There is an established sentiment in business and society generally that money is not easy to come by. Yet the fact remains that meaningful and beneficial activities require funding. Interested benefactors are prepared to provide money in the form of grants, but then they first need to be persuaded that the activity or organization requesting the money is a valid concern. Grant writing lessons can assist the latter in requesting funding successfully.
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.
Another issue is related to how persuasive the request itself is. The request is typically seen as serious because it involves money. It isn't easy to secure the approval of the benefactor. The criteria for approval may be extremely harsh, or the benefactor may start to ask for very confidential data, or other awkward questions. Even perfectly legitimate requests may be declined as being of no use to society.
Writing requests for grant funding is therefore a process that requires proper attention and the necessary sensitivity to relevant issues. People who are not experienced in the composition of such material, or who are ignorant as to how one seeks sponsorship from other entities, may fail in their attempts to secure the money or even the interest of others. The following are a few basic guidelines in compiling grant requests.
Firstly, the material should be entirely reliable in its content. Any information supplied should be absolutely accurate and even verifiable. As stated before, a request for money is extremely serious, and massaged facts or untrue data will not only cause the application to be rejected but may also result in prosecution. Trying to make one's case more persuasive through the use of interpretations of facts or the introduction of misleading information can simply cause the application to be summarily thrown out.
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.
Lastly, the writing should be linguistically flawless. A request for money that contains spelling mistakes, wrong grammar or poor formatting is probably not going to be taken seriously and may even arouse suspicion. The paperwork should be impeccable, otherwise the recipient cannot be expected to agree to the request.
Unfortunately, paperwork and requesting sponsorship is part of the activities of many worthwhile organizations. Through simple grant writing lessons, those involved in these processes can submit their requests more easily, and recipients are better able to assess the latter.
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.
Another issue is related to how persuasive the request itself is. The request is typically seen as serious because it involves money. It isn't easy to secure the approval of the benefactor. The criteria for approval may be extremely harsh, or the benefactor may start to ask for very confidential data, or other awkward questions. Even perfectly legitimate requests may be declined as being of no use to society.
Writing requests for grant funding is therefore a process that requires proper attention and the necessary sensitivity to relevant issues. People who are not experienced in the composition of such material, or who are ignorant as to how one seeks sponsorship from other entities, may fail in their attempts to secure the money or even the interest of others. The following are a few basic guidelines in compiling grant requests.
Firstly, the material should be entirely reliable in its content. Any information supplied should be absolutely accurate and even verifiable. As stated before, a request for money is extremely serious, and massaged facts or untrue data will not only cause the application to be rejected but may also result in prosecution. Trying to make one's case more persuasive through the use of interpretations of facts or the introduction of misleading information can simply cause the application to be summarily thrown out.
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.
Lastly, the writing should be linguistically flawless. A request for money that contains spelling mistakes, wrong grammar or poor formatting is probably not going to be taken seriously and may even arouse suspicion. The paperwork should be impeccable, otherwise the recipient cannot be expected to agree to the request.
Unfortunately, paperwork and requesting sponsorship is part of the activities of many worthwhile organizations. Through simple grant writing lessons, those involved in these processes can submit their requests more easily, and recipients are better able to assess the latter.
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