Remember the story of Cinderella, the beautiful princess who had a wicked stepmother and two not-so-nice stepsisters? When it came time for the prince to claim his bride, he declared that he would marry whoever could fit her foot into a petite glass slipper. The stepsisters pushed and shoved, trying to get their much too large feet into the slipper. Cinderella, on the other hand, easily slipped her foot into the slipper and lived happily ever after.
 
When it comes to writing a grant proposal, do you ever feel like those stepsisters, trying to shoehorn way too much information into too few pages? Do you end up with a proposal that lacks the urgency you feel, diluting the importance of the needs you address and the value of your solution? You can write a short but powerful grant proposal by following three steps — prepare, edit and fine tune.

• Prepare. Whether you are writing a 50-page or 5-page grant narrative, you need to prepare before you begin writing. In fact, the shorter the proposal, the more preparation you need to ensure that you are focusing on key points. To begin, read the Request for Proposal thoroughly. Once you understand what information the funder is seeking, brainstorm your response on paper or computer. Research the points that are important to the proposal, including the needs addressed by your program, quantifiable objectives, program details, budget, staffing and a timeline. Finish your preparation by organizing your information, determining key points that are critical to making your case. Once you have completed these steps, you are prepared to write the proposal, confident that you are focusing on what really matters.

• Edit. Edit your grant proposal in three steps, focusing first on the content, then on grammar and spelling and finally on style. Begin with the big picture. Consider if the ideas flow logically and if the key points presented can be understood by someone who knows nothing about the needs you address and your proposed program. Rearrange thoughts and paragraphs as necessary. Eliminate all unnecessary ideas. Next, move on to grammar, punctuation and spelling. Use the spell check and grammar function on your computer as a final check. Complete the process by editing for style. Eliminate jargon and buzzwords so your proposal is easy to read. Use the passive voice sparingly and vary sentence length so your proposal is easy to read. Finally, be clear and succinct.

• Fine Tune. There are times when you prepare carefully and edit ruthlessly yet still end up with a proposal that is too long. This is when you need to look carefully at each word. Begin by eliminating words and phrases that do not add anything to your proposal, such as: in order to, we would like to share with you, we believe, the fact is. Eliminate descriptive words and phrases and rely on strong nouns and verbs to make your point. Restructure sentences so they are written with as few words as possible yet still retain the desired meaning.

 
Take it from Cinderella — less is more.
 
© 2011 Joan B. Marcus