I apologize for being MIA since my last post on Tuesday April 1, 2008. This is a good example of … not a good example… of Time Management! Which by the way is a very important characteristic of a good professional Grant Writer? Hence my imperfection! But we won’t go into this any further right now… I’ll save this for another day when a good self-deprecating whipping is due again.
So are you dreaming about one of those careers that totally and completely ADDS, in a totally positive way to the world around you… and many times far far beyond? Well Grant Writing is a good place to begin your exploration. Grant Writers are the ultimate Visionaries, the ultimate self-contained Gamblers, the ultimate Change Makers, the ultimate Glass Half-Full'ers, and the Ultimate Rose Colored Glass Wear’ers! Wow! I want to be a Grant Writer! Oh… that’s right. I am. And now I am hoping to encourage some new energy out there to do the same!
This time in history is also the perfect time to really develop this industry. The flood of attention toward philanthropy is greater now than like no time I can remember in the past. Who would ever have imagined that you could successfully launch and maintain a prime time TV lineup based solely on Giving! Thanks Extreme Home Makeover and Oprah’s Big Give. This movement amazes and inspires me… especially after having been deluged with little more than LAME on TV for so so long. Maybe Jesus will put off his return a little longer after seeing what good we are capable of !!!
So are you dreaming about one of those careers that totally and completely ADDS, in a totally positive way to the world around you… and many times far far beyond? Well Grant Writing is a good place to begin your exploration. Grant Writers are the ultimate Visionaries, the ultimate self-contained Gamblers, the ultimate Change Makers, the ultimate Glass Half-Full'ers, and the Ultimate Rose Colored Glass Wear’ers! Wow! I want to be a Grant Writer! Oh… that’s right. I am. And now I am hoping to encourage some new energy out there to do the same!
This time in history is also the perfect time to really develop this industry. The flood of attention toward philanthropy is greater now than like no time I can remember in the past. Who would ever have imagined that you could successfully launch and maintain a prime time TV lineup based solely on Giving! Thanks Extreme Home Makeover and Oprah’s Big Give. This movement amazes and inspires me… especially after having been deluged with little more than LAME on TV for so so long. Maybe Jesus will put off his return a little longer after seeing what good we are capable of !!!
What it takes to become one… A GREAT Grant Writer!
1) Education/Skills
Writing – you must have very good, preferably creative writing skills. Can you “sell” your ideas, passions and strategies on paper? Can you tell your story succinctly, and keep your reader from EGO syndrome..(Eyes Glazed Over that is)?
Technology – You must have very good technology skills or a team member that can fill this bill. Why? Because virtually all state, federal, governmental and even most large foundations require submissions through an on-line process. I also highly recommend being fairly adept at using Access & Excel. You will need to incorporate these charts in most of your applications.
2) Personality
Do you tend to “get the job done” when you put yourself under a commitment with a tight time constraint or do you go to pieces, falling to the floor in a hair pulling frenzy when pressured? If you are the later personality… sorry… check off Grant Writer as a NOT. Grant Writers THRIVE under pressure! Melt-downs are allowed but only after you have officially tendered the 58 page application… On Time!
Grant Writers are highly organized. “A Place for Everything” types. Yes, a little obsessive-compulsive works fine! You will have to manage and maintain massive amounts of small “tidbits” of information including: dates, statistics, contacts, events, schedules, deadlines… Truly, a never ending list of what sometimes appears to be “totally useless facts”. I’m not talking good memory here… I’m talking great life and project management when your memory is SHOT!
Profile - Grant Writers are Not Too Cocky. If you are compelled to skip steps once you feel like you have “mastered” something, you probably will not be a good Grant Writer. Being able and willing to methodically work through a process without the urge to skip a step is a must. Like an airline pilot who even after 20years of flying goes through the pre-flight checklist one item at a time, EVERY TIME, it will be necessary for you as a Grant Writer to just as methodically check every step of your process, dotting every I and crossing every T EVERY TIME.
It will be the small details that shake out the average writer from the superior and highly successful writer.
Comments Welcome! Have you worked with a Grant Writer? Or are you one? Be sure to send your insight on what it takes to be a GREAT ONE!
Stay tuned… next blog… Steps to Getting to Grant Writer and Where you can find great Grant Writing Jobs!
jenny lynn
1) Education/Skills
Writing – you must have very good, preferably creative writing skills. Can you “sell” your ideas, passions and strategies on paper? Can you tell your story succinctly, and keep your reader from EGO syndrome..(Eyes Glazed Over that is)?
Technology – You must have very good technology skills or a team member that can fill this bill. Why? Because virtually all state, federal, governmental and even most large foundations require submissions through an on-line process. I also highly recommend being fairly adept at using Access & Excel. You will need to incorporate these charts in most of your applications.
2) Personality
Do you tend to “get the job done” when you put yourself under a commitment with a tight time constraint or do you go to pieces, falling to the floor in a hair pulling frenzy when pressured? If you are the later personality… sorry… check off Grant Writer as a NOT. Grant Writers THRIVE under pressure! Melt-downs are allowed but only after you have officially tendered the 58 page application… On Time!
Grant Writers are highly organized. “A Place for Everything” types. Yes, a little obsessive-compulsive works fine! You will have to manage and maintain massive amounts of small “tidbits” of information including: dates, statistics, contacts, events, schedules, deadlines… Truly, a never ending list of what sometimes appears to be “totally useless facts”. I’m not talking good memory here… I’m talking great life and project management when your memory is SHOT!
Profile - Grant Writers are Not Too Cocky. If you are compelled to skip steps once you feel like you have “mastered” something, you probably will not be a good Grant Writer. Being able and willing to methodically work through a process without the urge to skip a step is a must. Like an airline pilot who even after 20years of flying goes through the pre-flight checklist one item at a time, EVERY TIME, it will be necessary for you as a Grant Writer to just as methodically check every step of your process, dotting every I and crossing every T EVERY TIME.
It will be the small details that shake out the average writer from the superior and highly successful writer.
Comments Welcome! Have you worked with a Grant Writer? Or are you one? Be sure to send your insight on what it takes to be a GREAT ONE!
Stay tuned… next blog… Steps to Getting to Grant Writer and Where you can find great Grant Writing Jobs!
jenny lynn
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