We've written here about nine steps to grant application success but we know that not every grant application results in funding. So what are some of the errors people make that harm their chances of success? 

• Not answering the question. If you are unsure – contact the grant giver before putting in your application. Don’t write what you want to write, write what you need to. 
• Inconsistencies and errors. Whether its typos and language, or fonts and layout – check, check, and check again your application. 
• Not tailoring it to be specific to this grant. Don’t just copy and paste. A stray reference from a past application in a new one would reflect very badly on you.
• Using difficult to understand language. Don’t get technical, use jargons or acronyms – remember, the person reviewing your application will be looking at lots of documents, and you don’t want to make them work hard. 
• Not providing proof. The funder will not just ‘take your word for it’ when it comes to your story – you need so show data, facts plus impact statements and testimonials. 

Every grant has different specifics and requirements, but I asked my colleagues who deal with grants every day for some of the common reasons that applications they reviewed weren’t successful, this is what they told me:

• The required documents (for example a bank statement from the last three months) are not supplied in the format required.
• The organisation / project is not in the geographical area covered by the grant. 
• The application did not specifically reference the funding theme or evidence how the project was linked to the grant givers goals. 
• The application included ineligible items in the budget such as household goods or equipment. 
• If applying with a grant giver that has given you a grant before, the monitoring had not been returned from a previous round of funding or you were applying in the same financial year. 
• The budget was incomplete, or calculations, incorrect. Not clear how funding covered whole project costs.
• There was insufficient information regarding your project. Not enough detail giving a clear understanding of what you would like the funding for, how it will be delivered and the impact the project will have.

 PS – There’s no need to email funders before the deadlines, it won’t speed anything up!

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