Grantor/Grantee

Most of the time, in my job, I am asking for money.

But today!!!--today I am giving away money! Ok, it's not my money--but for the upwards of twenty teachers who submitted their grant proposals for consideration at our Benefit Dinner, it's a chance for an easy thousand dollars to fund a much-needed classroom project.

Warm, fuzzy, easy, right?

So here are some things about grantmakers that I probably could have figured out, but didn't... until now:

1. Tell me what I want, how I want it. I asked you about specific information because that is the information I need to know. I would love to read your extraneous information, but I don't have time because there many applications in equal consideration to yours.

2. Don't make me do extra work. If you want $400 for books and $100 for t-shirts and $1,356 for bus fare... please total that up. Also, no ranges. The bottom line is, how much do you WANT?

3. Don't ask for more than the top limit.

4. Don't exceed the page limit.

5. If you ask questions in advance (and well before the due date), I am more likely to remember you in the stack of 25 proposals.

6. Please don't assume I know where you work or what you do, or what XYZZY stands for if you don't explain it to me.

7. On the other hand: I've been in your shoes before, and I know you can purchase Esperanza Rising cheaper from Scholastic than from Amazon.com. Show me you've done your research completely.

I list these items not to scold or make fun, but because today's exercise helped me understand just how swamped foundations get in the business of handing out money... and it's easy to understand how any of the above mistakes could get my organization lumped in the "forget about it" pile. I don't want to be in the "forget about it" pile. I want to be in the "send them bricks of solid gold" category.