Grant Writing Blog

Don't let the madness get to you... I'm excited to join your team and share strategies to help you win and win BIG. Isn't it time we turned the madness into gladness ? Here are my top 10 tips to help you succeed:

1. Start with a plan! Research your topic and understand the grant requirements before diving in.

2. Organize your data – This will save time when crafting your proposal, as well as increase efficiency when reporting results

3. Be sure to use the correct jargon – Grant writing is filled with specific language and details, so make sure you get it right.

4. Know your budget – Understand what funds are available and plan accordingly

5. Make it personal – Tell a compelling story that speaks to the grantors’ goals

6. Set achievable goals – Don’t go for the moon. Set realistic objectives that can be achieved within the timeframe.

7. Proofread & edit – Read over your work with a fine-toothed comb and make sure to correct any...

Here's a vlog I did with the entire transcription on this page with some additional resources to help you.  

• The Road Of A Grant Writer
• What It Takes To Be A Grant Writer
• Learn From Your Experience

Hey guys, Rodney here, Grant Central USA, you know, one of the questions I get all the time is like "Rodney, how did you get started? What made you want to do grants? And how did you end up doing what you're doing with Grant Central USA all over the U.S.?" And so what I've decided to do is just to kind of document and share with you some of my journey. Some of the things that I've done to get to where I'm at. To share with you some of the challenges that I had in getting to where I am and doing what I'm doing and even to share with you some more about what I'm looking to do on this journey. 

So why don't you do me a favor and let's go for a little ride? I'm going to take you to one of my favorite places that I enjoy going to in the greater Pasadena area. And I'm going...

I'm amazed at how many organizations are doing grant development by the seat of their pants without any sense of structure. They go after grants in a help-hazardous manner without a grant development calendar and without a sense of which grants they will be applying to that month or the months to come.

Most grant writers underestimate the power of being strategic and highly organized in their grant-seeking efforts, especially those that are new to the field.

However, more seasoned grant writers use being organized to their advantage. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. Being organized saves you tremendous time.

2. It helps you to become more strategic in your efforts which increases your success.

3. It helps you to become more efficient in pursuing the right grants at the right time.

These are just a few reasons why I would strongly recommend you develop a grant development calendar today.

However, those who choose not to will find themselves lagging behind and...

One of the greatest discoveries that I've made in life is realizing that I didn't have to let things happen to me but that I was able to take matters into my OWN hands!

WOW!

Yes, I discovered that life would GO IN THE DIRECTION that I chose for it to go IF I did ONE THING… yes, one thing.

I'll tell you more about that one thing in just a second, but for now let me tell you about a young lady name, Laura Stevens (name has been changed to protect her identity).

Laura recently approached me because she wanted to take matters into her own hands. She was sick and tired of working a job that was going nowhere and she felt like she was just existing.

• She was doing a lot of what she really didn't want to do it all.
• She wanted to be a grant writer… BUT there was one BIG PROBLEM.
• She did not know how to write a grant.

Laura asked me for help.

Normally my busy schedule does not afford me the time nor the opportunity to talk to every individual one-on-one much about ways to...

Karen was SMART yet Unemployed.

And for someone who had always tried to plan her life out to the smallest details... this was the worst.

She wondered, "How could I spend so much on graduate school acquiring ALL of these special degrees and credentials and now find myself standing in the unemployment line?" This question and the emotions that came with it were making her sicker by the minute. 

To make matters worse she had recently had dinner with one of her longtime girlfriends and learn that her son had just finished trade school and was getting ready to make twice what she had struggled to make on her last job.

With her bills stacking up faster and faster by the minute Karen needed to make a move.

But what?

She was too embarrassed to ask any of her employed friends if they knew of any job openings. Her pride kept her from going to the last job fair especially since her former employer had a table at the event. Going back to school at this stage only to get another...

We all have probably heard the old adage that rules are meant to be broken. However, this saying definitely does not hold true when it comes to the world of grant writing.

In fact, many funders say the number one reason that many grant proposals are rejected is that grant writers do not provide exactly what the funders are requesting. This may be a little frustrating especially if you are the type of person that likes to push the envelope as far as it will go hoping that it will not fall off the table.

But in the arena of writing and applying for grants this course of action can easily cause a grant proposal or application to be placed in the rejection pile.

This is another reminder of why it is so important to provide funders with exactly what they ask for.

Providers vs. Pushers

Funders are not looking for "pushers" rather they are looking for "providers" who can follow instructions and give them the things that they are requesting.

Pushers are grant writers that submit a proposal...