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| Updated: December 20, 2024 | Published: February 14, 2021

Tips for Successful Grant Writing

Maureen O'Shea Fitzgerald

The process of applying for a grant can seem overwhelming. You likely have many questions you need answers to before beginning the application process. This article provides an overview of what a grant is, how to find grants for farming, the entire grant application process, and how to complete it successfully.

What is a Grant?

A grant is a financial award given by an institution, or grantor, to an individual or company to complete a shared goal. It is a plan, not an idea. A grant is a conveyance of funds with strings attached from the funding source. The grantor has a specific problem they are looking to solve with the help of funding. To be awarded the grant, your application should satisfy the grantor’s problem.  

How to Search for Grants  

You can find grants for agriculture in many different places; you just have to be willing to put in the legwork to search for them. A few viable ways to find grants for your farm business are to stay informed with your state Department of Agriculture, maintain a connection with local industry organizations, sign-up for industry stakeholders’ e-newsletters, and follow their social media accounts. You can also look on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website (Grants and Loans | USDA) or research state and county economic development websites for other local grant opportunities. Looking for federal grants? Checkout Simpler.Grants.gov to search for funding opportunities. 

Where to Find Grants

Here is a list of websites you can use to find grants for agriculture in the Mid-Atlantic:

How to Find the Right Grant and Determine Eligibility

When you first find a grant to apply for, check to see if you are eligible. You need to identify if your goals match the institution’s goals. There are two different types of grants that you can apply for: a government grant or a private grant.

  • A government grant will be offered by federal, state, county, or local levels of government. Federal and state grants are typically more competitive than county or local grants but often have larger pools of funds to award. Before you begin the application, make sure your project meets the criteria of the grant and will help the government entity achieve their goals for the program they are funding. 
  • A private grant is from a specific institution and has different rules to be answered before you start an application. Some questions to ask before starting an application with a private grant include identifying the geographic region, the range of grants, and the type of project needed.

More questions to ask, regardless of the type of grant, include does the funding agency share your goals, are you interested in the same populations, has the agency funded similar projects to yours, can you meet their match criteria, and when will the award be made.

 

FOLLOW THE GRANT GUIDELINES

The most crucial part of applying for a grant is to make sure you follow the grantor’s rules. If you not, your application might not even get reviewed.

  • The first step is to get the full scope of the grant’s guidelines.
  • The second step is to read the guidelines thoroughly, multiple times.
  • The final step is to follow all of the guidelines.

When following the guidelines, make sure to respond to all of the sections and cover each topic in the order they are presented. The format should also match the application with corresponding headlines. It is crucial to your success that you re-read the guidelines while you are completing the application.

POSSIBLE TECHNICAL ISSUES

Before starting the application, take note of possible issues that could arise with submitting the application. For example, if there is a conflict of interest between your business and the institution the grant is coming from, this could potentially be an eligibility issue. If there are conflicts of interest, contact someone from the institution to determine if it would make you ineligible for the grant. Other possible problems could include the due date, page limit, margin requirement, spacing and numbering, type requirement, and letters of commitment. If these issues occur with your application, it may not get reviewed.

FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATIONS REQUIRE A SAM UNIQUE ENTITY ID

A System for Awards Management (SAM) number is used when purchasing or selling with a federal organization. It is a unique identifying number that is specific to your organization and registered with the government. Make sure you establish what you need so you have enough time to gather the correct information - registering to receive these numbers can take three to 14 business days.

  • On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID (generated by SAM.gov).
  • The Unique Entity ID is a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by SAM.gov.
  • As part of this transition, the DUNS Number has been removed from SAM.gov.
  • Entity registration, searching, and data entry in SAM.gov now require use of the new Unique Entity ID.
  • Existing registered entities can find their Unique Entity ID by following the steps here.
  • New entities can get their Unique Entity ID at SAM.gov and, if required, complete an entity registration.

Qualities of Effective Grant Writing

To be an effective grant writer, you need to tell your story. Be concise and detail-orientated so it is clear to the grantor why funding your project will help them achieve their goals. Your writing needs to be clear, organized and engaging to appeal to the funding source. The review committee will look at numerous applications. Keeping things clear and articulating a well-thought-out plan will help to build confidence with the selection committee. To prepare for the application, create an outline for your plan. It will include one or two goals with several objectives relating to those goals. Be realistic about how many goals can be achieved with the amount of money you could be awarded. Each objective should include the steps of how you will achieve and measure the success of the goal.

WRITING STYLE

When writing a grant, your language and style of writing should always be professional and specific. When starting the application, write directly to the funding source, but never in first person. Also, avoid acronyms, jargon and language that is biased. Be clear, persuasive and use current, established data from a reputable source to boost credibility. You are writing on behalf of your business, not yourself.  For example, make sure to avoid using “I” when writing because the application is being written from your company, not yourself. Instead of saying, “I will use these funds to increase sustainable practices” you would say, “These funds will increase the use of sustainable practices.” You do not need to be a literary genius to write a grant, you need to tell a clear story, support your claims with data and sources, and lay out your path to success. 

