The 7 Steps to Writing Successful Grant Applications

22 Apr

Here is share with you my 7 Steps to writing successful grant applications that are taken directly from my Online Workshop that I have run on a fortnightly basis in 2022 and 2023 (a new version of this Online Workshop is coming in 2024).

If you’d rather watch a video than read this lengthy blog post, here’s the link to watch my You Tube Channel.

When it comes to business grants, as business owners we know that we already don’t have enough time to do everything, we don't always know what's going on and we're trying to juggle it all. Then when the business grant programs come out, and they’re only open for 4-6 weeks, we can stretch ourselves to our limit. So , if you’re trying to work out what project is best, thinking about the grant application, all the while also running and doing the day-to-day things in your business - it all just gets way too stressful.

I get it, I absolutely get it.

I can hear you ask “I want grant funding but I just don’t have time or know where to start?”

Today I'm going to show you how to learn the best tips for successful grant writing by sharing my proven process of how I write grant applications with my clients, in an efficient way. I call it ‘The 7 Steps to Writing Successful Grant Applications’.

This is the process that I go through with my clients every single day, I don't waver from it and it works every time. It makes the process of grant writing easier for me AND makes it easier and less stressful for you. It reduces the stress and overwhelm that is so often felt when it comes to writing grant applications.

Step 1: Prepare to Be Successful

Firstly, it's all about setting up for success which is going to mean different things for different people. Basically, we need to be organised, so when that grant program is released, we’re ready to start our application. Gathering all the information about the grant program is vital. Often there'll be the guidelines with the criteria, templates, the application form and other information that we need to read through first. The FAQs are also quite useful at this point.

At this point we need to determine if we’re eligible to apply, by reading through the criteria. If we are eligible, we’ll start to draft the outline for our proposed project or program that we wish to apply for, taking into account the funding restrictions and requirements outlined in the criteria.

At this point, I create a Word document, which is basically the application form, so we are clear about what we need to provide and the questions we need to answer as part of the grant application. I also include the word or character limits in this document as well, which will help further down the process when we start writing our grant application.

Step 2: Plan your Workplan

Now that we’ve made the decision to write the grant application, we need to make sure we plan and work out what we're going to put into our project. By creating a Numbered Checklist (from our Word Document) of all the detailed tasks, supporting documents, deadlines and allocating who is doing what, it’s a great way to keep everyone on track. Knowing who is going to assist and support you with your grant application is key. Having a kick-off meeting to plan the Grant Application Project is an important step to ensure you have sufficient time to complete all required tasks. Remember that if we don’t attach everything that is asked, you won’t be able to submit your grant application. Ensure that you work with someone who has had experience with grant writing, preferably someone that has had success in gaining grants. Factor into your deadlines, the aim of submitting the grant application a few days earlier (or at least having a buffer – especially for externally-sourced supporting documentation).

Step 3: Create & Design your Own Project Plan

Now, I turn the grant writing application into its own project, so if you're running a business, running a committee, it just becomes another project. The Project Plan outlines how this project (writing grant application) going to happen, what are we going to do within this project, what do we need to plan for how we're going to allocate these tasks and actions who is going to do, what, when and what costs are involved. At this stage, think about who else can we involve in this project, who can we work with, who do we already work with, who can we collaborate with and how can we strengthen this project by showing a greater impact and benefit.

Building your budget is an important step here, to ensure it fits in with the guidelines, and it’s also important to get this right as this is what the allocated grant funds will be based upon.

Step 4 : Collating your Supporting Documentation

Now, the next step is probably the most important step because a lot of grant applications ask for a whole lot of supporting documents (and of course they all ask for slightly different supporting documentation). You may have come across this at some point where they've asked for certain documents, such as a business plan, risk management plan, financial statements, project plan, quotes or sometimes they won’t require any supporting documents. We need to make sure that we include the right supporting documents that will further strengthen our application. If you included these on your Word Document, you would know what you need to obtain.

Now, every grant application is different and so we need to be reading the guidelines and application form carefully.

Letters of support are a great way to showcase the benefits and impacts of your proposed project. These can be obtained from suppliers, neighbouring businesses, your target audience and users of your proposed project to demonstrate that it will have a positive impact on your area and targeted audience (always linking back to the objectives of the grant program).

