Sunday, April 12, 2015

By Joanna Walsh


It is not surprising to hear people say that money is difficult to obtain, or that money is in short supply. Despite this attitude, the fact remains that many essential or important activities or entities in the community require funding, often on an extensive scale. This funding is derived from outside donors or the government, who in turn need to be satisfied that it is going to be used sensibly. Requesting such funding can be made easier by taking grant writing lessons.

Some people may not be amenable to approaching others for funding. They may see the submission of requests as an admission that their organization is not making ends meet, or they may not, personally, be enthusiastic about what they see as begging. Charity is an entrenched societal phenomenon, but the other objection, namely that the organization should not be seen as insolvent, is harder to counter.

Another issue is related to how persuasive the request itself is. The request is typically seen as serious because it involves money. It isn't easy to secure the approval of the benefactor. The criteria for approval may be extremely harsh, or the benefactor may start to ask for very confidential data, or other awkward questions. Even perfectly legitimate requests may be declined as being of no use to society.

Writing requests for grant funding is therefore a process that requires proper attention and the necessary sensitivity to relevant issues. People who are not experienced in the composition of such material, or who are ignorant as to how one seeks sponsorship from other entities, may fail in their attempts to secure the money or even the interest of others. The following are a few basic guidelines in compiling grant requests.

Importantly, the integrity of the material should not be compromised. All facts, figures and statements should be 100% accurate. Asking for money on the basis of incorrect or distorted information is not only unethical but actually amounts to a crime and may lead to criminal sanction. It is not acceptable to try to re-work or interpret data to suit the request, or to insert inaccurate material.

Turning to actually copy writing, the language, style and layout should be as professional as possible. Overselling the situation or insisting that the money be provided is not polite and may even irritate the recipient to the extent that they treat the request as spam or arrogant. Think in terms of an aggressive beggar on the street. No-one appreciates their approach or gives them anything. There are government offices who receive literally hundreds of requests for funding. It is therefore important to be as polite as possible, and to stay neutral at all times.

The paperwork should also be immaculate, in terms of its linguistic content. No spelling mistakes or errors in grammar should be present. The layout should be sound, too. A poorly written document, or shoddy, presentation, is suspicious and is unlikely to elicit approval. It is not reasonable to expect that anyone is going to give money to an unprofessional requester.

Unfortunately, paperwork and requesting sponsorship is part of the activities of many worthwhile organizations. Through simple grant writing lessons, those involved in these processes can submit their requests more easily, and recipients are better able to assess the latter.




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