The Skills You Need to Write a Grant

Barbie Carpenter reports:

"If you're applying for an individual grant or heading up a [grant writing] team at your organization, then take time to acquire the skills you need to succeed as a grant writer...Research skills are key for any grant writer. Your grant proposal should identify a need, which explains why you or your organization [are] deserving of the grant. Facts, figures and statistics can back up your argument and convince the committee to award the grant to you...Knowing how to accrue and explain this research is essential for grant writers...Grant writers should be able to convince their readers that they have identified a problem and have the plan to solve it. Persuasive writing includes looking at the benefits of the solution, from how many people it helps to how much of an impact it has on the community...Because funding organizations receive many grant proposals, they provide clear guidelines on what to include in the proposal and how to submit it. Therefore, grant writers must have attention to detail to ensure that their grant follows the organization's specific guidelines. Funding organizations might eliminate grant proposals that do not comply with guidelines, so it is essential for grant writers to understand and follow these standards. An eye for detail and an ability to revise will ensure the grant is correct...[A] successful grant writer should have the ability to identify tasks and complete them on a strict timeline. Without proper research, writing cannot begin, so grant writers must adhere to a schedule to ensure their proposal goes in before the deadline."