Let’s move on to obtaining quotes for your project. We need to make sure we have good relationships with suppliers and allow them enough time to provide a quote. In terms of quotes, when you’re successful for the grant, you can then choose which supplier to work with, not necessarily the one that initially provided a quote (best to check guidelines here).

Again, quotes and letters of support you want to make sure you give clear deadlines because those two things are out of your control, but they are required for us to submit our grant, so perhaps request multiple quotes and letters of support.

Let’s talk finance – your last 2 years of financial statements are normally required to be submitted if the grant request is greater than $50,000. For this reason, we need to make sure that our income taxes up to date so we have those financial statements ready to attach. If your finances are setup in Xero, we can extract those financial reports for you and I can sign them off as a Chartered Accountant.

Other supporting documents can also include business plans, risk management plan, a proposed project plan, photos of examples, forecast and projected financial results, evidence of current operations, resumes and information about your workforce and capability statements of your organisation.

Step 5: Write your Draft Grant Application

Step 5 is when we start writing our draft application (at this point you would have already collated some ideas and some words to use in your grant application), but here we bring it all together.

I find this is the best approach, (and efficient too!) to take your word document (from Step 1), and start to draft your responses to the application questions in more detail, taking into account the word limits and requirements. We would normally start this draft application at least a week before it’s due (earlier if you’re ready). My hot tip is to not start writing the night before it’s due! Grant writing always takes longer than we think, so best to leave sufficient time so that we aren’t scrambling at the 11th hour to get it completed.

At this point we look back at the grant program guidelines containing the key objectives, key criteria and application questions and by using our supporting documentation and the research we have already completed, we write our draft application. [Please don’t expect to write it perfectly in one version, there will be revisions and updates as we continue to write and review as we go.]

Checking the assessment weighting of the application questions will be a good guide for how to place importance of responses as they will give normally an assessment of the main questions. Ensure your responses to the application questions are in alignment and are consistent with your supporting documentation that you are submitting with your application, ie make sure your budget figures match the quotes supplied.

Also, check the word limits here, remember we have noted these in the Word document at the start. I always check the Application Portal for the word limits and test it out. I have known of instances where you are copying and pasting from the word document across to the application portal and if we've got 550 words and it's only a 500 word-limit, the portal will automatically chop it off mid-sentence - so we need to be really careful here.

Step 6: Telling Your Story in a Persuasive Way

At this penultimate step, we're adding our why and our story, which is all about writing in a persuasive way and including why our project is the best project with the most impact. Essentially explaining why they should approve our project. At this point, also remember that the grant panellists (the ones that approve the grants) know nothing about us, they know nothing about our project and we know nothing about them, so we need to assume nothing. We need to make sure we're writing the basics and using simple language to have the best possible chance of success while also linking it back to the benefits of the targeted audience and to the all-important criteria listed in the guidelines.

Step 7: Review, Submit and Celebrate

We’re nearly finished, we’re so close to the end, so we need to ensure we review our grant application properly before we press submit. I always get somebody else to check it and read through the grant application, checking for grammar and making sure that it's factually correct. Then it’s time to do one final check that everything has been uploaded correctly and it’s time to press the submit button. (plan to do this a few hours or even days before the submission deadline). Even I get a bit nervous at this point! Try to submit during business hours so that if you do have an issue, you have more chance of being able to ring someone who can help you. (If we’re trying to submit at midnight, there’s going to be nobody around to help you and we don't want to do all this work and then not be able to submit it).

It's important to note that nowadays, with the use of digital platforms, the grant funders will not accept excuses or emailed copies of our grant application due to computer or connection issues.

Now that you’ve submitted your application, I encourage you to take some time to celebrate and reflect on the process of completing the grant application (whether it’s your first or twentieth), acknowledging it is a big task and you should be proud of your achievements of your business and how far you've come!

So, there we have it, ‘The 7 Steps to Writing Successful Grant Applications’, the exact proven process that I use with my clients. I hope this helps you to be successful in writing grant applications.

If you need assistance and support with any of these steps outlined above, please get in touch with Liz and The Grants Club team, we’re more than happy to help you in creating success!

If you’ve scrolled to the bottom and still want to watch the video - head to my You Tube Channel