Grant Writing Tips

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The following reasons and examples identify why funding requests are most commonly declined.

FAILURE TO RESEARCH THE GRANT
Example: A Charleston county nonprofit applies for a $7,500 grant to a program awarding grants up to $5,000 for organizations in Beaufort County.

LACK OF EVIDENCE FOR PROGRAM'S NEED
Example: Request for funding to strengthen the self-esteem of 150 teens in a particular neighborhood by offering cultural programs and art events to socialize, with no indication that any teens will actually come if the programs are offered.

LACK OF EVIDENCE OF NEED FOR FUNDER'S MONEY
Example: Including a line item on a budget for a speaker to address youth issues, when there are many local experts who volunteer to speak on youth-related subjects.

PROGRAM'S LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS UNCLEAR
Example: Funding request to hire a consultant to develop a long-range plan without mention of how it will be implemented upon completion.

ORGANIZATIONALLY UNDER-RESOURCED TO ACCOMPLISH STATED GOALS
Example: Requesting support for a program managed by just one individual that would likely go under if that person moved or took on a different cause.

NOTHING UNIQUE ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Example: Grant request for an after-school program for latchkey children in a neighborhood that already has an established in-school, after-school program.

LACK OF COLLABORATION
Example: Grant request for an environmental awareness program in a public school without inviting the school's science department to integrate its curriculum into the program.

NONPROFIT HAS POOR REPUTATION
Example: Applicant is known to have accepted funding in the past but failed to fully complete the end-of-grant questions provided by the funder.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS
Examples: Misspellings, too brief when more length was allowed, erroneous claims, answers overlooked, esoteric abbreviations or jargon used without explanation.