by Cathy M. Rosenthal
After writing grants for nearly four decades, I’ve learned something that surprises people.
The strongest grants are designed long before the application is ever opened.
That may sound strange, but the proposal is rarely where a successful grant begins. Long before the first sentence is written, the real work should already be underway.
The strongest grant proposals grow out of thoughtful planning. Someone has identified a community need, talked with the people who will be affected, explored potential partnerships, determined how success will be measured, and built a realistic budget and timeline. By the time the application opens, much of the difficult work has already been done.
Writing the proposal then becomes something very different. Instead of trying to invent a compelling project on paper, you’re simply telling the story of a program that already makes sense.
One of the first questions I ask clients isn’t, “When is the grant due?” It’s, “Tell me about the program.”
- Who asked for it?
- What problem are you trying to solve?
- How do you know it’s really a problem?
- Have you talked with the people you’re hoping to serve?
- Who else is already working on this issue?
- How will you know if the program is successful?
Those aren’t grant writing questions. They’re leadership questions.
Over the years, I’ve watched organizations struggle because they believed the grant application was the starting point. In reality, it’s much closer to the finish line. The application simply gives you the opportunity to explain why your organization is prepared to solve a problem and why your solution deserves investment.
One of the hardest conversations I have with clients happens when they call a week before a grant deadline and ask if I can write a proposal.
“Can you write a grant for us that is due next week?”
“Maybe,” I say.
Not because I can’t write quickly. Because I can’t help them design a strong program in a week if they haven’t put in the work to create — or at least imagine all its components.
Good programs take time. They require conversations with staff, community partners, clients, volunteers, and sometimes even the people who may never receive the grant. Those conversations shape the program. The proposal simply tells its story.
I often think about the humane education programs I’ve helped develop over the years. The grants didn’t begin with a funding request. They began with a question.
How can we help children safely interact with dogs while also building empathy and respect for animals?
From there came conversations with school districts, teachers, and community partners. Together, we designed age-appropriate lessons, bilingual educational materials, measurable outcomes, and a plan for evaluating success. By the time I sat down to write the grant, the program already had a solid foundation. My job was simply to help the funder understand its value.
The same is true of nearly every successful proposal I’ve written. The strongest grants rarely describe an organization working alone. They describe partnerships. They demonstrate that people have taken the time to listen before proposing solutions. They explain not only what will be done, but why it matters and how success will be measured.
One of my favorite questions to ask is, “If the funder approved this grant tomorrow, could you launch the program within 30 days?”
If the answer is no, it’s probably too early to start writing.
That doesn’t mean every detail must be finalized. Programs evolve, and good ideas become better through discussion. But the foundation should already exist. You should know who you’re serving, why the program matters, who will help you deliver it, and how you’ll know you’ve made a difference.
Some of the easiest grants I’ve ever written have also been the strongest. Not because they were easy to write, but because the thinking had already been done. Everyone understood the need. The partnerships were in place. The goals were clear. The evaluation plan made sense. All I had to do was tell the story.
People often ask me what makes a great grant proposal.
Of course, writing matters. Clear, compelling writing helps reviewers understand your vision. But writing alone won’t rescue a poorly designed program.
A great grant proposal is simply the written expression of an organization’s good planning.
Every successful grant I’ve written began with thoughtful questions, relationship-building, and the design of a program that truly addressed a community need.
The proposal was simply the last step.
For more info, check out: Camp Writing Boot Camp for Animal Advocates.
