The Grant Insider
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How to Increase Your Grant Writing Success
Grant reviewers often look at the proposal's budget first. A mistake here can undermine all your good efforts.
Seven Tips...
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The cost-benefit ratio. Make sure you underscore how the grant dollars will be maximized as a result of your efficiencies. Also point out how the grant will yield long term benefits.
- A change here may need to be updated there: Check for consistency between other proposal components and your budget. I often see proposals where a line item is changed in the budget, but is left unchanged in the narrative. Clearly, this is confusing to the reviewer and the confused mind always says 'no.'
- Avoid using a "miscellaneous" budget category. This is a big red flag to the reviewer. Your small expenses should be properly allocated to supplies, copies, transportation and so on.
- What is your per person cost? This can be a real tool of persuasion for you. If your project will reach 40,000 people at a total cost of $10,000, then your per person cost is 25 cents. Underscore this value in your budget narrative.
- Keep training costs reasonable. Most funding sources are suspicious of inflated costs in this area. In fact, this is an area where you can demonstrate your skills of efficiency for the funding source. Show how you have saved money by utilizing your department's staff or facilities to reduce training costs.
- It is an advantage to include a clause in your proposal (when permitted) that allows you to move funds from one line-item to another without increasing the overall budget. Your proposal is based on estimated costs which can change. This clause gives you added flexibility to help stay within your project's overall budget.
- Grantee beware! Armed with your federal tax-id number and DUNS number, now required for federal grants, a funder can find out more about your organization by surfing the Internet and using sites like Guidestar, http://www.guidestar.org/. Check out what information is online about your organization to make sure it is accurate and up-to-date.
Good
luck,
Richard Lambert
President, The Idea Bank
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Check out The Idea Bank's upcoming grant workshops
for the fire service.
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