The majority of grant proposals are rejected for one reason, but this one problem can be easily avoided. The reason? Most applicants fail to do their research thoroughly.
Debbie Rey, who supervises the central proposals-processing office for the Kellogg’s foundation, says “[Applicants] may have glanced at the grant maker’s website, but they didn’t dig deeper to learn Kellogg’s specific grant-making priorities. A lot of people when they’re doing research, read the philosophy statement, but they didn’t go into the detail, into the different departments to see what initiatives we have going on.”
Here some of the common research errors applicants make, from foundations’ perspective:
1) The Blanket Approach—This is where a ministry sends out a general proposal to a wide number of grant-makers in hopes that the proposal will stand out to at least one of the foundations.
On the surface, this sounds like the 1+1+1+1=10 approach that I discussed in my last post, but don’t be misled. Each of the proposals you send out should be carefully geared towards the foundation and exact program they support.
Grant Writer’s Tip: Look for foundations that are solid matches for your ministry—they give to similar causes, they include the support type you are interested in, etc.
2) Fast Start—This is where a ministry finds a foundation, looks at the general information, and decides to send a proposal.
Katherine Freshley, who is part of a foundation in Washington, points out that finding a foundation in a database resources is not enough information to send a proposal based upon. “The information on those sites is not meant to be comprehensive,” she writes, “Only highlights are presented, and they can be misleading if the grant seeker doesn’t dig further.”
Grant Writer’s Tip: Use databases such as Christian Foundation Grants to find potential matches for your ministry, and take the information there to expand your research. Look at the 990s, contact the foundation, review past grant history. Understand why the foundation gives in a certain area or in certain amounts.
3) Directions? Who needs ‘em?—If an applicant has not followed instructions, this is one of the easiest ways for a foundation to eliminate proposals.
Applications that are concise, legible, and orderly make good first impressions. If the proposal is supposed to be 10 pages at a maximum, aim to make your proposal nine pages. Following directions simply is a way of being courteous.
Grant Writer’s Tip: Make your contact person clear. Only one person should sign the letter, and all the appropriate contact information should be provided.
So what does good research look like? Foundations had a variety of thoughts:
--Be careful—Always review your calculations before sending in a proposal. It is unprofessional and distracting if your figures do not add up.
--Be a wise steward—Stewardship has very practical implications. Ministries too often focus simply upon how God has given them a passion, His calling, etc. when foundations really need the concrete plan of action. If they are a Christian foundation, they probably understand your love & devotion to Christ, so save the precious time and amount of space you have and tell the foundation how and why your plan will work. Foundations said that “proposals most likely to catch a foundation’s attention are those that convey plans to use the grant money to bring in other money.”
--Be gracious & patient—Once again, foundations receive many applications, so respect their final notification policies. If your proposal is not accepted, thank them anyways. If wanted, graciously inquire as to why your proposal was declined—learn from the situation. “No” can mean “No, we don’t currently have the money” or many other things. Take the time to listen and learn.
Quotes and additional information from the Chronicle of Philanthropy
-- Jessica High is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is a subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online