Sharpen Your Grant Writing Skills

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Katie_Krueger]Katie Krueger

Writing grants is a great option for writers who are looking for ways to expand their niches.  Understanding the writing requirements of grant proposals is a must for anyone wanting to write grants.  The proposals are divided into sections that require distinct writing skills, and if you can master them, your proposals will stand out among the competition.

The Needs Assessment – Here you outline an existing problem  that will be solved with the nonprofit’s work. If you are  writing for a homeless shelter, for example, this is where you  detail the prevalence of poverty and homelessness in your city.  The writing should be persuasive enough to convince the reader  why there is a real need for your program. Include research  supports, statistics and events to support your assertions.  Learn to balance this convincing approach with writing that has  an emotional pull that compels the reader to want to help.

The Project Description – The story of the actual work the  nonprofit will do to deal with the above mentioned problem.  It is detailed enough that a reader can visualize the implementation  of the project, step by step. It should answer Who, What, When,  Where, and How in terms of the actual work being done. Practice  writing descriptive prose that is concise. You must stay within  the page limits outlined by the foundation.

Goals and Objectives – Here you must be able to quantify the  impact that the nonprofit’s work will have on the problem. This  writing is almost scientific, requiring you to measure changes  in behavior and knowledge. Work on writing S.M.A.R.T. goals  (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely).

Overall, your grant application should be concise, detailed, and organized according to the funder’s specifications. You want to paint a picture in the reader’s mind of how you intend to change the world for the better.  Using the skills mentioned above will give you a strong start.

Katie Krueger is the editor of [http://www.findfunding.net/blog]Find Funding Magazine, an online Grant Writing magazine  Find Funding helps you write better grants and make more money.

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