The government and private organizations award hundreds of billions of dollars in grants each year. It's tempting to believe that if you just fill out the right paperwork, you will surely be able to get a piece of that pie. In fact, the game of finding and winning grants is highly competitive.

Regardless of your experience you need a strong competitive advantage to stay ahead. Use these 7 Top Tips to develop and maintain a winning edge:

Know Why You Are. Grant makers have very specific goals in awarding money to grant seekers. Your purpose must match those goals, and you must demonstrate that match convincingly. If you simply manipulate your situation to fit a potential grant just to get the money, grant makers will see right through you. You must be genuinely purpose-driven, and that must be obvious in the information you communicate both through discussion and examples.

Know What You Are. That may sound very basic, especially in terms of an organization (e.g. not-for-profit, local education agency, advocacy group), but many grant applications are immediately rejected because the seeker isn't qualified to apply. Some grant makers put that number at as much as 90% of all applicants! Pay strict attention to the specific terms used to describe eligible candidates and make sure you are a match before you invest time and energy in completing an application.

Know Who You Are... and be able to communicate it with current, complete information. Ideally, create a system for constantly gathering and updating information and examples regarding what you do, how you use your existing resources, and what you are good at. Whenever possible, collect objective data and statistics that back up your statements. You might leap ahead of the competition if you don't have to scramble to pull material together when you find a promising grant opportunity.

Select Appropriate Sources when searching for a grant. Government and private foundation grants are found in very different places. You have to know where to go to make efficient use of your time and find the grant that is just right for you. Finding and using the right information is key to maximizing your probability of winning a grant!

SOS: Search Often and Systematically, You are probably impossibly busy and may only think to research grants when you have critical funding needs. You may find the perfect grant - only to discover the application deadline is just days away. Setting aside even a little time to search good sources on a regular basis could help you identify the best opportunities early and give you valuable time to put together a winning proposal.

Dare to Start Small. Big dreams require big funding. However, don't overlook the benefits of starting small. There are useful sources of smaller sums that could allow you to start a pilot program or accomplish a subset of your goals. Small successes create a track record which could lead to success competing for a larger grant.

Pay Attention to the Package. Grant packages can be long, detailed and filled with seemingly trivial material. Don't be tempted to just skim through it and then provide what you think is important! Grant makers set requirements for very specific reasons. If they are not important to you, you will be disqualified - possibly before much of your application is even read. If the requirements seem too demanding consider hiring a professional grant writing service, or find another grant that's a better match for your capabilities.


Implement these 7 Top Tips and you will save time, energy and money as you develop your competitive edge and win more grants.

Learn more now at http://www.gofreegovernmentmoney.com/
 N. S. Jenks, Partner.
 We provide fast, free, clear and factual information about public and private grants, scholarships, and alternate funding sources.