Dear Executive Director, Board Member, Development Director, Program Director, Program Staff, or Volunteer (anyone writing grants),

Money makes your world go round. I get that. I respect that. It’s why I am writing this. I want you to have the strongest proposal possible, so that you can secure what you need to keep the lights on, your staff paid, and – most importantly – your program(s) going.   As a grant writer, grant reviewer, and grant evaluator, I have a written, reviewed, and critiqued hundreds of proposals from grassroots community-based organizations working on food insecurity or sports mentorship to academic-level multi-institutional efforts aimed at building science research centers. I have even evaluated many of these grants after they were awarded. My experience has taught me a few things, which I’d like to share with you.

Successful grant writing, meaning writing a grant that secures the funding, is all about telling a compelling story. The story obviously starts with the need (this is not where you usually struggle in communicating because it’s the passion that ignited the work you do). The need puts faces to statistics and anecdotes to descriptions. The story continues with an account of what you do – the number of training programs implemented, the number of residents served, the percentage of students returning, etc. That program data is foundational data, but you need more than that. You need data that demonstrates (shows) that your program(s) work. You need impact data. Impact data is harder to measure because it requires a level of intentionality from the planning phase that is usually overlooked. It requires connection between activities and results and then those results to short -to medium- to long term outcomes. This mapping is grounded in a logic model that demonstrates a theory of change in your program beneficiaries – be it students, parents, workforce trainees, leaders, networks, or scientists.  Logic models provide the clarity you need to be able to articulate not only what you do, but the value of your program.  When you have this level of clarity, writing the narrative is infinitely easier.

The benefit of a logic model goes beyond the ability to describe your program effectively; it helps assure your organization is generating relevant data, which in turn produce actionable insights for program improvement. In real speak, it helps you make important decisions that can keep you (better) serving your beneficiaries.  Sometimes it means your data tells the story of how well your program is doing, so you know to keep doing it. Sometimes it means your data shows no change or even negative change in program beneficiaries. It may be tempting at this point for organizations to not report this data especially if funding is on the line. I would argue that here, you actually have a strong story to tell – a story that says “We tried [this], it didn’t work so we paused and asked the hard questions. [This] is what we heard and [this] is what we found. Now, we are course correcting and doing [this].  We have been checking in with various stakeholders along this pivot to make sure we are listening, getting it right.”  This story or mission commitment is gold and one that funders greatly appreciate; it is failing forward.  Failing forward means embracing each setback as an opportunity for growth, recognizing the valuable lessons hidden within every misstep. By applying those insights to future efforts—despite the possibility of further failure—you continually refine your approach, you grow. In every successful grant proposal, there’s a story of growth, whether it is acknowledging that your program is working or whether it is acknowledging that you need a pivot in order to be more effective. Each story is important.

The fact that each story is important brings me to my next point, which is transparency. Too often, grant proposals focus solely on presenting polished narratives and ambitious goals, leaving funders to fill in the blanks when it comes to the realities behind the scenes. But transparency is not a vulnerability—it’s a strength. Funders are not just investing in programs; they’re investing in the people and processes behind them. Demonstrating honest assessments of your challenges, limitations, and lessons learned builds credibility and trust. It shows that your organization is self-aware, accountable, and prepared to adapt. Transparency invites partnership, not scrutiny, and it sets the tone for a more meaningful and sustainable funding relationship.

I could go on and on with more learnings, but for now, I’ll leave you with one final pearl.  In this day and age, it would be amiss to not use some type of generative AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Co-Pilot, etc.) in your work. While caution should be taken in how you use it, it can no doubt help to streamline many of your efforts. In the context of grant writing, it’s great for quick reviews of funders and analyzing their giving patterns, summarizing documents, proposing outlines, drafting specific sections using specific inputs, and even generating visuals.  AI should not tell your story, however. It can’t.

Let me give you an example.

I was contracted to provide ad hoc and at will technical assistance (program design, data collection, evaluation, and grant development) to a group of nonprofits who, at the end of a certain time period, would submit grant proposals to a funder – the funder would then select two from this group who would be funded. As part of my contract with the funder, I was to review the proposals and provide constructive feedback for the purpose of proposal improvement. Over the course of this work, I met with each of the grantees at various stages. There was one that stood out because of their mission, work ethic, partners, and the data-informed strategies that they used to create their program. I was confident that they would produce a grant proposal that met the level of quality that they’d produced so far. When I read their draft, I was speechless – stunned. While a narrative was there, it was as if they copied and pasted an AI-export. The passion, the quality, and the life of their work wasn’t there – it was soulless. Among my feedback to this organization, I said:

“AI is great for assistance, but it doesn’t convey the heart of your mission.”

Crafting a successful grant proposal means weaving together data and storytelling in a compelling, strategic, and customized way—a distinctly human effort. As someone closest to the work, you’re best equipped to present the strongest possible case for what your nonprofit can achieve with additional funding.  Approach your work with AI as a collaborator on a project, not an outsourced agent.

You care deeply about your mission—and it shows in your day-to-day work. But when it comes to grants, it’s not enough to do good work; you must prove and communicate that your work matters. That means pairing your passion with clarity, data, transparency, and a story only you can tell. Invest the time to reflect, measure, and articulate your impact with honesty and intention. Let your proposal be as powerful as the work it represents. If you need a thought partner to help shape your next proposal, refine your logic model, or help you interpret your data story, let’s connect. 

Sincerely,

Someone Wanting You to Get that Grant