Grant Writing Tips

These tips can help you in applying for a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Following these tips does not guarantee your organization will receive a grant.

Before the grant application period

Consider a grant writing course. Grant writing classes typically provide an overview of the grant seeking process and steps needed to craft an effective grant proposal. Completion of a grant writing course is not required to apply for funds from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Use of the tools and techniques presented in a grant writing course does not guarantee funding from Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

During the grant application period

• Expect to review many pages to understand the grant opportunity. At first glance, a grant funding opportunity can be intimidating. The documents are long because they often contain a lot of legal language. The legal language ensures the entity issuing the grant is protected, but it also protects your organization. It ensures the same rules apply to all applicants.
• Read the grant opportunity as soon as possible after it is released. When you receive the notification of a grant funding opportunity, it may seem like you have a long time to respond. Developing a successful application often takes planning and coordination among many people and/or organizations. Allow time for this planning and coordination process.
• Determine if your organization meets the minimum requirements/qualifications for the grant. Grant funding opportunities typically have a section outlining the types of organizations eligible to receive the funding. For example, if your organization is a for-profit agency, but the funds are only available to nonprofit agencies, your organization would not be eligible for an award even if an application was submitted.
• Understand how the funds will be awarded. Grant funding opportunities always have a section that explains how much funding is available and how many grants may be awarded. Review this information to understand the maximum amount of funding that can be requested. Will the amount of the grant cover your organization’s expenses, or is it going to cost so much to apply and implement the program that it’s not a good fit for your organization?
• Develop a plan. After reviewing the grant funding opportunity, write a plan for the response. What information do you need to gather? Who do you need to contact to get that information? How long will it take to get the information? How much money should you request to ensure your organization will receive sufficient funds to complete the grant requirements? What makes your organization uniquely able to address the project needs? What are the needs in your community and what local data will you need to collect?
• Ask questions if allowed. Many grant funding opportunities allow organizations to ask questions through a process described in the document. The process is designed to treat all potential applicants equitably. There often is a deadline to submit written questions. Sometimes there is also a live question-and-answer session. You should attend the live session even if you have no questions as someone may ask a question you had not considered. The answers to the questions often are posted online. It’s good practice to review the question-and-answer document before applying for a grant.
• Think sustainability. Grant funds often expire after a certain date. What is your organization’s plan after the grant funds expire? What will happen to those you are serving if you do not have funds to continue the program after the funding expires?
• Understand how the applications are evaluated. Applications are scored by an independent team of evaluators based on criteria and points listed in the grant funding opportunity. The members of the evaluation team are not associated with overseeing the contracts connected to the grant funding opportunity. They have a variety of professional experiences. For best results, applicants should avoid using jargon or acronyms in their application. Strive to explain your organization and proposed program in a way that people who are not familiar your work will understand. While all sections of an application are important, applicants should place extra emphasis on the sections with more points, as these sections are the most critical pieces of the application.
• Check your application for all required information and attachments before submission. The grant funding opportunity typically outlines a problem that needs solving. Be sure your organization’s application explains how the organization can provide a solution. Respond to all questions or other prompts in the grant funding opportunity. Use the section headings listed in the grant funding opportunity in your response. Some grant funding opportunities require applicants to submit attachments such as resumes of key staff, letters of support, and organizational charts. If these attachments are required and not submitted, your application could be rejected without further review.
• Apply prior to the due date and time. An application submitted after the due date and time is considered late. Late responses generally are rejected with no further review. The due date and time ensure all organizations interested in the grant have the same period to submit an application. Most applications are submitted by email. Remember, it can take time for emails to be received. The email must be received before the due date and time for the application to be considered on-time or not late.

After the grant application period

Participate in a debriefing. A debriefing is a meeting in which you can learn how your organization’s application compared to other applications. Debriefing meetings are held after the grant awards are announced. All interested applicants are invited to attend.