By Jesse Graytock
Grants Manager, The NEA Foundation
Every month, I get dozens of calls from educators asking how to make their grant application stronger. Now that we have a blog, I hope to offer periodic grant application tips. Here is my first:
Grant Application Tip #1: Getting Started. Why Do You Want A Grant?
Before you sit down to begin filling out a grant application, ask yourself some questions. “Why do I want a grant?” “What are my long term project goals?” “What am I looking to accomplish?”
If you can clearly and articulately answer these questions, you have probably spent a great deal of time thinking about this grant project and are well on your way. If not, sit back and determine what it is you (and your colleagues, students, etc.) wish to achieve in the event you receive a grant.
Be prepared to discuss both the short and long range goals of your proposed project. Once you have those, your ready to begin transcribing them into your grant application and you’re ready for the next step. I’ll have that in a future blog post but you can review our grantee resources on the website for a full list of tips and ideas for grantees.
