4.4 The Pre-Proposal Script-Writing Process
Prior to submitting your grant application, there are experts that can answer questions to enhance your success rate. For all conversations, having a script to guide you is essential.
First, consider calling the grant program officer. Doing this can satisfy two objectives. The first objective is to obtain the application forms and guidelines that are not typically found online. The second objective, and possibly most important, is to begin building a relationship with the program officer. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, such as questions unique to your organization or project, questions about common errors, or any other questions with answers not readily available online. The time that the program officer has may be limited; mindfulness will be appreciated.
Keep the PREP (position, rationale, expectation, priority) acronym in mind when formulating your questions. You should be prioritizing what information you might need to have to pursue this grant. With limited time (often the case), you should ask your most important questions first.
A past grant winner is another contact whose guidance can help you develop a successful proposal; they were successful, and you could be too! They can offer tips, provide insight into their success, and detail experiences they had with the sponsor. Even if your organization is pursuing a different grant, past grant winners may still be able to offer words of wisdom. There is no better way to learn than through experience.
In addition to past grant winners, connect with past grant reviewers if possible. Many can be found by directly contacting the foundation or searching online. Past reviewers have invaluable experience and possibly the most up-to-date information about the current review process or even other reviewers. It’s also an opportunity to learn about the scoring system, which can help the writers. Knowing that the reviewers are held to a tight time frame versus having unlimited time to read and score the application, for example, will change how the application is written and organized.
Consider the following questions for each conversation, taken from Proposal Planning and Writing[1] for each potential contact.
| Program Officers | Past Grant Recipients | Past Grant Reviewers |
|---|---|---|
| Could I get a copy of the current application guidelines and required forms? | What materials did you find most helpful in developing your proposal? | What were the most common mistakes? |
| Could you supply me with a list of past grant recipients? | Who did you find most helpful on the funding source staff? | What was the most important criterion on the rubric? |
| Would you be able to share the names of past grant reviewers? | How close was your initial budget to the awarded amount? | What were the biggest hurdles people faced in reaching their grant objectives? |
| Did the funder show a preference for internal or external evaluations, or both? | In what environment did you review the proposals, in the office or at home? | |
| What positive feedback did you receive from the funder about how you addressed the problem? | Could a higher scoring proposal get overlooked in favor of a lower scoring proposal that meets other special criteria? |
The questions above are important, but knowing what you will say in the beginning of your call is just as important. Take time to build a script that you can follow. This will calm your nerves and help you stay on track. Begin your script with identifying information, gratitude, and something to grab the attention of the recipient. Letting your personality shine through will help build the relationship and confidence in your project; however, keep your tone and language professional. Being too casual can send the wrong message and lead the person on the other end of the line to believe you may not care about the grant or respect their time.
When the grant application period opens, grant seekers can contact the funding organization to ask questions about criteria, eligibility, and to seek any other useful information. Federal agencies typically host a webinar where they review the guidelines and answer questions.
- Miner, J. T., & Miner, L. E. (2019). Proposal planning and writing. 6th ed., ABC-CLIO. ↵
