Common Proposal Writing Mistakes

I’ve spent years reviewing grant applications for federal agencies and noticed patterns in what works—and what doesn’t. Here are three mistakes I see over and over again (and how to fix them): 🚨 Mistake #1: The proposal is too vague. 💡 Funders want specifics: How will their money be used? What’s the projected outcome? Instead of "helping the community," say "providing 200 families with food assistance for 3 months." 🚨 Mistake #2: The budget doesn’t match the proposal. 💡 Your budget is a reflection of your project. Funders might hesitate to approve your application if you request $50K for outreach but do not provide a detailed breakdown of your costs. 🚨 Mistake #3: Ignoring the funder’s priorities. 💡 Grant applications should feel like a collaboration, not a transaction. Research the funder, understand their mission, and tailor your proposal accordingly. If you’re writing a grant proposal right now, DM me—I’d love to hear what’s been most challenging for you. #GrantWritingSuccess #FundingOpportunities #NonprofitStrategy

What are the biggest mistakes I see agencies make in their proposals? ❌ Ignoring the brief. If you’re not addressing the client’s challenges and needs, it signals a lack of attention to detail and understanding of their business. ❌ Overloading with info. You were invited for a reason— now isn’t the time to restate every fact and figure about your agency. Resist the urge to cram in every case study and idea. Clients are busy, and yours isn’t the only proposal they’re reading. Stick to the essentials. ❌ Failing to stand out. Why are you the ideal partner for this specific client and assignment? What sets you apart from everyone else they’re talking to? ❌ Not making it easily forwardable. Your proposal is likely going to get passed along to others in the client organization who haven’t been fully briefed. Summarize summarize summarize if you want the key points stick. ❌ Forgetting to ask for the business. Instead of a generic thank you, show them your team is passionate about their business and ready to hit the ground running. What do you think separates a good proposal from a great one?

The first grant proposal I ever wrote was so embarrassingly bad that when a board member read it, they asked if I was actually serious about fundraising. That humiliation became one of my most significant career lessons. I thought I knew what I was doing. I had good intentions, passion for the cause, and a desperate need for funding. What I didn't have was any understanding of what funders actually wanted to read. My proposal was a rambling love letter to our organization. I spent three pages describing our history and half a paragraph explaining what we'd do with their money. I used emotional appeals where I needed data. I used data where I needed emotion! I included generic program descriptions where I needed specific outcomes. The board member who read it didn't sugarcoat their feedback: "This is embarrassing. For you and for this organization." They were right. I was grasping at straws instead of building a case. I was talking about our needs instead of their priorities. I was asking them to care about our mission instead of showing them how funding us would advance theirs. That brutal feedback forced me to completely rethink grant writing. I stopped writing about what we wanted and started writing about what funders needed. I stopped describing our programs and started demonstrating our impact. I stopped asking for money and started proposing solutions. The next proposal I wrote got funded. So did the one after that. Your fundraising failure isn't a career-ending mistake. It's tuition for the education you can't get anywhere else. When you make a mistake...stay in the game and learn! Because in fundraising, the proposals that get rejected teach you more than the ones that get approved.

9 out of 10 proposals sound like this: - You’re doing amazing things - There’s an opportunity in front of you - We’ll make you an industry leader - Here are the tactics we’ll use That format falls flat for three reasons: 1. There’s no pain point Companies rarely spend six figures to explore an opportunity. Companies often spend six figures to fix pain. Common pain points: - Reputation threat - Revenue loss - Stock price decline - A new competitor - Capacity constraint There’s always a pain point, but it‘s often buried. Dig until you find it. 2. There’s no tangible goal The c-suite doesn’t think in terms of industry leadership. They want: - The crisis to go away - Customer acquisition - Satisfied investors - To blunt competition - Extra arms and legs 3. Everyone else sounds the same Imagine being the prospect reviewing five identical proposals. Differentiation makes you memorable. I’d rather lose wondering if we pushed them too hard than lose wishing we’d pushed harder.