1. Plan your program.
2. Do your homework.
3. Assume the reader knows nothing.
4. Follow the directions.
5. Don't think that slick is better.
6. Don't hire a grant writer.
7. Don't chase the money.
8. Say it once.
9. Be patient.
10. Don't take it personally if you get turned down.
But remember, it’s perfectly acceptable to:
1. Call and ask about the process.
2. Ask more than one source for money.
3. Ask for what you need.
4. Make mid-course corrections.
5. Call for more information if you get turned down.
Credit:
Patricia A. Cummings, past executive director of The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation.
Find Out More
To learn more about the grant-writing process, visit the Minnesota Council on
Foundation's (MCF's) Grantseeking in Minnesota web site at www.mcf.org/mcf/grant. In addition to helpful tips, the site features a searchable database
of organizations that offer grants in Minnesota.
You can also find grant-writing assistance through PFund:
PFund staff and volunteers are available in person or by phone
to help you fine-tune your grant application or even get started for the first time.
Contact PFund's Programs Manager Alfonso Wenker at
awenker@PFundOnline.org or at 612-870-1806.
