Ever notice that it is where you see things from that determines how you see things? Perspective is everything.

Perspective can really make a difference when researching and matching grant opportunities to projects. How you see your core operations and how it may match up with national and international grant opportunities can be very different as to how a professional grant writer may see it. Here are five reasons why a professional grant writer offers a different perspective – a perspective which can give you an edge in winning a grant that can create exponential growth:

1. A professional grant writer will have a strategic mindset and a curious nature. It is a natural extension of this to question and enquire when working with a new business, looking for the edge, listening to where you want to take your organisation. In doing so they will find a way to tell your story, pitch your project in a fresh approach, and match the outcomes required of the grant with where you are going.
2. Reading grant guidelines all day everyday gives a professional grant writer a clear perspective on what an assessor is looking for. You may want to tell them all about how brilliant your project is but they need to know how you will measure your outcomes … and what your outcomes will be.
3. It is a vast vast world of grant opportunities. Your attention needs to be on your organisation, and no matter how easy or lucrative a grant opportunity seems it is still time consuming to prepare, plan and submit on time – with no guarantee of success. The sheer amount of grants available means it is better for you to share your plans with a professional who can keep perspective on how much time and attention vs potential outcome should be placed on any opportunity.
4. Your project might take you to new places and help in way you never considered. A professional grant writer will be able to think outside the square for you while still having realistic parameters in place. There is no use chasing a grant opportunity in outback Queensland when you do not have the capacity to pivot and deliver. With a strong, strategic grant specialist you can target the right opportunities that fit your growth strategy.
5. Time flies. Sure, a six week lead on a grant looks like ample time to round up the staff, write a budget, draft up a plan, consider the practical details (insurances, financials) … and then… TIMES UP, and you find yourself hitting submit on a draft you are not fully happy with. Submission dates roll around like Easter and Christmas. Don’t be fooled by what seems like a long lead – get going, or get a professional to do the hard graft.