Mastering the art of USAID Grant Writing.

What makes a great Grant Writer?

In the development world, grant writing for an ultimate win is the ultimate goal. There are lots of best practices that make a strong proposal for USAID and other leading donors. They include strategies such as:

  • A responsive outline that incorporates everything from sections C, L, & M
  • A clearly articulated value proposition
  • Clear, simple language throughout
  • Sensible and well-structured interventions

 

But a strong proposal isn’t always a *winning* proposal. After all, only one organization wins the bid at the end of the day! Winning proposals do everything listed above, but they also do some things to take it to the next level. These strategies help them win confidence and help them align with the proposal evaluator’s mind, who are always looking for innovation and value.

Here are some trends I see that really make proposals stand out (and win!) in the USAID/WB/ADB/GIZ tenders.

  1. They give the right amount of context: Winning proposals don’t sound like a Wikipedia entry about the country you’ll be working in. They give the donor very useful insights to help them understand the activities you’ll discuss later in the proposal.
     
  2. They propose thoughtful interventions: Strong proposal teams rigorously think about what to do and why. They anticipate questions that USAID might have and justify their approach with sound logic, and always highlight how each activity will lead to the outcomes USAID wants. Sounds like a no-brainer, but trust me, it’s harder than it looks.

 

  • Everything is backed by evidence: This one gets forgotten a lot, but what makes winning proposals stand out is strong evidence. Think about it, the best way to persuade donor that your approach will work is by showing how it has worked in the past in the same context or a similar context.

 

These strategies ensure that your grant writing is for ultimate win.

We at lumine-up excel in the field of grant writing for ultimate win. We can help you achieve the desired results. Contact us to have a free consultation for your grant writing challenges.