You’ve put in tons of research to create a great list, but now, you’ve run out of time to write a proposal
Think about all the time and care you put into building a great list. You’ve done an awesome job so far! Don’t drop the ball by rushing through the grant writing phase. You want to finish well and win big.
The following tips can help you carve some extra room in your schedule for getting that grant proposal written. You may have more time than you think.
Block off time in your schedule to write
Don’t solely use your appointment calendar for meetings, conferences, and face time with people… Plan specific times for writing that proposal. (If you don’t schedule it, it won’t get done.)
Use the Pomodoro technique to get things done
“It works like this: work diligently for 25 minutes, then take a three to five minute break,” states Jeff Boss in a Forbes article. “Repeat this cycle four times and then take a longer, 15 to 30 minute break. The purpose here is to keep your mental acuity sharp and avoid focus fatigue.”
Minimize distractions
Do you have too many items on your desk that pull your attention away from writing? Then clear off your desk. Find yourself going down the rabbit hole that is the Internet when you just need to look up one thing? Then disconnect while you focus on writing. Have text-happy friends and colleagues who keep distracting you? Power down for a while.
Consider what your main distractions are, and then work to eliminate them, so you can stay better focused and use your time more wisely.
Delegate
You’ve blocked off time, used the Pomodoro technique, and done what you can to find extra time to write that grant proposal. But you still need more time. (After all, you can save time, not make it!)
Consider delegating the grant writing, so you can focus on other critical components of growing your organization.
“You want to spend your time doing only those things that you alone can do,” says Geoffrey James, contributing editor at Inc.
How you can regularly check ‘grant writing’ off your to-do list
If you’re self-motivated and actively building relationships with funders, you should sign up for our Assist membership program.
Our monthly service is specifically for organizations like yours that need help writing grant proposals. You already know the funders you want to approach and have identified different opportunities.
It’s just that frustrating lack of time that has you stressed out.
When you sign up for The Assist, we tackle the time-sucking task of writing grant proposals, and our long experience means that those proposals stand the best chance for approval.
You also may find yourself needing a little extra help now and then with research, verification, or reporting. We can help with that, too. As an Assist member, you get deep, deep discounts on services you need occasionally.
Delegating tasks just makes sense when you can trust who you delegate to. We’ve got years of experience and the time to do it.
Sign up for The Assist and enjoy the breathing room you now have in your schedule, so you can focus on growing your organization and making the world a better place.