Where to find the data?

  1. USDA NASS 
  2. Extension
  3. Your library
  4. SBDC

PARTS OF A GRANT

The Title

Do not overlook the title, though it’s not the most important part, it does matter from the perspective of a reviewer. It should convey what the project is about in a clear and concise way and be engaging. The title should also use language that can be understood by people who may not be in your specific industry.

The Abstract

This is similar to an executive summary in a business plan. This should be of the highest quality and be able to stand alone without the rest of the application and still be understood by the reader. It will explain the solution to the problem the grantor is facing, without referring to the proposal. It should be clearly written, one page, and single spaced, unless otherwise indicated. All of the key elements should be covered in the same order as the application. The abstract is very important to the overall application because it is the first source of information regarding your proposal. Write this part last after the rest of the application is complete. 

The Problem Statement

The problem statement will answer the question or problem the grantor has proposed. This part of the application establishes the framework for the project’s goals, objectives, methods, and evaluation. Provide a thorough explanation of how you will use the funding to address this problem and answer anticipated questions the reader may have. It is also important to incorporate proposal guidelines into your statement. Data can also be used to add credibility to your solution. Make sure the data is the most up to date and relevant to your topic.

Objectives

The objectives are a crucial part of the application. They are going to establish how you will achieve your goals with the funds that the grantor may award you. Objectives should include who is going to do what, when they will do it, and how it will be measured. They will also discuss your desired results of the project. These objectives should be action oriented and will typically begin with a verb. They need to be arranged in order of priority.

Developing Your Budget

There are two portions of every budget: the numeric part and the narrative. The numeric aspect of the budget is broken down into specific categories that establish your expenses and what supports them. The narrative portion reports on the numeric portion and details the costs of the expense and why you are requesting the funds. It should establish the benefits you would get from receiving the grant. Be realistic on your numbers - do not inflate numbers to try to impress the grantor. In this portion, ensure that the math is correct and the numbers you have submitted make sense with your business. If you need data on salaries or compensation because you do not have historical numbers you can use USDA Labor statistics specifically for farms or the US Department of Labor for outside roles.

Cost Share or Match

Each grant will be either a match grant or a cost share grant, or a combination of the two.

  • Match - A 50% match for a $100,000 grant is $50,000. So, the total project cost is $150,000 (at least).
  • Cost Share - a 50% cost share of the total project cost is where the funder puts up 50% of the total project and the grantee is also required to contribute 50% of total project costs. So, a $100,000 grant with a required 50% cost share requires a total project cost minimum of $200,000. This is also called a 1:1 match

Letters

There are two types of letters that could be needed in your grant application: a letter of support or a letter of commitment. Both should be submitted on official letterhead.

  • A letter of support comes from someone who supports your idea and your ability to complete it. This shows the grantor that other people also believe in your proposal and that you have done research on it with other people. These should be from varying sources, not just friends and family. 
  • A letter of commitment will come from someone that is willing and committed to working on the project with you. This letter will detail what they will contribute and if the project receives funding, when they will contribute.

EDITING YOUR GRANT

Once you have completed your first draft, set it aside for a day to give yourself time to recuperate. Then, comeback and read through it again to revise it. If possible, have someone else review it and take notes on where you could improve. When editing, make sure you have not written in first person or used jargon.

What to Do Before Submitting a Grant Proposal

To make sure your application is submitted successfully, it is important to know where it needs to be sent and the due date. Make sure you know if it needs to be postmarked or received by the due date provided. It is also important to make sure you have the correct address for mailing. Some institutions will not accept an application that is late or addressed incorrectly. Most grants are submitted online through a portal or emailed. ALWAYS submit early, there could be unforeseen glitches in the system, down internet, or a number of other reasons to delay the proposal being received outside of your control. Give yourself enough time to troubleshoot issues  and find a solution to get your grant submitted. 

 

GRANT PROPOSAL REVIEW

Evaluation criteria will measure:

  • Overall application
  • Project purpose
  • Potential impact and industry support
  • Expected measurable outcomes
  • Work plan
  • Budget and narrative
  • Funding priority

When completing your application, think like a reviewer. Focus on making sure that your proposal matches what the grantor is looking for. Note, you may have points deducted for grammatical errors but it is never significant. You can write successful grants even without being the most skilled writer. 

Reasons Why Grant Proposals Fail

There are many reasons proposals may not be accepted. 

  • If they are not submitted on time, if the guidelines are not followed, if they do not meet priorities, or if the application is not complete, the proposal will most likely be denied. 
  • Not having letters of support does mean the application is not complete if the RFP requests them. To avoid this, make sure you follow the guidelines, deadlines, include all supporting documents, and formatting exactly as the grantor lists them.

Applying for a grant can seem like a daunting task, but with careful preparation and attention to detail, you can be sure that you put your best foot forward. You can also register to receive our webinar replay to learn more tips for successful grant writing presented by Maureen O’Shea Fitzgerald, Horizon Farm Credit Business Consultant. 

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