Grant Writing & Words (Almost) Everyone Confuses and Misuses

That's right...everyone, including me, a professional grant writer confuses and misuses words.  As writers we like to think we're pretty witty with our words, but sometimes our wits get the best of us and our proposals. I hope this list of my most confused words (in writing and reading proposals) helps you check and recheck your own writing. Enjoy!

1. Affect: To have an effect upon (confusing, I know); acted upon or influenced. (i.e. How will the new rules affect me?").
2. Assure: To inform positively to remove any doubt.
3. All right (not alright): In good condition or working order. Alright is not accepted as a standard usage even though already and altogether have been officially recognized.
4. Complement: Something that completes or makes up a whole.
5. Compliment: An expression of praise, admiration or congratulations.
6. Effect: Something brought about by a cause or agent (i.e. "Every cause produces more than one effect").
7. Ensure: To make sure or certain.
8. Insure: To provide or arrange insurance for. **Assure, ensure and insure all basically mean the same thing. The big difference is that assure is associated with a person (i.e. "He assured us it was in the plan.").**
 9. Prescribe: To set down a rule or guide.
10. Proscribe: To forbid or prohibit.

Courtesy 100 Words (Almost) Everyone Confuses and Misuses

Knowing and understanding words that are commonly used in your organization or field (health care, social services, emergency response), is important in order to craft a strong proposal. However, using lingo or industry-speak should be avoided as much as possible. There are exceptions for using specific language in research-oriented projects, but overall it is incredibly important use words that your grandmother would understand. Being wise with your words will bring you the most success!

Check out the coolest dictionary, 100 Words (Almost) Everyone Confuses and Misuses for 90 more words that we all scramble in our brains!

~Cheers!

Tips for Thanking Donors & Funders

The following is a list of top tips for thanking donors effectively. It is a great list to keep handy because it can be applied to individuals or foundation donors. The list is mostly common sense, but just like Emily Post shares common sense etiquette advice, we usually know what should be done--just not always how to do it. Enjoy this list and keep it close as a gentle reminder to stay on track with donor cultivating and stewardship.

• Ask donors for advice--it makes them feel valued.
• Focus on the most-loyal donors, and give them the attention they deserve.
• Use organization leaders and board members to call and thank donors.
• Send donors additional materials, such as books or articles about your organization's mission.
• Invite donors on field trips or site visits to see your work first-hand.
• Be specific in your thank-you notes about the results of the donors' gifts.

Adapted from article by Chronicle of Philanthropy

~Cheers!

After the Grant: The Nonprofit's Guide to Good Stewardship

Since I have been preaching the importance of writing a thank you letter to foundation funders, even after rejection, I'm excited to share this new Grant Savvy Book with you!

After the Grant: The Nonprofit's Guide to Good Stewardship was released by the Foundation Center this spring and is filled with instructions, how-to's and case studies for winning grants projects. According to the Foundation Center, "After the Grant is the only book of its kind written on the topic of what should happen after a grant is awarded".

There is a library's worth of books about the grant proposal process, but many often end before the stewardship pieces are discussed and few books include any stewardship guidance for readers. Getting the "yes" is really just the beginning of a relationship with a funder. You've courted, made your move and now the real committment begins. Don't ever overlook the importance of good stewardship with grant funders, government or otherwise. There is always a way to say thank you and to keep funders updated about the work you are able to do with their support--now  more than ever this can impact your chances for funding.

Add After the Grant: The Nonprofit's Guide to Good Stewardship to your bookshelf today and build your strategy to keep funders around for years to come!

~Cheers!

Proposal Rejection: Saying Thank You is Critical

Last week I had the opportunity to share a guest piece with Sandra Sims of Step By Step Fundraising for the Step By Step Fundraising blog. I was thrilled and honored to write about a topic that has been on my mind lately as we approach the middle of the year: Proposal Rejection: Saying Thank You is Critical.

Step By Step Fundraising's mission is to connect you with fundraising strategies for your school or non profit, so you can continue to make a positive impact in the world.

Published since 2003 Step by Step Fundraising, has become a valued resource for the non-profit sector. It has been listed in several print publications and many online sources.

Visit their blog and follow Sandra on Twitter @sandrasims and @sbsfundraising!

Thanks, Sandra and Step By Step Fundraising!

~Cheers

Back On Top In June

"That's life, that's what all the people say.

You're riding high in April,

Shot down in May

But I know I'm gonna change that tune

When I'm back on top, back on top in June."

                                   
~Frank Sinatra (That's Life)

Grant Savvy is ready to be back on top in June! Get ready for guest bloggers, new links for resources and more Savvy books!

~Cheers!

Systems Without Feedback Are Stupid: Evaluation & Grant Writing

Nonprofits are designed to be adaptable and responsive to their changing environments—or at least they should be. An organization must be ready to change when circumstances around them change such as politics, the economy and social expectations. What does this mean for grant writers? A lot.

One of the most important pieces of the grant writing process is evaluation. Funders want to know that you have goals and that you are able to reach them. In your proposal you must have a clearly defined plan of your benchmarks and the ability to measure your success.

As Ed Skloot, Director of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society and Professor of the Practice of Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University (whew!), once said, “Systems without feedback are stupid”.

As a grant writer, it is imperative that you work with staff and program managers to determine what your organization can achieve and how you will achieve it over a set period of time. You are not the one guiding their program goals, but rather motivating conversation. Becoming an outcomes-oriented organization with funders means that you need to have processes in place before you ask for funding or at least before you receive any grant awards.

