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Grant WritingJuly 6, 2025
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Next Grant Application
Avoid these common pitfalls to improve your success rate and secure more funding for your nonprofit organization.
Avoid these common pitfalls to improve your success rate and secure more funding for your nonprofit organization.
Grant writing can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. You know there's funding out there, but the path to securing it often seems unclear. After reviewing hundreds of grant applications and helping nonprofits secure millions in funding, I've noticed the same mistakes appearing again and again.
The good news? These mistakes are entirely preventable. By understanding what funders are really looking for and avoiding these common pitfalls, you can dramatically improve your success rate and secure the funding your organization needs to thrive.
Let's dive into the five most critical mistakes that could be sabotaging your grant applications—and how to fix them.
Too many organizations take a "spray and pray" approach, submitting the same generic proposal to dozens of funders without understanding their specific priorities, giving patterns, or requirements.
Funders can immediately tell when you haven't done your homework. A proposal that doesn't align with their mission or funding priorities gets rejected before they even read your project description.
Pro Tip:
Create a simple spreadsheet to track funder research. Include columns for funding priorities, typical grant sizes, application deadlines, and contact information. This becomes invaluable for future applications.
Many grant applications start with vague, emotional appeals rather than clear, data-driven problem statements. Phrases like "children are suffering" or "the community needs help" don't provide the concrete foundation funders need.
Funders want to understand the specific scope and scale of the problem you're addressing. Without concrete data and clear parameters, they can't assess whether your solution is appropriate or if their investment will make a meaningful impact.
Example Transformation:
Weak: "Many children in our community don't have access to healthy food."
Strong: "In our three-county service area, 34% of children (approximately 2,400 students) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet 60% of these families live in food deserts with no grocery store within 10 miles of their homes."
Setting goals that are either impossibly ambitious ("We will end homelessness in our city") or impossibly vague ("We will help people feel better about themselves"). Both approaches undermine your credibility.
Funders need to see that you understand what success looks like and have a realistic plan to achieve it. Unrealistic goals suggest poor planning, while unmeasurable goals make it impossible to demonstrate impact.
Goal Framework:
Output Goal: Provide job training to 150 unemployed adults over 18 months
Outcome Goal: 75% of participants (113 people) will secure employment within 6 months of program completion
Impact Goal: Increase average household income for participants by 40% within one year
Submitting budgets with round numbers, missing line items, or no explanation of how costs were calculated. Some organizations also fail to include indirect costs or underestimate expenses to make their request seem smaller.
A poorly justified budget raises red flags about your organization's financial management and planning capabilities. Funders need confidence that their money will be used effectively and that you've thought through all the costs involved.
Budget Best Practice:
Instead of "Staff: $50,000," write "Program Coordinator (1.0 FTE): $45,000 salary + $5,000 benefits (11% of salary) = $50,000." This level of detail demonstrates thorough planning and builds funder confidence.
Exceeding page limits, using the wrong font size, missing required attachments, or submitting after the deadline. Some applicants also ignore specific questions or requirements, thinking they know better than the funder what information is important.
Following guidelines is the first test of your ability to follow instructions and respect the funder's process. Failure to comply often results in automatic disqualification, regardless of how good your project might be.
Remember:
Guidelines exist for a reason. They help funders compare applications fairly and ensure they get the information they need to make decisions. Respecting these guidelines shows professionalism and attention to detail.
Grant writing doesn't have to be a mystery. By avoiding these five common mistakes, you're already ahead of many applicants. Remember that successful grant writing is about building relationships, demonstrating impact, and showing funders that you're a reliable partner in creating positive change.
Start with thorough research, craft compelling problem statements backed by data, set realistic and measurable goals, justify every budget line item, and always follow the guidelines. These fundamentals will dramatically improve your success rate.
Most importantly, remember that grant writing is a skill that improves with practice. Each application teaches you something new about your organization, your community, and the funders you're approaching. Keep refining your approach, and don't get discouraged by rejections—they're part of the process.
Our team has helped nonprofits secure millions in grant funding. We can help you develop a winning grant strategy, review your applications, or provide hands-on grant writing support.
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