Grant Writing: Four of the Most Common Obstacles
While each grant proposal is different and unique, the challenges and problems are the same for many grant writers, whether they are professional or novice writers. In this blog, we review a few of the most common obstacles that grant writers encounter.
Time, Time, and More time
Time is a significant challenge that grant writers face, especially nonprofessional writers. If you are an educator, teacher, administrator, or library media specialist, your schedule is likely packed to the brim with appointments, programs, meetings, and things that need to be accomplished immediately. Dedicating time beyond a full workload to writing a grant proposal can be daunting and prevent people from attempting to apply for grants.
Big Ideas
Big ideas are not necessarily a bad thing. It is important to have a big picture for a grant in mind. But sometimes an idea can be too big or ambitious. If a funder believes that a grant proposal is overly ambitious, and therefore unrealistic, they might reject it because there is a chance that it might not get implemented.
A Good Story
A compelling argument is like telling a good story. You need to engage the funder, draw them into your story, and convince them to fund your project. Often, this can be done by getting to know the funder and finding out what they are passionate about. The more you engage with your potential funder and get to know them, the better they will understand you and be willing to give you money for your proposal.
Fear of Rejection
Rejection is the one thing no grant writer, professional or not, wants to experience, as we pointed out in a previous blog. However, it is part of the process and should serve as a learning tool for future endeavors. In no way should fear of rejection lead to foregoing the attempt to even apply. Try and prepare yourself for rejection as part of the writing process and know that this happens to most grant proposals.