Grant writers aren’t simply responsible for getting good ideas on paper and making them great. It is wise to make sure what you are writing about can really happen. Ask the tough questions that will help your organization think about the big picture and design programs that can provide solid feedback to funders.

~Cheers!

Grant Savvy Humor

 

Courtesy: The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Grant Savvy Books: The Ask

The newest book added to the Savvy Library is "The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit, Cause, Creative Project or Business Venture" by Laura Fredricks.

Below is a great review from the experts at the Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They are a tremendous resource for information and having worked with them early in their inception I can speak highly for how much knowledge Marilyn shares with those in Allen County and beyond.

"The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit, Cause, Creative Project or Business Venture

In her updated and expanded version of The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture, author and fundraiser Laura Fredricks offers a step-by-step approach to making the ask. Divided in two parts (What do I need to Know Before I ask? and How Do I Make the Ask?), The Ask outlines the process with chapters on: What Does Money Mean to You?; How Do I Know Who to Ask and When to Ask?; Asking for a Cause – Small and Large Charitable Gifts; Handling the Responses to the Ask: Following Up with Each and Every Ask.

Fredricks offers sample dialogues to prompt “asking” conversations along and frames the book with her list of Ten Things to Know about Every Ask."

~Cheers

Grant Savvy Humor

Courtesy: The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Proposal Rejection: "We Wish You Luck...

A letter from a funder with the words: "We regret to inform you..." OR "We had many worthy requests, but did not have the funds to help everyone..." OR "We wish you luck in your future fundraising endeavors...", can feel like a knife in the heart. There is no worse feeling for a grant writer than working long hours with program managers to write a compelling case with solid measureables and then have it rejected in a five-line letter. Ouch.

It hurts and it's a rough scratch across your ego, but it doesn't spell complete disaster when you have a rejection letter fall on your desk. Well, it shouldn't spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R, if you have a plan for action. If the funder does have likeminded interests, don't give up and don't let them forget about you.

1. Have an upbeat, grateful and well-written thank you letter ready for your rejections. There is nothing more gracious than for a denied grant seeker to say "thank you".

2. Put the funder on your calendar for the following year.

3. If you have a relationship with the funder, ask for the chance to further discuss your denial whether via phone or email. Program officers WANT to find good organizations to partner with, but don't always have the time to learn about them in a meaningful way.

4. Share your feedback with your own program managers and leadership. A quick update through email or in a staff meeting can be appropriate. Don't let program managers feel like their hard work on the grant (on top of their "real" job) wasn't worth it---keep them motivated to try again!

5. Invite your funder for a site visit. This can be informal through an event or a regular tour that you already offer. However, rolling out a little red carpet for a private visit might be a better fit for funders who need one-on-one time. Know what makes your funder happy!

The bottom line is that there is no need to tuck your tail between your legs if you have a good funding fit. We are working in a challenging and ever-changing landscape of grantmaking. Being creative with your stewardship shouldn't be overlooked.

Try incorporating this type of action plan into your 2010 grant process and see what results you get! If you keep up with your relationship-building when times are tough, you'll be better prepared when the economy turns around!

~Cheers!

Pardon Our Dust!

Grant Savvy is cleaning house to make our blog content bigger and better. Please be patient while we take the week to create Grant Savvy 2.0!

~Cheers!

Be SMART for 2010 Grant Success!

Near the end of last year I shared ways to get organized for 2010 and start the year off on the right foot. I think it's a good time to share my go-to mental organizer. When I get overwhelmed (some months this happens a lot), I try to stay SMART!

When I'm writing several proposals at once or taking on a variety of topics within a short time frame, my brain can short-circuit. If I stay SMART, I've noticed that my proposal are sharper, cleaner and require less editing. Here is how it works!

Specific means that you can pinpoint and describe exactly what you are trying to achieve. Be clear, concise and crisp. If you can't explain it, your funder won't understand it.

Measureable means that your objectives can be measured to show your impact in the community or with your intended audience.

Attainable means that what you want to achieve can realistically happen. If you shoot for the moon, make sure you can make it there. It should be a goal that is reasonable to assume you can achieve.

Realistic means that you can afford to make it to the moon. All of the factors that make something realistic to achieve should be considered (i.e. cost, personnel, facilities, etc.).

Time-Specific means that you will make it to the moon when you say you will. You should always talk about the time frame for your proposed project. If you aren't planning for timely implementation then your funder won't be interested.

Sometimes I use the SMART process before I write because it helps me create a solid outline. Other times, when I am writing in a flurry, I use it in the review process as a checklist.

For more information about the SMART process, check out Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request from No to Yes by Cheryl A. Clarke and Susan P. Fox.

How do your proposals look under a SMART lens?

~Cheers!

Happy New Year & A Grant Savvy Thanks!

Happy New Year to all Grant Savvy readers!

Before I begin the 2010 Grant Savvy blog, I wanted to send many thanks to the Grant Savvy readers. This blog began as an experiment and a way to keep my ideas moving outside of my head. It is now something that is part of my daily work (expect during the month of December---ugh!) and my writing process.

I am humbled and energized by the people who I have met because of Grant Savvy. I have found great comfort and motivation in the work of the "underground grant writing world" and can honestly share how much fun it has brought to my ever-evolving professional career.

My biggest thanks to Melanie Negrin at For Grantwriters Only for being such an awesome inspiration and leader of a remarkable online grant writers social network. Please support her and utilize all of her priceless resources. Thanks, Melanie!

Thank you all for 'being Savvy'. I look forward to learning and sharing during 2010!

Grant Savvy is back and ready to roll!