Category Archives: grant writing mistakes

Don’t be like Barney Frank

O.k., I can think of lots of reasons why you should not be like Barney Frank, but the reason on my mind today has to do with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Apparently, after learning that the new law exempts the SEC from Freedom of Information Act requirements, many folks are upset about what’s in the new law, so Barney Frank has agreed to hold a hearing to discuss the issue. Call me crazy, but isn’t the discussion supposed to happen before the law is passed? In fact, Mr. Frank has given several different accounts of how that provision got into the bill and how much he knew about it.

I, like many other Americans, have been appalled at how our Congressional representatives seem to be OK with voting on bills without reading them; however, I am truly amazed that an author and sponsor of a bill would not have a better handle on what’s in the bill.

Because this is a grant writing blog, yes, I will share with you how this relates to grant writing and why I’m warning you not to be like Barney Frank.

First, whether you have hired a grant writer to write your grant proposal or you have assigned it to some folks within your organization, keep in mind that you, Mr. or Ms. Executive Director or Superintendent, are responsible for what is in that proposal. That means that you need to know what is in it and you should have been at least somewhat involved in the collaborative process of having the conversations that led to the development of the program described in the proposal. Pointing your finger after the fact and saying that you a) didn’t know what was in the proposal or b) didn’t think anyone would object to what was in the proposal makes you looks both a) stupid and b) out of touch with your staff and community.

I know some of you may be thinking, “But wait a minute!  Our organization is so big that there is no way I can review every grant proposal and be involved in every proposal planning process!” Personally, I don’t think that’s a good excuse.  That’s why you get paid the big bucks; however, you should at least have a close supervisory relationship with someone who is keeping a close watch on the process so you can monitor it.

I can’t tell you how many times I have attended Board or community meetings to make an evaluation presentation on a grant-funded program, only to hear the Executive Director or Superintendent actually admit to the Board and/or community that they didn’t know something was in the grant.  They usually hint that it must have been the result of a rogue grant writer’s visions.  What?  You signed the proposal, for goodness’ sake! Don’t you pay attention to what you sign?  If the proposal was submitted at the last minute and you signed before seeing the final product, didn’t you at least know what was supposed to be in it? Did you see a draft?

So, please read grants that you submit on behalf of your organization.  Please be involved in the planning and writing process.  Please have collaborative discussions with staff and community partners about your plans.  Otherwise, you’ll look like Barney Frank, and nobody wants that.

———————————————–

Free e-book —- Here are tips from 14 experts on Using Social Media to Increase Your Business.  This is a valuable tool for non-profit organizations, too.

Don’t be like Barney Frank

O.k., I can think of lots of reasons why you should not be like Barney Frank, but the reason on my mind today has to do with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Apparently, after learning that the new law exempts the SEC from Freedom of Information Act requirements, many folks are upset about what’s in the new law, so Barney Frank has agreed to hold a hearing to discuss the issue. Call me crazy, but isn’t the discussion supposed to happen before the law is passed? In fact, Mr. Frank has given several different accounts of how that provision got into the bill and how much he knew about it.

I, like many other Americans, have been appalled at how our Congressional representatives seem to be OK with voting on bills without reading them; however, I am truly amazed that an author and sponsor of a bill would not have a better handle on what’s in the bill.

Because this is a grant writing blog, yes, I will share with you how this relates to grant writing and why I’m warning you not to be like Barney Frank.

First, whether you have hired a grant writer to write your grant proposal or you have assigned it to some folks within your organization, keep in mind that you, Mr. or Ms. Executive Director or Superintendent, are responsible for what is in that proposal. That means that you need to know what is in it and you should have been at least somewhat involved in the collaborative process of having the conversations that led to the development of the program described in the proposal. Pointing your finger after the fact and saying that you a) didn’t know what was in the proposal or b) didn’t think anyone would object to what was in the proposal makes you looks both a) stupid and b) out of touch with your staff and community.

