For the grant writing project, my group decided to divide the work among the four of us. I took the needs statement that is required by the Gannett Foundation for their grant applications. I had a difficult time writing my section for the grant. I did not feel like I had a sense of direction on what to write. This assignment proved to be really difficult for me, which was something I did not expect going in to it.
The audience of the grant are people working for the foundation that have been hired to read through grant applications. Therefore, whoever reads this specific application has most likely spent most of the day reading through other applications. Knowing that helps me in knowing how to write the needs statement. I attempted to provide all of the information in a simple manner. However, I do not feel that it bodes well for me. I always had this feeling that my part of the grant was missing important information or that my writing was not conveying what I was trying to say. I also felt that my part was too short because some of the information could be given in a sentence or two. Having shorter sentence with concise information is beneficial in this situation because the reader does not want to read unnecessary information. The reader wants to know the information the application asks for, so he or she can quickly determine if the organization fits the foundation’s qualifications to receive a grant.
The audience also influences how each specific sentences is structured. Sentences in grants should be active and engaging. If they are not, the reader will most likely grow tired of reading the application and become uninterested. This aspect of writing was difficult for me to pull off. I am not used to writing in sharp, active sentences all of the time. This project has taught me how to write those sentences, and that I definitely need more practice writing them.
Since the genre is an informative application, there is a specific writing style that should be followed when writing out a grant application. The writing style should be clear, concise, and provide all of the information required. When writing an application, you want to have writing that stands out, yet answers all of the questions asked by the foundation. It is difficult to find that stand out writing style while keeping only the necessary information. Again, knowing that this is an application means that what is being written should stand out. I struggled with finding a way to make my writing stand out in this because it is so cut and dry. That could be because this application is specifically for a grant, and the room for creativity is smaller than for a college application, for example.
Again, I really struggled with this assignment because it was really different from anything I’ve ever written before. I tend to fall more on the creative side of writing, which may have inhibited me a little in this situation. Overall, I learned a lot about grant writing and effective ways to compose a grant.
Gannett Foundation Grant