February Program:
It’s All in the Asking:
A Grant-Writing Primer
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Dr. Renee Welch (view bio) wears many hats as assistant director, instructional designer, and adjunct instructor for the Office of External Education at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago). For the past five years, Dr. Welch has been wearing three additional hats: teaching online grant writing courses, working with nonprofits and small businesses on developing grant proposals (and ultimately managing those grants), and serving as a peer reviewer for grant proposals. Dr. Welch shared her experience “from both sides of the grant writing desk” with a full room on February 21. “A good idea, well expressed, with a clear intention of methods for pursuing the idea, evaluating findings, and making them known to all who need to know.” She started the presentation with this—the definition of a good proposal.
When asked about writing style, she noted that, ultimately, you’re writing for those that will be reviewing the grant. It’s a “specialized style of technical writing, written in the persuasive style.” She emphasized that the writing must be concise and organized. “If it doesn’t answer the funder’s questions, it’s just pretty writing.” When asked what—from her perspective as a reviewer—sets a grant application apart, she listed three things: the idea represents a program that would have significant impact, the idea is innovative, and the applicant can clearly evaluate (and quantify) the success of the funded program. Some in the audience wanted to learn about freelance opportunities for grant writing. Dr. Welch offered advice on finding success in this field. She suggested starting small (possibly by volunteering with a local and familiar nonprofit) in order to become familiar with the grant environment, and with the extent and challenges of grant writing. She noted that the grant writing process can be time-consuming and complex, especially for the freelancer who is not familiar with their client organization. With that in mind, she cautioned freelancers to not underestimate their time when bidding on such a job.
Dr. Welch also mentioned potential freelance possibilities in editing and reviewing grant proposals for clients. The audience also included those who work for nonprofit organizations. Dr. Welch shared strategies for writing an outstanding grant proposal, for seeking out sources of funding, approaching funders, and seeing through the perspective of the funder. She shared anecdotes from her experience as a reviewer—most especially, mistakes to avoid! Dr. Welch suggested that the applicant get to know the reviewers, and let the reviewers know—on a personal level—about the applicant’s organization. The applicant might accomplish this by seeking out contact persons and establishing a relationship with them. That’s right… schmooze!
If you’re a prospective grant writer, read samples of grants, research the process and look for funding opportunities, and consider taking an online grant writing course. The UIC Writers Series offers several grant writing courses. Visit http://www.uic.edu/depts/oee/writers/ for more information. Additional grant-writing resources can be found at the following links:
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Karen Solomon Dunn lives in Peoria and is a part-time freelance writer, editor, and graphic designer. She also teaches classes for Illinois Central College Youth Programs. She is looking for assignments in educational products publishing. She can be reached at