MorrisonGrants

Grant proposals take a lot of time, but some areas put applicants at particular risk of creating significant rework or missing critical deadlines. 

Biggest Time Killers

Proposal requirements usually include areas like project goals, qualifications of personnel, and project leadership, but the foundations of most proposals are:

• the work plan
• budgets and forecasts
• and technical/engineering specifications. 

Do these first.  All take significant time in the best of circumstances, but if they have to be revised, the effects will ripple – or tsunami – through the entire proposal.  A change in a work plan, for instance, may require changes to the project participants, timeline, budget and other factors.  If you have already done these sections, you may have wasted a great amount of time.

Input from Others

These foundational areas may require significant input from people outside your organization, who may not be as motivated by the grant deadline as you are.  For example, technical specifications for a research or demonstration project may require input from engineers, architects, universities, and others.  This can be like a scavenger hunt for puzzle pieces and should not be put off.

Badger Dentistry

Letters to document the support, contributions, or participation of others aren’t usually difficult or time consuming to prepare, but getting them back can be like pulling teeth.  Getting letters back on time that say what needs to be said – even if you provide templates – can be like pulling teeth from a rabid badger.  If you wait too long there may not be time to get a noncompliant letter rewritten. 

Politicians above the county supervisor level are notoriously difficult to get to commit to anything of substance.  They often prefer to write what we call “atta boy” letters, promising their warmest and fuzziest best wishes but little else.  Most grant programs attach little or no weight to such letters; we have advised clients to simply omit them if they cannot be redone in time.

Most grant proposals require a fair commitment of time.  Make the most of yours by starting with the toughest areas so you can do as much of the proposal possible just once.