2. Don’t make the deadline. Are you saying a funder will reject a potentially great project just because the letter of intent or application is a few days late?
You betcha.

3. Don’t edit or proofread it. We’ve been working on this document for so long, it’s natural for our eyes to gloss over some errors. Plus we spell-checked it.
To prevent errors, always enlist at least one other person to read the
document carefully with fresh eyes. Spell-checks don’t flag typos that are real
words (like pubic instead of public – ouch!).

4. Don’t write clearly and concisely. Sorry, but we’re administrators, not writers. We write for journals and other educators, all of whom understand and prefer academese.
Perhaps, but grant reviewers may not be educators or used to wading through
dense text. Translate your style into clear and succinct writing by reading The Elements of Style. It should be your bible. Then give the finished proposal to someone outside education to look over before you submit it.

5. Don’t take your time. It’s not our fault decisions were made late and we had to scramble to throw this together. Funders know this and should take it into
consideration.
Most reviewers can easily spot sloppy, disorganized proposals that were written at the last minute. Always allow twice as much time to complete your proposal as you think it will take.

6. Don’t remove all jargon and acronyms. If we have to write out and explain every local or pedagogical nuance, the proposal will be twice as long. Thought you wanted it to be concise.
Don’t assume grant reviewers are educators or knowledgeable about your
locality and subject area. Assume the opposite; therefore, explain everything.

7. Don’t bother drawing a clear link among need, plan, and budget.
Some grantwriters nail the needs section but omit a plan for meeting their needs. Or they show a connection between need and plan, but their budget covers only half of the plan. If you spotlight a need, put it in the plan. If you put it in the plan, include it in the budget.

8. Don’t assume estimated costs can be a little off. Hey, what do you expect – they’re estimates!
Never guess the cost of any item and make sure all sums are correct – not
errors or typos. Chances are a reviewer will catch these inaccuracies, which will
affect the credibility of your entire proposal.

9. Don’t make your objectives clear. We’re proposing a new project, so the end result is naturally going to be fuzzy.
Objectives must be specific and measurable, not vague or open to interpretation.

10. Don’t worry if your proposal doesn’t match the funder’s objectives. Okay, our proposal may be a little out of their ballpark, but it’s too good of an idea to turn down.
Don’t expect funders to depart from their reasons for giving just because you have a great project. If your vision doesn’t match their interests and goals, your proposal will not just be rejected; it will be unread.

11. Don’t muddy the waters with local statistics. But the national numbers are more compelling!
Cite local data appropriate to your target audience. Basing your project on
national trends or stats misses the point.

12. Don’t be concerned if some budget expenditures aren’t explained in the narrative.
You want everything mentioned? The IRS doesn’t look that closely.
Make sure the budget accurately reflects the costs of all activities. The last thing you want is for a reviewer to delete an unexplained cost from your grant award.

CHARACTER COUNTS! website has a wealth of tips and resources to help you apply for funding. Visit our grants pages.

Adapted from the following sources:
“The Top 10 Grant-Writing Mistakes” by Deborah Ward, consultant, National Association
of Elementary School Principals
“Top 10 Grantwriting Mistakes” by Karen Egan, Illinois State Library
“Top 5 Mistakes Made By Novice Grant Writers” by Veronica Robbins, consultant,
Hubpages.com