Grant proposals should go through a five-step writing process:
• Plan: Think through your proposal section.
• Organize: Use the grant guidelines as your outlining format.
• Write: Write in a free-flowing manner.
• Examine: Step back from your writing; review it later; then, let
others review it.
• Revise: Emphasize clarity, conciseness, correctness, and persuasiveness.
I already have discussed planning, organizing, and writing. In this post, I will outline the process of examining and revising your grant prose. The more kinds of effective reviews you receive, the better will be your final version.
Examine: The Big Picture
All reviews should answer these questions:
• Can the focus on the funder be improved?
• Is the funder focus communicated sincerely”
• How can strategies and theme statements be strengthened
with stories, data, and other kinds of evidence?
Revision Stage 1: Be clear
• Write effective theme statements.
• Keep introductions brief.
• Keep the focus on the funder.
• Organize according to the points emphasized in the grant guidelines.
• Highlight key information.
Revision Stage 2: Be concise
• Revise paragraphs.
• Revise sentences.
• Revise words.
Revision Stage 3: Be correct and compliant with the grant guidelines.
• Check your sections against the grant guidelines’ evaluation criteria.
• Check grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Use the shortest and most correct word.
• Simplify, simplify, simplify.
If you follow these steps in revising your proposal writing, you should be able to produce a very good revised version of your proposal sections.
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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop successful proposals to government agencies.
Contact Jayme Sokolow.
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Look for Jayme’s ebook on Finding & Getting Federal Government Grants. It’s part of The Fundraising Series of ebooks
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Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts.