passion but lack some of the technical writing ability, you are more likely to be forgiven and funded.

A proposal has a few main ingredients that just about anyone who currently works for a business or nonprofit probably has to some extent. The first I have already mentioned: passion for mission. The second is ability to follow directions, specifically funders' application instructions. The third is ability to meet deadline. The fourth is ability to get words down on paper. If you can do these four things, you have a pretty decent chance of compiling a grant request. Understand this is oversimplified as it lacks the specifics of knowing funders and meeting their strict requirements. However, it is those four characteristics that create the foundation of a potential grant writer. If you don't have passion, you writing will be stale and stilted and you will not be able to make your case. If you can't follow instructions, your request is likely to be determined ineligible out of the gate. If you can't meet deadlines, your request will be sloppy and immediate discarded. And, finally, if you can't get words down on paper (or in the computer), you don't have a request, period.

I hope this has been helpful for those of you who are just beginning your grant writing journey. As long as you don't get tripped out over the "ego illness" associated with your new vocation and always remember why you are raising funds, you will be fine. Just be yourself, in black and white.