Fox Arlen Sue - The Only Grant-Writing Book Youll Ever Need

Copyright 2003, 2006, 2009, 2014 by Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox

Cartoons Copyright 2006 by Mark Litzler

Published by Basic Books,

A Member of the Perseus Books Group

First edition published in 2003

Second edition published in 2006

Third edition published in 2009

Fourth edition published in 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address Basic Books, 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107.

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Composition by Cynthia Young in 11 point Goudy Oldstyle Std.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Karsh, Ellen.

The only grant-writing book youll ever need /

Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox. Fourth edition.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index

ISBN 978-0-465-05892-1 (e-book)

1. Proposal writing for grantsUnited States. 2. Grants-in-aidUnited States.

3. Fund raisingUnited States. I. Fox, Arlen Sue. II. Title.

HG177.5.U6K37 2014

658.15'224dc23

2013045233

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

In memory of Tess and Rubin Karsh and Ruth and Irv Barish

CONTENTS

Once again we are preparing a new edition of The Only Grant-Writing Book Youll Ever Need in a climate of change and uncertainty. In the last dozen years, weve lived through terrorist attacks and mass shootings, hurricanes, tornadoes, a superstorm, and economic crises. As we write, the United States and countries around the world are still facing economic uncertainty. We hope that by the time you are reading the book things will have settled down, but it is likely that when it hits the shelves your day-to-day life wont reflect a boom or a bust, but something in between.

No matter what is going on today, we have learned the hard way that the outlook can change almost overnight for a million different reasons (some of which we probably cant even imagine). Part of our purpose in this new edition is to reassure you that although some things in the grants world have been affected by recent events, some things remain constantand that good grantsmanship is more important than ever.

Yes, the difficult economic picture is taking a toll on grants. Foundations are wary, wondering what next? As were seeing every day in the news, federal grant money is already less plentiful. Those of you who write grant proposals in this climate do need to figure out how to convince grantmakers to fund your programs and projects when the economy is shaky and when disasters like tornadoes in Oklahoma, Superstorm Sandy, the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and elsewhere, and the Boston Marathon bombing draw attention and resources away from everyday needs. But the nuts and boltsthe key elementsof a solid grant proposal havent changed.

To better understand the distinction we are making, take a look at our national pastime, baseball. Even if youre not a fan, even if you dont know Babe Ruth from your Aunt Ruth, you may have overheard your parents and grandparents lamenting that baseball has changed. What these folks probably mean is that they liked the supposedly good old days of Joltin Joe DiMaggio a lot better than they like these bad new days of astronomically high salaries for coddled players and the off-the-charts ticket prices they have to shell out to see a ball game.

But the game of baseball hasnt changed one lick. A pitcher still has to throw a ball 60 feet 6 inches to home plate and get the guy in the batters box with a hunk of lumber on his shoulder to make an out. A batter has to hit the pitched ball, just as he had to do 60 years ago, so he can get around the bases to score a run for his team. As in the good old days, todays infielders must acrobatically snare hard ground balls, outfielders must gracefully shag line drives, and base runners must motor quickly and slide smartly.

No, baseball hasnt changed. The climate in which baseball is played has changed.

And preparing a grant proposal hasnt changed, but the climate has. What we have tried to do in this new edition of The Only Grant-Writing Book Youll Ever Need is to suggest how you can succeed in the new climate. Like baseball players, who may start younger, practice harder, eat better, stay healthier, and use better equipment, todays grant seekers have to be better and more diligent at doing the homework we talk about in this book. You must push program staff to make your organizations programs even more comprehensive, more carefully thought out, more relevant. And, of course, you must write grant proposals that are clearer than ever, with transparent budgets and rigorous evaluation plans. Some grantmakers have said that in this economy nonprofits must think outside the box. And although we hate clichs, sometimes they do make sense. Thinking out of the box for a grant writer may include embellishing the traditional job description a bit, so we will include some strategies for making yourself an indispensable, well-rounded, no-weaknesses grant writer.

is one of those seemingly innocent terms that tap into many of our neuroses. We still think that grant writing is a trigger for quite a bit of angst, probably more so now, but perhaps our neuroses have changed.

Neurosis 1. Its not just terrorist attacks or the economy or hurricanes or superstorms. Now its tornadoes and floods! Isnt it selfish of me to ask perfect strangers for money when others may need it more than I do?

Neurosis 2. For that matter, whats the point of writing a grant proposal when theres probably no money for anyone these days?

Neurosis 3. When I look at Craigslist or Idealist and see the demanding qualifications for grant professionals, how can I imagine I could write a decent grant proposal when I feel self-conscious writing an email to my mother?

Its part of our purpose in this book to help you overcome the panic associated with writing a winning grant proposal. As many newly minted writers approach their task, they often feel clueless about the grants process and how they fit into it. What is a grant? Who is eligible for one? What are the restrictions on grant funds? How do I even begin to write an effective proposal? And, of course, even the most experienced grant writers cant help worrying about the competition for scarce dollars.

This new edition of The Only Grant-Writing Book Youll Ever Need is for everyonethose who know nothing about grants and those who know a thing or two... or much more. Although most grants are awarded to organizations rather than individuals, the strategies we describe here apply equally to funding opportunities available to individualswriters, artists, scholars, researchers. And although some grant applications (e.g., in the sciences) seem so highly technical, and other applications seem totallyand, perhaps, deceptivelysimple, you can be certain that the same principles apply, no matter how overwhelmingly complicated or unbelievably simple the application looks.