Today’s post is written in my car while waiting on my son to get out of his speech class. While sitting here, I cannot help but think about language, the use of words, and how it all relates to grants. We currently live in a world where we express our thoughts in written word more than we ever have. Sometimes it’s a good thing, but sometimes it can get us in trouble. Short little character or sound bites of what we are thinking often can be misconstrued by the one reading our writing. We all bring our own opinions to what we read and that impacts how we interact with others. 

These same things happen when we write a grant. We are writing to tell a compelling story about what our organization does. Now, more than ever, we are limited by character or word count. We often have to figure out how to say what we need to say within a constricted box. How we formulate the words written on a page will impact how the reviewer reads our application. I know many of my social media posts talk about being clear and concise, but that is the crux of grant writing. Using words to craft your story in a way that is compelling enough to be funded. 

Ultimately, the old adage, “choose your words wisely” rings true in grant writing. Watch your tone, tell your story, and remember your reviewer.