It is not surprising to hear people say that money is difficult to obtain, or that money is in short supply. Despite this attitude, the fact remains that many essential or important activities or entities in the community require funding, often on an extensive scale. This funding is derived from outside donors or the government, who in turn need to be satisfied that it is going to be used sensibly. Requesting such funding can be made easier by taking grant writing lessons.
To begin with, asking other people for money is not easy for everyone. Many people are not comfortable with the process, either because, on principle, they are averse to approaching others for money, or because they do not want to betray the fact that their organization is struggling financially. The first objection is easier to resolve, but portraying an institution as financially sound seems to negate the possibility of asking others for assistance.
Then there is also the issue of legitimacy. A request for funding is always regarded in a serious light because it implies the transfer of money to another entity. Benefactors are usually not enthusiastic about agreeing to this. They may impose stringent requirements or they may expect to receive a large amount of sensitive information. Some requests, no matter how valid, may simply be rejected as false or having no merit.
In the next few paragraphs, some rules of thumb have been explained which may assist in the compilation of more persuasive, successful grant requests. Inappropriate grant paperwork may be rejected simply because of the impression that it creates, without even considering the nature of the request. Those who put such paperwork together should therefore respect the important related issues in the request process and stay with the established methods of handling it.
Above all, the information contained in paperwork should always be completely true. Even the inadvertent inclusion of false or diluted data can be seen as a deliberate attempt to defraud the recipient (since money is involved). At the same time, the intentional manipulation of information to try to make the request more attractive is illegal, too, and should never be attempted.
Turning to actually copy writing, the language, style and layout should be as professional as possible. Overselling the situation or insisting that the money be provided is not polite and may even irritate the recipient to the extent that they treat the request as spam or arrogant. Think in terms of an aggressive beggar on the street. No-one appreciates their approach or gives them anything. There are government offices who receive literally hundreds of requests for funding. It is therefore important to be as polite as possible, and to stay neutral at all times.
The paperwork should also be immaculate, in terms of its linguistic content. No spelling mistakes or errors in grammar should be present. The layout should be sound, too. A poorly written document, or shoddy, presentation, is suspicious and is unlikely to elicit approval. It is not reasonable to expect that anyone is going to give money to an unprofessional requester.
Not everyone is comfortable with composing serious correspondence, or handling paperwork. However, grant writing lessons can assist those who regularly need to ask for funds from others.
To begin with, asking other people for money is not easy for everyone. Many people are not comfortable with the process, either because, on principle, they are averse to approaching others for money, or because they do not want to betray the fact that their organization is struggling financially. The first objection is easier to resolve, but portraying an institution as financially sound seems to negate the possibility of asking others for assistance.
Then there is also the issue of legitimacy. A request for funding is always regarded in a serious light because it implies the transfer of money to another entity. Benefactors are usually not enthusiastic about agreeing to this. They may impose stringent requirements or they may expect to receive a large amount of sensitive information. Some requests, no matter how valid, may simply be rejected as false or having no merit.
In the next few paragraphs, some rules of thumb have been explained which may assist in the compilation of more persuasive, successful grant requests. Inappropriate grant paperwork may be rejected simply because of the impression that it creates, without even considering the nature of the request. Those who put such paperwork together should therefore respect the important related issues in the request process and stay with the established methods of handling it.
Above all, the information contained in paperwork should always be completely true. Even the inadvertent inclusion of false or diluted data can be seen as a deliberate attempt to defraud the recipient (since money is involved). At the same time, the intentional manipulation of information to try to make the request more attractive is illegal, too, and should never be attempted.
Turning to actually copy writing, the language, style and layout should be as professional as possible. Overselling the situation or insisting that the money be provided is not polite and may even irritate the recipient to the extent that they treat the request as spam or arrogant. Think in terms of an aggressive beggar on the street. No-one appreciates their approach or gives them anything. There are government offices who receive literally hundreds of requests for funding. It is therefore important to be as polite as possible, and to stay neutral at all times.
The paperwork should also be immaculate, in terms of its linguistic content. No spelling mistakes or errors in grammar should be present. The layout should be sound, too. A poorly written document, or shoddy, presentation, is suspicious and is unlikely to elicit approval. It is not reasonable to expect that anyone is going to give money to an unprofessional requester.
Not everyone is comfortable with composing serious correspondence, or handling paperwork. However, grant writing lessons can assist those who regularly need to ask for funds from others.
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