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Preface vii Instead, gather as many letters of support as you possibly can. Reviewers will be wowed by the same form letter of support reproduced on doz- ens of different agency letterheads. Why do today what can be put off until tomorrow? Due dates are more flexible than you think. If the proposal is due on a Friday, you can still sub- mit it on the following Tuesday just be sure to call the program officer and explain that your vice president was not available to sign the cover page earlier—they’ll understand. Pay the piper. Listing your grant writer among the “key project personnel” allows you carte blanche authoriza- tion to pay them for any work done prior to the start of the grant. You only live once. It’s OK to pay for alcoholic drinks and enter- tainment from your federal grant budget. Just call them “motivation tools.” All in due time. When program officers call you to ask about an aspect of your project, take your time in return- ing their call. You don’t want to seem desperate for funding or approval. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you receive a rejection letter from the spon- sor, assume that it is a mistake. Immediately call the program officer and indignantly explain that The sixth edition of Proposal Planning & Writing, like previous editions, is a comprehensive reference source for grantseekers. It covers the essentials: finding public and private funds, picking the “best fit” funders, writ- ing all proposal components persuasively, polishing your drafts through creative editing strategies, and uti- lizing appropriate follow-up techniques. It leads you step-by-step through the process of planning and writ- ing successful proposals. WHY GRANTS FAIL A central question that every successful grantseeker must understand is: Why do grant applications fail? Understanding failure is the first step toward success. As described below, viewpoints may range from a small picture perspective (i.e., following bad advice) to a big picture understanding (i.e., unfulfilled expectations) to a simple truth (i.e., financial constraints). Following Bad Advice Grant advice comes in both kinds: good and bad. Over the years, we’ve heard lots of not-so-helpful advice of- fered to novice grantseekers from their colleagues and by paid consultants. The following bad advice ranges from wishful thinking to outright falsehoods. Read between the lines. Use the words “goals,” “objectives,” “aims,” “ac- tivities,” “outcomes,” and “outputs” inter- changeably. Reviewers are savvy—they’ll figure out what you mean. Ignorance is bliss. Feel free to ignore the sponsor’s guidance, “You may include up to three letters of commitment.” Preface He from whose lips divine persuasion flows. —Alexander Pope