Next Steps After the Grant Application

Once the grant application you’ve worked so hard on has been checked, checked again, checked by someone else, and then proofread, you are ready to send it in. This should be at least two weeks prior to the deadline for submission. It’s good to do so with return receipt requested, or delivery confirmation, anything to help your nerves by letting you know the application got to the committee safely. Be sure to pack it carefully – you may want to try using a stiff cardboard envelope instead of a manila envelope to avoid damage to the paper. Nothing looks less professional than a torn or crumpled grant application, even if it wasn’t your fault.

After sending your application, you don’t have to sit and stare plaintively at your desk, realizing you’ve sent off what’s been your life for weeks. You have other options. One of these options is to begin searching for other grant applications that are compatible with your business, another is to start writing for those you’ve already accumulated on a list.

You are always free to contact a company regarding the status of your submission. Even if you just do a follow-up call to be sure they’ve received it, this shows you’re eager about the grant and the project. On the flip side, try not to call every day for an update. Once every couple of weeks should be plenty. Always maintain a pleasant and positive demeanor. If you discover that your company was not chosen for the grant, don’t hesitate to ask why. This is a learning opportunity, and you’ll be able to learn about what you did wrong or failed to include that lost you the grant. Be sure you’re taking notes during this! This is a valuable tool in strengthening your new grant application writing skills.

What if you call and they’ve not received the application, or somehow it’s been damaged and a few pages have been lost? This prospect should never frighten you. Why? Because you, as an organized and thorough individual, will have a full filing cabinet devoted to your grant applications. This cabinet should have files for budget plans, fiscal information – tax information/expenditures/income, research, and finally – a file containing each and every grant request you’ve submitted. You should have each grant application labeled with a small sticky note for ease of sorting, preferably alphabetically, and with just a quick search you will be able to pull the application and copy it to resend.

It doesn’t hurt to keep a copy of everything on your computer, but hard drives crash and data gets corrupted – which is why hard copies are such a valuable commodity. If you simply don’t have the office space for a filing cabinet, there are a few options to protect you. One – get an external hard drive dedicated only to what would be kept in a filing cabinet and use it only for that, keeping it stored in a safe, warm, dry place. This may reduce the chance of a crash. Two – back up all of your files to a series of USB drives and keep those stored where you can find them easily. Three – there are multiple online programs that will back up files for you online. All three options are viable but not foolproof, so choose carefully and if you can afford to do all three, that may be the best. These files are of great importance to you and your company, they aren’t something you want to chance losing.

Another possible option for the interim time between submitting a grant application and receiving feedback on that application is to search for some workshops to attend. Some workshops are available online, and others are offered in person. One grantwriting workshop is available for roughly $500 allowing two days of in-person education. Fortunately, for those who don’t want to spent hundreds of dollars on a grant application workshop, this website is available with excellent tips to help you become a great grant writer on your own.

There’s nothing wrong with writing practice applications in the interim. That’s actually a very wise idea – write mock-ups and see what does and doesn’t seem to work. The old adage “practice makes perfect” holds true even in the world of grant writing. No one starts out perfect, so the more practice you get in, the better you become.

Finally, once you’ve received a response – whether it is positive or negative – be sure you write a thank you letter. A polite, brief, message saying “Thank you for considering me” when declined, and a longer more personal letter for acceptance, should be all it takes. Writing a thank you letter shows you appreciate the time they spent on you, and puts you in a good light for the future when you may be applying to them for another grant, or the same grant in another year.