I received a call a few days ago from an individual who was considering hiring me to write a grant. As I always do, I asked a few questions about the organization and the funding opportunity so I could assess whether it was a good fit and whether I thought I could help. Apparently this person found the inquiry offensive and made it clear I was not to worry about whether or not they would be competitive for the grant; they’re program is so good that all they need to do is send in the paperwork and the money would come pouring in! Needless to say I didn’t get the job, nor did I want it. If you are looking for a “yes-man” please take me out of consideration. If you want someone to write a few sterile pages of text and not stress about how to make your proposal stand out from the competition, then I am not the right person for the job.

One of the most important assets I bring to the table is an independent, objective and logical point-of-view. It is essential when competing for grant funding to evaluate your ideas and your organization critically, to look at your plan from different angles and determine if it makes sense. That is, only if you want to win!