How to Write Grants

In sectors such as healthcare, non-profit and academics, successful grant writing is imperative to personal and organizational success. Regardless of whether you are new to grant writing or are more experienced, the following suggestions help you stay ahead of the competition. They will give you a solid foundation to procure the funding you need to support your research needs.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Take a class about grant writing. Most disciplines in a four-year college program offer some instruction for grant writing. If you are a graduate student, grant writing instruction is often incorporated into your classes. Libraries, both academic and public, offer grant writing workshops, as do many non-profit organizations specifically focused on education and literacy issues.

2. Buy a book about grant writing even if you have had some in class instruction. There are certain basic steps that need to be kept in mind when completing each section of the grant. Keep a good reference resource on hand such as "The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing" by Jane Geever.

3. Focus on what type of grant you are writing. There are many different types of grants that serve different purposes and are composed differently.

4. Research grant opportunities. Choose institutions and organizations that best fit the type of funding you are requesting.

5. Apply to several organizations for grants. You are competing among many people for limited funding. More often than not this requires several attempts before you find funding.

6. Follow the directions given by the granting institution. While most grants follow a basic template, some organizations pay more attention to certain aspects of the grant than others depending on the type of grant you are writing and the type of institution you are applying to.