Ten grant-writing resolutions for the new year

4. Resolve to create a grants calendar.

If you take resolution No. 3 seriously, this resolution is a natural follow-up. Again, I find it helpful to look ahead at the entire year to get a sense of what grants I’ll be working on—and when.

5. Resolve to request a copy of reviewers’ comments and resubmit one rejected proposal.

I would bet that every grant writer can name at least one proposal they submitted and then resubmitted, only to be funded the second time around. One of the tips to doing this is to read the reviewers’ comments and determine how to improve your proposal, which can increase your chances of getting funded when you resubmit it.

More grant-seeking advice from Deborah Ward:

Where to find grants for education

How to find private sources of funding

Advance planning is the single biggest key to grant-seeking success

A strong budget narrative can help sell your proposal

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

6. Resolve to become a grant reviewer for one grant competition.

I don’t think it really matters whether you review proposals for a local grant competition (for the United Way, for example) or for a state or federal grant; either way, the process of serving as a reviewer is an educational one. Pay attention to what types of projects are proposed, how others put their grant proposals together, and how reviewers react to what is included in the proposals.

7. Resolve to find one grants professional you can “buddy” with to share successes—and failures.

Only those of us who are in the field can truly appreciate the exhilaration you feel when you are funded, and the feelings of sadness and frustration when you are not! I have been very lucky over the years to have a friend who is my best “buddy,” and her words of support and encouragement have surely helped me be the grants professional I am today.

8. Resolve to submit at least one grant proposal three to five days before the deadline.

I heard this from a speaker once, and I have tried very hard to make this happen. Sometimes it does—and sometimes it doesn’t. But I still think it’s a great goal to have!

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