"Do you have what it takes to be a good grant writer?”

The last few Grant Alert's I have talked about the availability of funds and where to access them.  I figured a good follow up to those would be an Alert on what it takes to be a good grant writer and what you should look for in a person. I have put together a list of a few things that I feel are important to being a good grant writer.  I am sure that the list is not complete so if you can think of other items please feel free to email me at chrgrants@aol.com

• Passion - As a grant writer, you really need to be passionate about your cause if you're raising money for it.  This passion
  goes a long way and helps greatly in raising funds.
  
• Belief  - That what you're doing makes a difference. You have to have a strong belief in the mission of the organization
  and your piece in it.  You can't raise money for something you don't believe in.  
  
  Technical Skills...
  
• Good Researcher - A good grant writer spends many hours doing research on potential funders.  You need to be able
  to narrow your search and play matchmaker with funders and the needs within your organization.  Good research on
  the front end will save countless hours on the back end.
  
• Patience - You need to have patience in waiting for responses from funders.  Some funders you hear from in a couple
  of weeks and others may take months.  As a grant writer, you should always have plenty of proposals in the "pipeline"
  so that every month you're hearing from someone. 
  
• Commitment to doing it right the first time - Sometimes you don't get a second chance with a funder - you're trying to build a relationship right from the beginning - your proposal, professional or unprofessional tells a lot about yourself. Take your time and do it right.
  
• Excellent Organizational Skills - You must be able to work a plan and plan your work.  Be extremely organized and look at the big picture as well as the details. A skill as self-starter who needs little direction will go a long way. 
  
• Excellent Communication Skills - Get your thoughts down on paper clearly and concisely - and in working with program people you need to be able to communicate what you need.  Keep your proposals simple and focused on results and measurements. 
  
• Good writing skills - It is a misnomer to believe that a grant writer has to have great writing skills.  Good writing skills with excellent communication skills is the perfect fit.
  
• Personality to get along with anyone  - Be able to swallow your pride - some funders are very difficult to work with some very easy.  You have to be able to let things roll off your back to help fulfill your mission. 
  
• The ability to play it cool - Every-time you see a funder at a meeting or out somewhere they don't want to be talking
  about your proposal or organization.  Let them drive the conversation. 
  
• Think like a funder...Put yourselves in their shoes and role-play within your mind.  How would you want people to
  respond to you?  Treat you? Act around you?
  
  Be persistent but not a pest.