The Myth of the Hit-or-Miss Proposal
The Myth of the Hit-or-Miss Proposal
Take a moment to think about your last few proposals. In fact, pull one out and skim through it. How many times while writing did you say to yourself something like:
"I’m not quite sure where we’re going or what we’re going to do…but this ought to please them.”
“Well, we don’t have any current data, but these figures from five years ago should do.”
"I wish I had more time to research how this approach works, but we’re going to have to wing it this time (or again).”
If this sounds like you, then time constraints or planning constraints or lack of experience in writing outstanding proposals are leading you to adopt a hit-or-miss approach to grant writing. You probably write down everything you can think of, cross your fingers, and hope you’ll please the funders.
And perhaps you do—sometimes.
However, if two or more of your last four proposals entailed this hit-or-miss approach, then grant writing is probably a pretty unsettling experience for you. And if two or more of your last proposals were not funded, you’re probably bemoaning the lack of sympathetic funders out there or wondering if you have what it takes to write a winning grant.
Before you get down on yourself too hard, realize that if you don’t where you’re going, you can’t prepare for your journey. If you’ll pardon the cornball analogy, you’re like a traveler jumping aboard a train with no idea where it's headed. You arrive in the mountains without your hiking boots or at the beach without your bathing suit. How, after all, were you to know what you were going to need?
Alternatively, you may have packed too much, and you may be dragging around an overstuffed suitcase with everything except the kitchen sink to be sure that you have what you need when you get there—wherever that is.
Nobody—not even an experienced grant writer—can write a strong proposal without a clear sense of direction or purpose. There are plenty of times in life when traveling “where the wind takes you” can enhance your experience, but grant writing isn’t one of them.
For starters, there’s too much at stake. Desired outcomes demand the correct currency for your goal. And when you consider that even a poorly written proposal takes a lot of time to put together, you just don’t want to leave things up to chance–or risk a missed deadline.
You can maximize your chances of winning funds by preparing for your journey. And by making sure you know how to show funders that you are prepared.
If you’re ready to learn how to plan your next grant writing journey, download my free workbook Writing Letters of Inquiry That Get a Response.