If you have a project, you need funding! For many municipal projects, grants can provide much needed funding, but the application process can be tedious and overwhelming, which is why our experts put together a few helpful tips to keep you on track during your next grant application process and get your project funded.
1. Preparation is Key
The number one mistake many grant applicants make is not familiarizing themselves with the submission process and instructions of their chosen grant. Even if you’re filing the same grant as years prior, it’s important to review the application several times to avoid missing requirements.
2. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Electronic submission processes can be complex, which is why we suggest going through a dry run before your final submittal. Every single page of the application will have necessary content, and it’s very easy to miss an entry field (or even a submission button!).
3. TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Do not wait until the due date to cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Grant applications should not be considered as last-minute options, and rushing through applications without careful attention to necessary details is a grave mistake that can ultimately cost your project valuable funds.
For some grants, municipalities are required to submit a copy of their approved resolution from their City Board endorsing the application. In this event, a letter from the Administrator will not suffice. A last-minute application will not allow time to gather these types of resolutions and may result in rejection by those cities. Additionally, necessary financial documents from the municipality or other financial audits may not be current or readily available, adding additional time to the application process.
4. Know the Project Details
From timelines to budgets, there is a lot to plan while scoping a project, and grant applicants must consider each moving piece. Those applying should know which stage requires grant funding, how much time the application review and approval will require, and anticipate where in the timeline the project will be if/when the grant is approved.
Beyond knowing their own project, grant applicants should expand their view regionally. What are the fundamental plans that demonstrate a need for this project? What stakeholders are indirectly involved in and will benefit from this project? What other plans are underway that compliment this project and prove a need?
Get to know the project beyond the scope of the direct improvements.
5. Get specific
Every project is unique, and every grant has specific objectives. Writing a cookie-cutter grant response will only harm your chances at success (don’t copy and paste from one grant to another!). To avoid this mistake, have a clear idea of the project goals and offer measurable success criteria. The metrics set in the narrative should match those required in the grant. For example, restoration grants often require the specific length of stream corridor that will be improved. Understand what the grant is looking for and make sure your project is a good fit.
6. Connect through Person-to-person Communication
As many grant funding programs now require in-person or online meeting attendance as a piece of the application process, it’s important for applicants to familiarize themselves with the organizations offering these grants.
Connecting with organizations through person-to-person communication can lead to further collaboration efforts. More often, federal, state, and even private organizations are willing to partner with communities that are participating in projects relative to their objectives and goals. By understanding the process and the people within these organizations, communities can leverage valuable in the quest to secure project funding.
7. Keep Applying
Grant applications can be time consuming, but they are an invaluable source of project funding. It can take hours to properly complete forms and draft a narrative that will hook the attention of the organization. Often, municipalities are stretched for resources and cannot spare the manpower necessary to effectively manage the many moving parts of the application process. Nevertheless, many municipal projects cannot move forward without supplemental funding, and its important to apply as often as you are able. For some applications, enlisting a consultant to guide the grant searching and application efforts can greatly help the rate of success. Don’t avoid asking for help.
LEARN MORE
At R/M, we understand that the grant application process can be incredibly complex and time consuming, especially when you’re faced with increasingly limited resources. We also understand that grants are imperative to funding essential municipal projects.
Our goal is to ease the burden of the application process for your community. We will work with you in the early stages of your project planning to make the grant application process as smooth and cost-effective as possible. Collecting relevant information and working together with project teams to develop successful applications has enabled us to secure millions of dollars in grant funding for local communities.
To learn about additional grant opportunities available to your community, please contact an expert at R/M today!
