When it comes to small nonprofits, a lot of their success will often depend on the funding they are able to secure. One sure way to get this funding is by applying for and winning relevant grants. However, this is not as easy as it may seem.

Grant writing is a skill that every nonprofit owner needs to learn to be able to secure the funding their organization needs. Hence, here are the best grant writing tips for nonprofits.

#1 Consult Your Current Funders

First of all, you need to start by consulting your current funders. After all, there is probably no better way to understand what is so attractive about your nonprofit than asking those who are already dedicated supporters of your organization. Your unique attributes need to be highlighted in your grant application to create the best description of your small nonprofit.

What makes your nonprofit unique can be virtually anything. It could be your mission or your values, your cause or your means of achieving it, your past achievements or your current goals.

#2 Research Your Competition

After you consult your own funders, you will need to research your competition to understand what other organizations like yours are doing. What are their funders like? What are their missions, values, goals? How are they trying to achieve these objectives? How did they attract funding?

This research method is particularly useful for applying to grants among other things. You need to check which grants these nonprofits have won and maybe even get a hold of the documents they used to apply for these grants. This way, you will have real examples of what works in grant writing.

#3 Seek Resources Locally

Before you start looking for funding elsewhere, you can first seek resources locally. As experts from a writing services reviews site put it, “It’s easy to think that there is funding found elsewhere, but you will actually be surprised by the opportunities you have in your own local area.”

Start by applying to local foundations. Even if it’s not much in dollar terms of funding, it will still be very valuable to you as experience. The more practice you get with grant writing, the easier it will be to apply to grants no matter how big or competitive they are.

#4 Use Storytelling Techniques

One of the most important things to remember about grant writing is that it’s not just a practical document you are working on. Your aim is to show that you deserve the grant, but you must also connect with the person reading your application. By connecting emotionally with the reader, you will increase your chances of winning the grant.

Storytelling is the most powerful tool for creating such an emotional connection, so you should definitely use relevant storytelling techniques in your own grant writing. Bring up real stories that happened to your organization and how much impact your nonprofit eventually had.

#5 Answer Questions Before They are Asked

Another important element of grant writing is answering questions before they are asked. Every time you apply for a grant, you will be introducing your organization to a completely new audience, so you need to remember that not everyone knows exactly what your nonprofit is and what it does.

That’s why your grant writing should reflect this kind of detailed approach. What will your reader find strange in your proposal? Address it. Which pieces of information are particularly important? Include them.

#6 Utilize Simple Yet Powerful Wording

When it comes to writing, wording is a subtle way of changing the meaning of your entire text which is why you should be very careful with the way you phrase your sentences. As experts from an assignment writing services site say, “You need to utilize simple yet powerful wording in your grant writing to achieve the best results.”

Wording is particularly important when you consider storytelling. Some words are emotionally charged which allows them to have a greater impact on the reader, but you should also consider the possibility of being too manipulative with your wording. To put it simply, you should find the right balance between charged words and neutral ones.

#7 Make Sure You are the Perfect Fit

Last but not least, you need to make sure that you are the perfect fit for the grant you are applying for. By researching the grant you are aiming for, you will be able to understand what the donors are looking for. Then, you must apply their requirements to your nonprofit and see whether your organization fits their criteria.

Of course, it’s better to apply for as many grants as possible, but you should also be ready for rejection. Getting rejected can mean that you simply chose poorly and applied for a grant that your nonprofit didn’t qualify, but you can’t know this for sure unless you do your research well beforehand. Always check that your organization is suitable for the grant and then align your grant writing with the grant’s requirements.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, grant writing is not something to fear if you are unacquainted with grant applications. However, it’s definitely a skill to perfect if you want to secure the necessary funding for your small nonprofit. Use the tips in this article to help you improve your grant writing skills and become more successful with winning grants.

Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.

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