Meredith Noble - How to Write a Grant: Become a Grant Writing Unicorn

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Book Design by Najdan Mancic

Artwork by Sarah Cochran

Second Edition

ISBN 978-1-7333957-4-8

ISBN 978-1-7333957-5-5

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TAKE A FREE ONLINE GRANT WRITING CLASS!

We appreciate that you purchased this book! As a thank you, we would like to give you a free grant writing class to help cement the concepts you learn in chapter 1. Happy learning!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I grew up as a 5th generation cattle rancher in Wyoming. I think we were in the last 1% of ranchers to make the technology switch from loose stack hay to round bales. Loose hay meant our hay was put up loosely in a cabin-like structure, piled high until it looked like a thatch roof. Every winter, we would pitch the hay off a wagon for the cattle with a pitchfork.

Sounds idyllic, right? In many ways, it was. Big workhorses pulling a sleigh through sparkling snow is one of the most beautiful sights you can imagine.

You might also think, That sounds like a lot of work! You would be right about that, but you should have seen my six-pack abs! The physical labor was wearing my family down, so we eventually moved to storing hay in 2,000 pound round bales.

By being a late adopter (practically the last, I swear!) most kinks in baling technology had worked themselves out. We learned from other ranchers that made the switch earlier and bought the best technology and equipment available.

You, as the reader of this book, are getting the same thing! Since publishing the first edition in September 2019, I have learned a great deal more from thousands of readers and hundreds of students in our online grant writing classes. Plus, I now have a co-founder, Alexandra Lustig, who brings her own special zone of genius.

In the first edition, I gave you what I thought you wantedtechnical knowledge on grant writing. You got that, but you revealed to me that you want something more than the ability to write grants.

You want a career that is fulfilling. You want flexibility in how you spend your days. You want to make a respectable living, while still having time to get outside and travel.

You have lots of interests. You give passionately to causes you care about.

You want to feel a sense of purpose and meaning. You want to be done by three pm to be with your kids. Or, you want to work and explore from your van. You want to dig in deep for several weeks and then take a week off to go camping.

Whatever your image is for a life well-lived, I have some good news. You can absolutely have it.

That said, here is the tiny print: You CAN have a life you love, but it requires you to take complete and total responsibility for making it happen.

What does that mean?

You will be waiting a long time if you are counting on the stars to align for the perfect job or time to start a new career. I get your frustration and need to mitigate risk. You cannot quit your job tomorrow and continue to support yourself or your family.

Yet, you know you are capable of more.

Whether that is building a freelance grant writing business, landing a fulfilling new job, building your dream, or helping your community be a better place.

Imagine we are back in the hay fields. I am 14 years old and running an old 1956 tractor to put hay into windrows. My job requires staying ahead of the stacking crew (the team that put the hay into the haystacks). They keep catching me, and I am growing frustrated. You can only bounce around so fast in a hayfield!

My father flags me down. He explains that there is a pattern in the hay if I look for it. His advice was to make each move count. Once I started looking for the patterns, I could see them. I became more efficient and the gap grew between me and the stacking crew.

You can do the same thing.

Grant writing follows a pattern. On the whole, each application is looking for the same information. In this book, you will learn the patterns behind grant writing that allow you to excel at it.

The first section of this book answers the questions most frequently asked by aspiring grant writers. The second section follows up with the questions I wish you were asking.

The third section is brand spankin new from the first edition, all about how you become a Grant Writing Unicorn. You will discover if you are experiencing the unicorn dilemma and what you can do about it.

The punch line? We do not believe in volunteering to gain experience, and instead show you how to start by freelancing. If that makes you pull back a bit, that is normal. The Grant Writing Unicorn Method is unusual, but it also works.

Then we will talk about the grant writers kryptoniteimposter syndrome. Yep, we are going there, and you are coming with us, so we can squash that dream-killing mindset once and for all.

Freshen that cup of joe or tea my friend. We move quickly around here. You are on your way to becoming a Grant Writing Unicorn!

CHAPTER 1

HOW DO I WRITE A GRANT?

H ow do I become a Grant Writing Unicorn? That is the most common question I am asked (well, minus the unicorn part), but you are probably thinking it, right? Grant writers are perceived to have superpowers. They know how to get free money!

It is not quite that easy. There is no such thing as free money and grant writing is a lot of hard work. It is, however, an incredible skill set to have in your quiver and it is very learnable.

The trick is following consistent processes to stay on schedule and produce your best work. This chapter distills my best advice on how to write a grant in seven steps.

But first, shall we define what a grant is? A grant is a financial award to support a person, organization, project, or program. It is intended to achieve a specific goal or purpose. Typically, a grant is awarded to an organization from a foundation, corporation, or government agency.