I know some of you may be thinking, “But wait a minute!  Our organization is so big that there is no way I can review every grant proposal and be involved in every proposal planning process!” Personally, I don’t think that’s a good excuse.  That’s why you get paid the big bucks; however, you should at least have a close supervisory relationship with someone who is keeping a close watch on the process so you can monitor it.

I can’t tell you how many times I have attended Board or community meetings to make an evaluation presentation on a grant-funded program, only to hear the Executive Director or Superintendent actually admit to the Board and/or community that they didn’t know something was in the grant.  They usually hint that it must have been the result of a rogue grant writer’s visions.  What?  You signed the proposal, for goodness’ sake! Don’t you pay attention to what you sign?  If the proposal was submitted at the last minute and you signed before seeing the final product, didn’t you at least know what was supposed to be in it? Did you see a draft?

So, please read grants that you submit on behalf of your organization.  Please be involved in the planning and writing process.  Please have collaborative discussions with staff and community partners about your plans.  Otherwise, you’ll look like Barney Frank, and nobody wants that.

———————————————–

Free e-book —- Here are tips from 14 experts on Using Social Media to Increase Your Business.  This is a valuable tool for non-profit organizations, too.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Writing Mistakes to Avoid

The list of grant writing mistakes to avoid could be longer than the list of tips to do it right because there are so many ways to slip up, particularly when writing large and complex government grants. Here’s a quick list of a few mistakes to avoid that have come up lately:

Mistake #1: Not reading everything in the RFP.  This may seem like a no-brainer to you, but you would be surprised how often people don’t read everything. Reading everything in the RFP is so important that you should do it no matter how many times you have written a particular category of grant.  Things change.  Yes, they really do. I’m working on a grant project right now that has undergone some major modifications.  The RFP is full of brand new detail, websites to visit, and assessments to review.  Calling it complex would be a bit of an understatement. It would be a huge mistake not to read absolutely everything.

Mistake #2: Not participating in the informational conference calls and webinars. About 50% of the time, there is nothing shared on the informational call that is not also in the RFP; however, half the time, some valuable detail is shared that will give you a competitive advantage.  Ok, ok, I know.  That’s not supposed to be the way it works.  Everything you need to apply is supposed to be included in the Federal Register announcement and the RFP, but that’s just not the way it works. I know an organization that was denied funding because they did not comply with a restriction that was explained in the informational webinar and not in the RFP.  It’s still in appeal, but it would have been a lot easier just to participate in the webinar.

Mistake #3: Not using the checklist provided in the RFP.  This is such a common mistake, that many funding agencies now require that you include the checklist in your application.  It’s their way of making sure that you have actually looked at the checklist.  Using the checklist helps you be sure not to leave required pieces out of your application.  It won’t help you with the quality of the narrative response (follow the scoring criteria for that), but it will help you submit all the required documents in the right order.

Mistake #4:  Waiting until the last minute to call with your questions. This requires some advance planning. You can call to ask questions, but the representative from the funding agency will usually not answer the phone, and he/she may not return your call in a timely manner.  If you have waited until the last day to ask a critical question, you’ll be out of luck. 

Mistake #5: Not reading the FAQs or supplemental information suggested in the RFP. This is related to mistake #1 (above), but often people do not think that the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are really part of the RFP, so they don’t read them.  Some agencies publish the FAQs separately.  They can contain some very valuable clarifying information.  The same is true of supplemental information referred to in the RFA.  Sometimes the website the funder is pointing you to really is just for extra information that you don’t need or may already know, but from time to time those references include critical information that will make the difference between success and failure.


Mistake #6:  Including needs that you don’t plan on addressing in the project.  It’s really easy to get carried away providing all sorts of information about how needy your organization is, but you need to be sure that you target your needs section toward the project at hand.  If you identify a need, then your project to address that need (at least in part).  Remember, all of the sections of your proposal need to be connected – from needs, to goals and objectives, to design, to management, to evaluation, to budget.

