Grant Rules and Guidelines A qualified grants consultant should be able to help guide you through the grant application process and produce a professional proposal that will increase your chance for an award. While a qualified consultant should be able to advise you and perform project management duties, your involvement in the process will be the ultimate key to a successful grant application. Below are some generic grant rules and guidelines to consider. Rule 1. When it comes to grants, there are no "sure things." There is no such thing as a "silver bullet" or a guaranteed method to a grant award. Rule 2. Search for grants to fit your established goals rather than establishing your goals to fit a grant opportunity. Rule 3. A successful grant application will be a team effort. Be prepared for a substantial personal time commitment. Your consultant will rely on you for accurate and timely delivery of necessary information. Rule 4. Give yourself plenty of time. Last-minute, hurried proposals are rarely successful. Rule 5. The devil is in the details. Read the Request for Proposal (RFP) or Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) thoroughly several times, and make a list of questions for clarification by the grantor. Rule 6. Assume nothing. Be proactive in communicating with your grantor to clarify all questions. Participate in all available applicant conferences or teleconferences. Guideline 1. Assure your eligibility first. Guideline 2. Explore the possibility of complimentary grant or loan funding. In some cases, grant/loan combinations are given competitive preference. Guideline 3. Confirm your availability of matching funds if required. Guideline 4. Review previous grant awards if possible. Guideline 5. Leave nothing to the imagination of the grantor. Guideline 6. Make sure all the numbers used are consistent throughout the grant application. Guideline 7. Pay careful attention to the review scoring criteria. Guideline 8. If your grant application is not awarded, find out why. Re-apply if possible. | 
