Write Foundation Grants Fast

Do you have big dreams, a small budget and zero time?

Feel overwhelmed by exhaustive manuals on grant writing?

We scour the grant application field for promising resources to share and we’ve felt the same way, even with excellent books.

Sadly itsometimes seems like people make grant proposal/application writing look terribly complex and intimidating so you will decide that you need to hire a professional to write your proposals. And this can be effective – though also expensive. If thre's an effective and relatively easy way to do it yourself – and win – then that should be worth looking into. And that is exactly what we've got here: a brilliant system that will let you write winning grants fast – after you put in some pre-preparation:

Five Days to Foundation Grants changes the complexity. The title might sound too good to be true but this program actually delivers on its promises. You can read it in just an hour or two and get clear, actionable advice on what to do and how to do it, step-by-step. And you really can be ready to produce and deliver a very competitive grant proposal if you drill down and focus on completing the actions the book prescribes day by day over just a five day period.

The author, Pamela Grow, has worked as both a grant-maker and fundraiser so she knows very well what she is talking about. She shares her secrets from the inside in this quick, compelling book.

Dispelling common myths about foundation funding, she tailors her advice specifically for the all too often cash-strapped charitable organization. In addition to the steps for each day she also provides two bonus documents you will find invaluable in your pursuit of more time and more foundation funding.

Many people and organizations automatically look to the government when they are seeking a grant. This may be logical since the federal government is the largest provider of many kinds of grants.However, foundations can offer big advantages when it comes to grant seeking: there is less competition, decisions are made more quickly, there is less bureaucracy to deal with, and often foundations are willing to deal with more risk than the government. So you really can’t afford to put all your hopes in one basket and just focus on government grants. Going after foundation grants can increase your chance of success — and these grants can be easier to work with.

Writing effective grant applications takes a considerable amount of work. It can be worth it, though, as more than $50 billion is awarded each year through private corporations and foundations. And, there are ways to do some groundwork up front that will put you in a good position to put together effective proposals fairly quickly.

Update July 2019

If you are feeling skeptical — like this just can’t be true — we don’t blame you. Writing effective grant applications can take lots of time and it demands considerable know-how. The good news is that once you have spent the time and effort to put together a foundation of information about your organization, what you have accomplished and what you what you want to accomplish and what your dreams are — you can actually write those grants fast. And you don’t have to involve your whole team very time. The makes it pretty worthwhile to dedicate a week to rallying your organization and putting together and organizing the information that will allow you to be more effective to getting grants and achieving the goals that make you want to come to work every day.

Check out these comments from a recent review of this book, particularly the ebook. The writer, who is a total beginner at writing grant applications, said it is one of the simplest yet most effective books on the topic that she has ever read. It not only steps you through daily activities for five days but also includes a Toolkit that provides samples of letter, actual proposals, forms and more. These are invaluable tools when you are applying for funding. And it helps you organize so you are super well prepared to write grant applications any time. And if you’re someone who writes multiple grant apps the book also gives you a cool tracking database program. Truly a good deal!

Don’t groan over the term “groundwork”. It doesn’t mean doing a lot of heavy lifting again and again — instead it refers to work that you can do once and do well. If you are passionate about your organization and its projects (and you should be!) it probably is even fun! And it’s work that can bring in a lot of funding if you do it well. End of story.

The author writes from extensive experience. She has been working in the area of Grants for many years and is considered to be among the top 50 professionals in this field. It’s a great bargain to get to read her book and learn what has taken her years to discover. She has set up a very effective system which you can now use to improve your grant writing success. Your resulting knowledge and effectiveness will not only benefit your organization but could also make you a very promising candidate should you decide to pursue a job elsewhere or move up into a higher level position where you are.

This book not only leads you through exactly what activities to complete on each of your “five days to foundation grants.” It also is informative and intriguing in that Ms. Grow teaches you how to do effective (and fast!) research, how to use storytelling to differentiate your application and “sell” your story to grant writers, and provides grant checklists which in themselves are worth more than the price of the book!

Did you know that on of the most important things about writing successful grant applications is research? This book provides a great action plan for how to learn what you need to know about the foundations you’re applying to for a grant. The author also recommends a way to create a “research binder” that will help you greatly in your writing. It requires a bit of a different mindset to discipline yourself to focus on the foundation rather than on your own organization and goals. In a way your application for a grant is a sales proposal: you are selling the foundation on the worthiness of your cause and your ability to use funds to further it. And whenever you’re selling something, you need to know as much as possible about your customer.

Yes, according to the author, you really can write a great grant proposal in five days. She breaks down her book accordingly, with a module presented around a single key topic each day. Each one is loaded with tips and techniques that only an insider would know. They are sure to make your job easier and your grant application more compelling. Here is a brief summary of each module:

Day 1: covers The Key to Funded Grant Proposals… Research! What to research, where and how in the shortest possible time. Includes information on free tools!

Day Two: Let’s Get Organized… Establish Your Grant Drawer. Know what information you will need again and again, where best to find it, and how to keep it current and accessible.

Day Three: Assemble Your Testimonials: Don’t have any? Don’t worry—the book provides great tips which are easy to implement to build your supply of compelling testimonials.

Day Four: Discover Your Organization’s USP. This chapter alone is worth the price of the system. Learn how to identify and communicate what differentiates your organization and what will make your story compelling to a grant-maker.

Day Five: Begin Writing! For some this is the most intimidating part of all but the author makes it easy. in this module you'll discover specifically what to send to which grant-maker. The author clearly defines the Letter of Intent, Short Proposal and Full Proposal and details the necessary elements of each. She also includes sample writings to guide you. Better yet, the Bonus Grant Proposal Toolkit that comes with the book provides many samples from programs that were actually funded. Use these as your models and borrow verbiage where appropriate to produce your own winning proposals fast!

Whether you are an experienced grant-writer or are lucky enough to find this resource before you write your first one, you and your organization will benefit from this very affordable system: Five Days to Foundation Grants

p.s. Did you know that every declined grant proposal is actually an opportunity? Have you ever had a proposal declined when you knew you were a perfect match for the grant-maker's vision and goals? Five Days to Foundation Grants lets you see “behind the curtain” at grant-making foundations so you can learn the secrets to writing funded grant proposals!

Write Foundation Grants Fast is also available in a Kindle edition so you don’t have to wait to get started. As one reviewer said, this is “Grant proposal writing magic”. In addition to providing basic information the author tells you how to accomplish key activities — like researching prospect foundations — on a tight budget. She also covers important tips and how-to’s about submitting a proposal online. If you’re considering a multi-day accredited course in grant writing you might want to get this first — for much less money you will probably get more usable information!

Update July 2017

You can also get excellent training and support from the Grantsmanship Center. The Center works to help nonprofits meet their goals and further their vision by assisting with getting funds through grants. They have a number of training programs coming up. These are 5-day sessions located in Somerset, KY; Santa Fe, NM; Juneau, AK; Los Angeles, CA; and Williamsburg, VA. They’re not cheap but they could make a big difference to your nonprofit in terms of the grants you can win with what you learn. If you can’t spend 5 days they also offer two-day courses that are kind of a crash course on the key materials presented in the five-day class.