——————————-

Related Posts:


Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Grant Objectives

How Can the Grant You Just Finished Help Make You a Better Writer?


Lessons Learned from Failure

Top 10 Lessons I Learned from My Grant Writing Mentor

Grant Writing Mistakes to Avoid

The list of grant writing mistakes to avoid could be longer than the list of tips to do it right because there are so many ways to slip up, particularly when writing large and complex government grants. Here’s a quick list of a few mistakes to avoid that have come up lately:

Mistake #1: Not reading everything in the RFP.  This may seem like a no-brainer to you, but you would be surprised how often people don’t read everything. Reading everything in the RFP is so important that you should do it no matter how many times you have written a particular category of grant.  Things change.  Yes, they really do. I’m working on a grant project right now that has undergone some major modifications.  The RFP is full of brand new detail, websites to visit, and assessments to review.  Calling it complex would be a bit of an understatement. It would be a huge mistake not to read absolutely everything.

Mistake #2: Not participating in the informational conference calls and webinars. About 50% of the time, there is nothing shared on the informational call that is not also in the RFP; however, half the time, some valuable detail is shared that will give you a competitive advantage.  Ok, ok, I know.  That’s not supposed to be the way it works.  Everything you need to apply is supposed to be included in the Federal Register announcement and the RFP, but that’s just not the way it works. I know an organization that was denied funding because they did not comply with a restriction that was explained in the informational webinar and not in the RFP.  It’s still in appeal, but it would have been a lot easier just to participate in the webinar.

Mistake #3: Not using the checklist provided in the RFP.  This is such a common mistake, that many funding agencies now require that you include the checklist in your application.  It’s their way of making sure that you have actually looked at the checklist.  Using the checklist helps you be sure not to leave required pieces out of your application.  It won’t help you with the quality of the narrative response (follow the scoring criteria for that), but it will help you submit all the required documents in the right order.

Mistake #4:  Waiting until the last minute to call with your questions. This requires some advance planning. You can call to ask questions, but the representative from the funding agency will usually not answer the phone, and he/she may not return your call in a timely manner.  If you have waited until the last day to ask a critical question, you’ll be out of luck. 

Mistake #5: Not reading the FAQs or supplemental information suggested in the RFP. This is related to mistake #1 (above), but often people do not think that the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are really part of the RFP, so they don’t read them.  Some agencies publish the FAQs separately.  They can contain some very valuable clarifying information.  The same is true of supplemental information referred to in the RFA.  Sometimes the website the funder is pointing you to really is just for extra information that you don’t need or may already know, but from time to time those references include critical information that will make the difference between success and failure.


Mistake #6:  Including needs that you don’t plan on addressing in the project.  It’s really easy to get carried away providing all sorts of information about how needy your organization is, but you need to be sure that you target your needs section toward the project at hand.  If you identify a need, then your project to address that need (at least in part).  Remember, all of the sections of your proposal need to be connected – from needs, to goals and objectives, to design, to management, to evaluation, to budget.

——————————-

Related Posts:


Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Grant Objectives

How Can the Grant You Just Finished Help Make You a Better Writer?


Lessons Learned from Failure

Top 10 Lessons I Learned from My Grant Writing Mentor

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Top 5 Mistakes of Novice Grant Writers

I wrote an article this morning on the Top 5 Mistakes of Novice Grant Writers. Click on the link to go to my Hub page for that article.

The article summarizes the mistakes most often made by novices, even those who are good writers. If you avoid those errors, you’ll be sure to improve your grant writing success.

At the end of the article, leave a comment. Let me know what you think!

Top 5 Mistakes of Novice Grant Writers

I wrote an article this morning on the Top 5 Mistakes of Novice Grant Writers. Click on the link to go to my Hub page for that article.

The article summarizes the mistakes most often made by novices, even those who are good writers. If you avoid those errors, you’ll be sure to improve your grant writing success.

At the end of the article, leave a comment. Let me know what you think!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com