How to approach funders who don’t accept new grant proposals

With these strategies, funders who aren't currently accepting proposals might not be off limits after all.

Have you found what seems to be a “perfect match” in a foundation or other grant-giving institution, but this funder won’t accept unsolicited proposals?

Don’t give up hope; instead, use this handy advice to give yourself a chance.

In the April 2012 edition of eSchool News, Grants & Funding columnist Deborah Ward reveals what to do when you come across a funder who isn’t taking new grant proposals.…Read More

Death of a grant proposal: Six lessons learned in post-mortem

Following certain steps can help grant seekers complete grant proposals.
Following certain steps can help grant seekers complete grant proposals.

As I write this column, I’m mourning the death of a grant proposal that, after many weeks of discussion and hard work, did not get submitted. I’m conducting a post-mortem examination to determine what went wrong, in hopes of identifying these potential red flags in the future before it’s too late. I hope my analysis will help you recognize these warning signs, too, so you can get your proposal back on track before the deadline if you find yourself in a similar situation.

I’ve compiled a list of some of the biggest mistakes the project’s collaborative partners made over the past five to six weeks, when we were meeting to develop the project and work on the proposal. I should explain that this was a large federal grant project we were working on, and I was not the lead grant writer on the proposal. Although we met weekly, there was little or no contact among partners outside of these meetings.

Here are the major mistakes that I believe led to the proposal’s demise:…Read More