Granting a Wish

"They were glowing," says the school's former principal, James Gasparino, referring to the mini-virtuosos he watched develop each afternoon. "They really enjoyed the opportunity to shine a little bit."

The children are part of The Miracle Project, an afterschool program supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The tuning and bowing of violins by youngsters from at-risk communities, part of $2 million in funding, is one of the clearest examples of how grants can make a difference in people's lives.

"It's absolutely wonderful being in a classroom and seeing the kids respond to an artist, seeing their eyes light up," says Janice Paine, program manager for the United Arts Council of Collier County, one of the project's sponsors. But while everyone likes helping people, that's usually the end result of months or even years spent searching for funds to make the dream come true. Tracking down and securing money is the business side of good deeds.

"The world of philanthropy is very large," says Paine. But it's also highly competitive, with more groups asking for help than there are giving. To succeed, you have to understand this world.

Grants can range in size from a few hundred dollars into the multimillions.

"No bake sale in the world can provide that kind of revenue, so we do depend on grants to fill in some big gaps," says Jeff McCullers, an administrator in the Lee County School District's Department of Grants.

Grants come from a variety of sources: wealthy benefactors, foundations, corporations and even governments. Grants can theoretically be given for almost any purpose, but some causes are bigger than others.

"Funding for children's programs is a big area," says Paine. So are educational opportunities for all ages and all types of social improvement projects. "It's a broad field," Paine says.

And grants, almost without exception, are awarded only after an application is deemed worthy.

While every grant proposal will be written differently, there are some basic, common-sense steps you can take to make sure your application gets the strongest consideration possible.

• Read the directions.

It seems like a no-brainer, but people who help read and write grants say that ignoring or forgetting even tiny steps in the application process is common, and often the kiss of death to an otherwise worthy appeal.

"There are all kinds of things that are left out," says Mary Ellen Barrett. As director of programs at the Community Foundation of Collier County, Barrett has dealt with grant requests for years, and seen them come in missing required names or numbers, three pages long when the limit was one, even ones left unsigned. She recommends you break it down and take it one step at a time, to avoid getting overwhelmed and making simple mistakes.

"It's almost like reading War and Peace," says Barrett. "Take one chapter at a time, and you can look back and say it was a piece of cake."

• Use simple, clear writing.

Sometimes grant proposal writers lose the forest for the trees. They get caught up in the sweeping majesty of their program, using frilly and fancy writing to describe why it's critical for the community, and they never get to the point. Or at least they hide it where it's hard to find.

"I have received proposals where I couldn't figure out what they were asking for," says Barrett. It's better to write simply, clearly and concisely, she says, and to putt your request together almost like a PowerPoint presentation. Just like a college professor who knows when you moved your margins in and upped your font size, a grant committee will see a writer putting style before substance.

• Watch the numbers.

Every grant proposal will include a budget, and the more precise the numbers, the better. Avoid rounding whenever possible, and use actual quotes for services or supplies. The more accurate you can be, the better your presentation will read to the grant committee, which will likely have at least one CPA on board.

"In my experience, funders really do like hard data, quantitative facts and figures to back up your arguments," says Paine.

And make sure you double- and triple-check your math.

"We want to know the organization has the brainpower to add its numbers correctly," advises Barrett.

• Give yourself plenty of time.

"The classic first-timer mistake is to wait far too long to get started," says McCullers. There are calls to make, information to gather, meetings to set up and contracts to negotiate. "All that takes time," adds McCullers. "And most of that has to take place before any actual writing gets done."

Depending on the grant application requirements, writing your proposal may take hours to weeks, particularly for a large federal grant. In some cases, you may want to start preparing months in advance.

• Sell it like a product.

Keep in mind that the people reading, rating and judging your application may not be familiar with your group or agency. They may not know all of the good things you've done. It's up to you to tell them.

"You really need to write the proposal as if you are selling a product," says Barrett. "Put your best foot forward, tell people what you do and what you want the money for."

If you've helped 100 kids learn to read, provided paints for an aspiring artist, or delivered meals to the homebound, toot your own horn and let the reader know how additional funds will let you do even more.

"You want to convince your reader that whatever it is you're proposing is very much needed by the community," says Paine.

There's a learning curve that comes with writing grant requests. Each time you do it, you'll do it a little better.

"It's a strategizing process as much as anything," says Paine.

Don't get discouraged if you're turned down for a grant. Use this disappointment to learn what you can do better. Ask for the committee or grant reviewer's comments and look for areas you were weak in. Make sure you're seeking support from a good match, that your project or plan is really in line with a funder's goals. And remember, not every rejection has to do with the quality of the grant application.

"Sometimes you may be turned down for reasons beyond your control," says Paine.

And sometimes you'll get it right and the money will come through. Then you can get back to what this all is really about-doing good deeds and making those dreams and wishes come true.