How to write a good application?

How to write a good grant application?

Before even starting, we have to remember that writing an application is a skill, so if you are not “excellent” the first time, that does not mean that you in general suck at it (you just need practice, more than anything).

So, the million dollar question - how to write a grant application that would win/ be granted and etc?

Sadly, there is no way to make sure that you would for sure get the money. That is actually another good point to remember - any public fund application is a lottery and you can do your best, but there are so many things that can influence the result, that you should hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst (like experts, other applications, the size of the fund and etc);

Also, if you did not get funded, that does not mean that your project is not good. It only means this time, because of specific context, your application was less successful (of course, if you can get feedback from the funders, then you can read what did they think in general and better understand their decision);

So, what are the main tips for a good application? Let’s get into it:

• your application has to be as simple and clear as possible. I mean that we have to separate the art project itself and the application as they are not the same thing. The application is your main communication document that has to tell the expert/ funder all possible info about your project in a clear way (so we don’t need any specific art terminology that would show how well you know art in general).

• your application has to be clear to a person without any specific knowledge. I always imagine that my application will be read by a person not from my field so that I can avoid specific knowledge that is understandable only for my context (as we never know who is going to read your application and sometimes it is experts from another field). It is good to avoid any assumptions, write even the most obvious thing (as for somebody else it might not be so obvious).

• while writing any application, you need to answer these questions:

  • what will you do - what will be the form of your project, where will it happen, who is participating and other details; sometimes people get into the concept so intensely in the text that they forget to explain what will be the outcome (and this I tell you from experience reading applications myself :D);

  • why are you doing it - it is always good to explain your motivation around your project. Why is it important to you and why do you want to do it;

  • why is it relevant - as we are talking about applying for public money, you are aiming to be financed by the “tax money” (as most of the public funds get their funds from the government budget one way or another). That means that your project has to be relevant for society and it always is, you just need to find the right angle.

• fill in the application correctly - this sounds funny, but it happens! Always read the guidelines/ rules of the fund (how to fill in the application as every fund has different ones). This is the bare minimum that you can do, fill in everything they are asking you for!

These are my tips from my 9 years of fundraising, application writing experience, hope that you find it useful!

You can always let me know if you need help with a specific project or application, it would be a pleasure to help you with that.