In its simplest incarnation, a grant is a form of financial aid presented to a grant applicant. It can range from a cash award to goods and services and can be granted on a one-time basis or extended over several years. However, you might be wondering – why should any big business do that for me?
Many people do not realize this but almost tall companies and organizations that give out grants receive generous tax incentives and other break from the U.S. Federal government. The larger the company is, the more incentive they have for providing the grant.
You should never avoid applying for a grant if you think you are not eligible. Most big companies just need the paperwork to prove to the government that they processed enough requests and gave out enough money to earn the tax deduction. Many grants have a very general application process that just asks what and how it benefits from your proposal, how much it will cost and how you will accomplish your goals. Companies and organizations also usually have to award a certain number of grants each year or the granting is reduced.
In essence the grant is a business dealing that might benefit the grantor as much it does you. The process of applying for grant is designed to automatically eliminate any individual or group that cannot follow detailed instructions or maintain excellent records. Sometimes the fact that a grant is well-organized or has all the components is all that it takes to get you awarded the money.
When proposals are read those granting money usually look for projects that have a good team and that are literate. They want to know that they are giving out money to exceptional individualize who can visualize where they want to go and who are likely to come through. However, even more than this it is important than you can express yourself correctly or your big creative vision is not likely to come through to the grantors. This is why it is invaluable to know how to be a great writer.
In conclusion, it is a good idea to make any business grant proposal as business like as possible if you want to get a grant. If you do not know how to put one together you can always try hiring a professional grant writer. This can be well worth the cost if you are not that great at writing your own grants.
