A Good Grant Proposal Tells a Story
Quite often, if you want to receive grants and funding, you will be asked to submit a grant proposal. How you structure it will depend upon what the grant funder requires and your own decisions on what’s best. Each request for proposals is unique, with varying degrees of how creative you can be. As usual, though, we’re going to follow our rule of doing exactly what the grant provider asks of you, to maximize your chances for grants and funding. To the extent you can, you should make your grant proposal tell a story.
Why Are There College Scholarships?
We’re all familiar with college scholarships, but have you ever given any thought to why they exist? There actually are varying reasons for their existence, depending upon who’s offering them, and to whom. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that college scholarships are offered. First, the school itself wants to attract talented students to enhance the reputation and prestige of the
The Human Element in Government Grant Funding
Grant funding can sometimes seem like an impersonal process. You find the grant funding you’re interested in, read the guidelines, submit your proposal, then receive notification of whether you’ve gotten the grant funding. After you get the grant funding, you will possibly submit periodic reports on how you’re using the money. It’s entirely possible to do this on an impersonal, faceless basis, but not necessarily desirable.
You Asked for It: More about Unexpected Government Grant Offers
In a previous article, I told you how some questionable companies may try to convince you that you have automatically been awarded a grant, even though you hadn’t applied for one. Some people were interested to find out more, including what to watch out for and who might be targeted. We’ll take a look at what some of the possible signs are that tell you to beware, and also see whether you may be vulnerable to being targeted.
What Do You Do If Someone Offers You a Government Grant that You Didn’t Ask For?
Jackpot! You received notice that you have already qualified for a grant, one that you didn’t even apply for. A company that you’re not familiar with is selflessly notifying people that the government wants to give them grants they didn’t even ask for. The reasons given that you qualify for this grant may vary from “because you’re a taxpayer” to “as a citizen, you’re entitled to….”
Should You Hire A Grant Writer?
If you are having difficulty deciding whether or not to hire a grant writer, below are some pros and cons that can help you decide what is right for you. One advantage of hiring a writer to assist you with putting together your proposal is that it can mean faster results. The basic job of a grant writer is to complete your work based on your financial strategy in a timely manner.
One Crucial Little Tip for Your Government Grant Applications
One popular misconception about getting grants is that they are awarded to those who are most in need. You may be familiar with an old television show called “Queen for a Day” that was broadcast in the US in the early 1960s. The premise of the show was that contestants would take turns telling their hard-luck stories, usually involving financial and emotional difficulties.
Are Grants Gifts?
Often, you’ll hear it said that a grant is a gift. I’ve phrased it that way myself. It’s a convenient, shorthand way to differentiate them from loans, to put the emphasis on the fact that they do not have to be repaid.
But in other, important ways, grants are different from gifts, as we like to think of the term.