Avoid These 12 Grant Writing Mistakes

Grant funding is highly competitive, and even well-prepared organizations can face challenges in securing financial support. To increase your chances of success, it’s essential to avoid common mistakes that can weaken your proposal. Here are 12 pitfalls to steer clear of when applying for grants:

1. Applying Before You’re Grant Ready

A strong grant application requires a well-prepared organization. Without a robust fundraising strategy beyond grants, your nonprofit may struggle to sustain itself. Ensure your organization is truly ready before diving into the grant process.

And remember—sometimes grants aren’t the right fit. If a grant doesn’t align with your mission, timeline, or funding needs, forcing an application can waste valuable resources. We can help you explore alternative funding options that might be a better fit through our Funding Road Maps, a customized approach to identifying sustainable revenue sources.

2. Not Aligning with the Funder’s Priorities

Every funder has specific priorities and guidelines. One of the biggest mistakes is failing to align your proposal with their mission. Carefully review their funding criteria, past grants, and values before applying.

If a funder references a specific framework or methodology, be sure to incorporate it into your proposal. For example, the Aspen Institute’s Thrive Rural Framework is commonly used in rural philanthropy. Aligning your proposal with recognized frameworks demonstrates that your organization is speaking the funder’s language and using an approach they already trust.

3. Weak Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives are the backbone of a grant application. Vague or unrealistic goals can weaken your proposal. Ensure your objectives are specific, measurable, and directly tied to the outcomes you aim to achieve.

4. Failing to Build Relationships with Funders

Grant writing is not just about submitting proposals—it’s about fostering relationships. Engaging with funders through pre-application calls, updates, and follow-ups can strengthen your chances of long-term funding.

5. Inadequate Research

Strong proposals are backed by thorough research. Understand the funder’s mission, assess community needs, and use data to support your project’s significance and impact.

Inadequate research can lead to misalignment with the funder’s priorities, reducing your chances of success. Review past grants, funding trends, and any specific language or frameworks the funder uses.

6. Overlooking Budget Details

A detailed and realistic budget is crucial. Funders need to see exactly how their money will be spent. Every dollar must be justified and aligned with the project’s goals. Even if a funder does not explicitly ask for a budget narrative, include one anyway (if space allows). You can often upload this narrative in the application under “additional materials” or a similar section. A well-crafted budget narrative helps reviewers understand your financial plan and demonstrates transparency.

And while we’re on this topic—include a cover letter. If there’s an opportunity to upload additional materials, use it. A cover letter allows you to introduce your organization, make a compelling case for funding, and set the stage for your proposal.

7. Using Overcomplicated Language

We’ve read many proposals that, while innovative, required multiple readings just to piece the idea together. Most program officers don’t have the time to do this. Your proposal must be clear, structured, and easy to follow. Use signposts throughout—headings, transitions, and consistent terminology—to guide the reader smoothly from one section to the next. If your language is too dense or disorganized, your proposal may get passed over simply because it’s too difficult to digest.

8. Ignoring Sustainability Plans

Funders want assurance that their investment will have a lasting impact. If your project will never be fully sustainable without outside funding, be upfront about it. Use research and data to support your case. For example, we often find that even the best-run nonprofit child care centers—especially in rural areas—will always require outside funding due to a variety of factors, such as lower population density, the high cost of quality child care, and limited local funding sources. Educate your funders on why continued investment is necessary and how their support will contribute to long-term success.

9. Submitting a Generic Proposal

Using grant templates can certainly save you time, but don’t fall into the trap of submitting a generic, one-size-fits-all proposal. Funders can tell when they’re reading something that hasn’t been tailored to their specific priorities. Take the time to customize each application, ensuring that your narrative, goals, and budget align with the funder’s mission and values. This extra effort can make the difference between receiving funding and being overlooked.

10. Weak Evaluation Methods

Funders need to see how success will be measured. Without clear evaluation metrics, your proposal may appear unstructured and unaccountable. Define measurable outcomes to demonstrate impact.

One of the best tools for structuring your impact measurement is a logic model. A logic model outlines the inputs (resources), activities (actions taken), outputs (measurable deliverables), and outcomes (short- and long-term impact) of your program. Many funders, especially government agencies and large foundations, expect to see logic models in grant proposals because they clearly map out how funding will drive results. Even if a logic model isn’t explicitly required, including one can strengthen your proposal and demonstrate thoughtful program design.

11. Lack of Supporting Documentation

Endorsements, letters of support, and relevant documents add credibility to your proposal. Neglecting these can make your application appear weaker or unsupported.

12. Rushing the Submission

A rushed proposal is likely to have errors. Reviewing multiple drafts, seeking external feedback, and allowing ample time for final edits can significantly improve your submission.

To avoid cramming and long, stressful work sessions, create a grant calendar for the year and backwards plan your deadlines. Ideally, you should never be working on more than 2-3 grants at a time. Spreading out the workload helps ensure high-quality proposals and prevents scrambling.

Your grant calendar can also serve as a management and reporting tool once you are awarded funding. Use it to track deadlines, deliverables, and key milestones. Having a structured approach makes grant management more efficient and helps you stay on top of funder expectations.

Final Thoughts & Call to Action

Avoiding these common mistakes can strengthen your grant proposals and improve your chances of securing funding. However, sometimes grants aren’t the best funding option for your organization. If you’re struggling to find the right funding opportunities, Rural Pathways can help. Our Funding Road Maps provide a customized approach to identifying sustainable revenue sources, ensuring that your organization is pursuing the most effective funding strategies.

At Rural Pathways, we understand the unique challenges that rural communities face when securing funding. Our team is dedicated to helping organizations develop strong, successful grant proposals that make a lasting impact.

Ready to take the next step?

Contact us today to learn how we can support your grant writing efforts and help you build a sustainable future for your community.

Citation: Anderson, Charity & Gilpin, Staci. (2025). Avoid These 12 Grant Writing Mistakes. Rural Pathways News.