Welcome to Day 20 of the 30-Day Grant Readiness Challenge!
Picture this common scenario: The Program Director writes the narrative, the Finance Director builds the budget, and the Grant Writer pulls it all together at the last minute. But when the reviewer opens the file, do the numbers in the budget match the staff mentioned in the narrative?
A confused reviewer generally leads to a rejection letter. So, today we are focusing on grant proposal alignment.
The Consistency Check: Side-by-Side Review
Consistency is the hallmark of a high-scoring application. To ensure that your story matches your math, follow these steps:
1. Assign a “Consistency Czar”
One person (usually the Grant Professional or Grant Writer) must be responsible for the final bird’s-eye view. This person ensures that if the narrative mentions a new Project Coordinator, that position is clearly reflected in the budget.
2. Perform a Side-by-Side Audit
Open your project budget, narrative, and work plan/logic model at the same time. Check for these common mismatches:
- Personnel: Are the FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) percentages consistent across all documents?
- Supplies: If you asked for laptops in the budget, did you explain the technological need in the narrative?
- Timelines: Does the start date in your work plan align with the fiscal year of the budget?
3. Ensure Logic Model Alignment
Does your logic model promise outcomes that the budget hasn’t funded? Ensure that every output has the input (dollars) necessary to make it happen.
Master Your Application Polish
Use these resources to ensure that your next proposal is rock-solid:
- Watch: Grant Writing Is a Team Activity – Remember, grant writing isn’t a solo sport. It takes a whole team to be successful.
- Read: 5 Tips for Editing Your Full Grant Proposal – Explore more strategies for the final review phase.
- Assess: Is your team’s collaboration leading to consistent results? Find out with the GRASP Tool.
Join the Discussion
We want to hear from you! What is the most common mismatch you’ve found when reviewing a grant application at the last minute? How did you fix it?
Leave a note in the comments below and share your consistency tips!