Writing grants takes a lot of work and dedication, but it’s not a short-term funding strategy. In fact, you will likely receive several rejections before you are successfully funded. But remember, those rejections are part of the grant process and are often more educational than your successful grants. Whether you’re improving your grant writing skills or improving your relationship with God, every rejection can teach you something if you’re willing to learn.
Pay what belongs to you! So you are applying for a federal grant that is offered every year. Your feedback is good and your scores are high, but you received no funds. Like most things in life, getting a government grant simply comes down to paying what is owed. With a limited amount of money, not all grants, not even all well-written grants, can be funded. If in doubt, it may simply be due to your history.
Your first well-written application compared to a well-written application from an organization that has applied for the last three years is very likely to miss the cut. Do you remember the DUNS number you needed for the application? That allows the government to track all the grants you have applied for. Applying several years in a row also shows the government that your organization is stable and has the external resources to be around for a while, traits all funders look for. I’ve experienced this personally, and while early rejections are frustrating, getting that big government grant in year 3 makes it all worth it. Not to mention improving your grant skills!
We live in God’s time, not ours. While you might want a grant badly, sometimes it’s just not God’s time for you to have a grant. That in no way means you shouldn’t bother applying. But you must also learn to accept rejection without losing your determination to succeed! As humans, we are so used to the hustle and bustle of every day that all too often we lose sight of the mission we started with.
Here’s a real-life example, several years ago, Jeffrey worked hard on a federal grant that was a perfect fit for his client. Despite the positive feedback and high score, he received no funding. The following year he wanted to reapply, but couldn’t find anything to fix on the grant. So, he took out the previous grant, changed all the dates, and resubmitted it verbatim. His grant was funded that year! So why was the grant previously rejected? Maybe it just wasn’t God’s time to receive the grant at that time.
