Sheridan County’s Grants Administrator provides grant assistance for county entities and private sector groups that are sponsored by the County. Grants can play a key role in funding initiatives and projects throughout the county, and local tax dollars are often leveraged to secure additional funding by pursuing matching grant opportunities.
Successful grant writers understand the sponsor’s view of the world and express that view in the grant proposal. Successful grant writers are able to reflect the “priorities” of the sponsor. Too often, grant applicants focus on their own need for funds instead of matching their projects with the sponsor’s priorities. You should select sponsors that share your view of the world and tailor your proposals to them. Sponsors view grants as investments in an improved future. Proposals are funded when they express the same priorities shared by the sponsor. Projects are rejected when they do not precisely reflect the priorities of the sponsor.
There are three main steps to follow in successful grant seeking:
- You must identify potential grant makers who would be interested in supporting your project.
- After you have identified your list of potential prospects, you must contact key people who can help you plan your proposal before you start writing. In essence, you must do your homework if you are going to be successful. A sure way to experience failure in acquiring a grant is to write a proposal without talking to key people who can maximize your possibility of success.
- After you have qualified your prospects and planned an effective approach, you must produce a carefully written well reasoned proposal. Some grant proposals are rejected because they contain bad ideas, most grant proposals are rejected because they contain good ideas, but are poorly written. Grant writing is a complex and technical art.