By: Kelli Keck (Vice President)
Getting Ready for Grant Writing
Strong grant applications don’t start with a blank document two days before a deadline. Before you apply for anything, it helps to be clear about which issues, populations, and strategies you’re actively focused on right now—and which opportunities, even well-funded ones, aren’t the right fit this year. That kind of focus keeps grants from pulling your work off course.
Data also plays a significant role in preparation. Taking time to review community health assessments, local or state data, and recent trends makes it much easier to explain the problem you’re addressing and why it’s urgent. When you can talk confidently about the data behind your work, your applications feel grounded and credible.
For community coalitions, preparation also means getting on the same page. When partners are aligned around shared goals, clear roles, and a common story about the coalition’s impact, grant writing becomes much smoother.
Also, make sure all required registrations and certifications are in place well before a grant is released. You don’t want to miss out on a grant application because your account has expired.
Sign up for grant announcement newsletters, such as grants.gov, agency listservs, and private foundations.
Common Grant Application Challenges
Even experienced organizations run into trouble applying for grants, often for the same reasons. One of the biggest is applying for funding that isn’t quite the right fit. Broad proposals that try to tackle too many issues—or that stretch existing work to match a funder’s priorities—tend to fall flat. Most funders are looking for focus and intentionality.
Another common issue is assuming reviewers already understand your community or your coalition’s work. Even knowledgeable reviewers may not be familiar with your local context. Applications are stronger when they clearly explain why specific strategies were chosen and how partners actually work together.
An additional challenge is telling the reviewer what you want them to know, instead of responding to the questions in the narrative. Simply put: answer the darn question! Don’t waste precious space providing information that does not answer the question.
Failure to meet all technical requirements can result in your application being eliminated before your narrative is reviewed. Make sure you follow the formatting guidance, including font size and page numbers, and provide all required attachments.
Finally, make sure your application is ready to submit several days before the due date to account for potential technical issues during the submission process. You don’t want six weeks of work to be tossed aside due to an 11:59 pm glitch in the system.
Grant Writing Best Practices
The very first step is to familiarize yourself with the grant announcement. Read the announcement…more than once, participate in webinars, and review additional materials.
At their best, grant applications tell a clear, straightforward story and fully address each component. They explain the issue using relevant data, describe what’s being done to address it, and show how those efforts will lead to real, measurable change. They also demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to administer the grant successfully. Reviewers should be able to follow the logic easily from start to finish, with each question answered thoroughly. This includes evaluation responses. Strong evaluation plans don’t just meet requirements; they increase competitiveness.
Paying close attention to instructions, formatting, and scoring criteria is essential to a successful application. Strong applications also highlight collaboration in a real way, showing how partners contribute and how community voices are included in shaping the work.
Using font formatting, such as bold, underline, and italics, can help guide the reviewer to key phrases in your response.
Often, funders also want to know what happens after the grant ends. Being clear about how work will be sustained, scaled, or built into existing systems helps show that funding will have lasting value.
How Epiphany Community Services Can Help
ECS can help organizations think strategically about which opportunities to pursue, strengthen grant readiness, and support the application writing process. A key part of this support includes developing strong evaluation components, which are often critical to a funder’s decision-making process.
ECS works with organizations to clarify outcomes, align evaluation plans with funder expectations, and ensure proposed data collection methods are realistic and meaningful. We help translate programs and coalition activities into clear, measurable outcomes that reviewers can easily understand.
If you already have a draft, ECS provides focused review and feedback—looking closely at alignment, outcomes, evaluation plans, and adherence to the NOFO or RFP. We also develop free content outlines for common grant applications, including guidance on how to respond to questions.
Grant writing doesn’t have to feel like a constant scramble. With clear priorities, good preparation, and strong storytelling, organizations can approach grants with more confidence and less stress.
Call to Action
Looking for some of our content outlines? Check out our Grant Application Support page on our website to find available content outlines, and if you have any questions, please contact Jessica.