As a grant writer, one of the most important skills to master is staying organized and meeting application deadlines. Missing a deadline can mean losing out on crucial funding for your organization. In my 5 years of grant writing experience, during which I’ve helped secure over $2.7 million in awards, I’ve found the following three tips to be invaluable for ensuring efficiency and never missing a due date.
Tip #1: Organization is Key. Staying organized is essential not only for meeting current deadlines, but also for simplifying future applications. Keep careful records of everything you submit, including the outcome (approved or denied), any grantor-specific notes, and which projects you requested funding for. Having this information easily accessible will save you time and headaches when it comes time to reapply or report on how funds were used.
Tip #2: Prioritize and Plan Ahead Effective time management is critical for juggling multiple applications and deadlines. For smaller grants like corporate or local foundation applications that can typically be completed in under two weeks, I recommend planning 2-3 months in advance. Most have submission windows of about a month, so by working ahead, you can prioritize based on deadlines and avoid last-minute scrambles.
Building in lead time also allows you to coordinate with program directors or leadership staff who may need to provide information for the application. Plus, it gives your CEO ample opportunity to personally meet with local grantors before submitting, putting a face to your organization’s name.
Tip #3: Review Application Requirements ASAP As soon as applications become available, register on the grantor’s portal and review all the requirements in detail. Copy the questions into a separate document so you can draft responses even if the portal isn’t available.
I learned this lesson the hard way early in my career when I missed a deadline by one day because I hadn’t registered in time to transfer in my prepared answers. Some grantors have a lag between registration and portal access, so create your account as early as possible.
Reviewing requirements right away also helps you gauge how long the application will realistically take to complete based on the number and complexity of the questions. You can then budget your time appropriately to avoid a time crunch at the end.
By implementing these three tips consistently, you’ll be well on your way to mastering grant application deadlines. You may even start to love the grant writing process as much as I do! While these strategies have worked wonders for me, always tailor your approach to the unique needs of your organization. Here’s to your grant writing success!
