Frequently Asked Questions

 
 

Some of the most frequently asked questions we receive are answered here.

We are confident in our skills, experience, and ability to make a difference. However, the commitment required to achieve success is significant. Be patient with us while we work to find a time and service to best meet your needs. It is important to us and those organizations we are committed to to deliver undiluted services structured for success.

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If a proposal does not get funded do you sill get paid?

YES! Most proposals take weeks or months to develop and write. And most take even longer to navigate through the review process for an award determination. Each proposal is made up of many parts. Those parts contain significant information that can be recycled and used in future proposals. Also, consider that each project is unique and often requires partnerships. The networking and partnerships that develop hold significant value as well. Much is to be gained from developing a project regardless of the funding outcome. Although we adhere to the highest work ethic and have confidence in our work, not all proposals get funded.

Do you provide a guarantee?

We cannot guarantee the outcome of a proposal. We work diligently with you to develop the strongest program, projected outcomes and proposal. However, most grants are the outcome of an extremely competitive process. We used scoring rubrics when available to guide our work but final scores are tallied by unbiased peer or content expert reviewers.

What successes have you had?

We have written successful proposals to:

  • Appalachian Regional Commission

  • NYS Office of Children & Family Service

  • NYS Education Department

  • US Education Department

  • Bureau of Justice Administration

  • Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency

  • Ralph C Wilson, Jr. Foundation

  • The East Hill Foundation

  • The Gifford Foundation

  • The John Ben Snow Foundation

  • The Shineman Foundation

  • Golub Corporation

  • WalMart Foundation

  • Energy Foundation

  • NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets

  • USDA Rural Development

  • and many more

How long does it take to write an average grant?

Every project is different. Every funder has specific requirements and formatting. Most projects require program development before putting pen to paper. Many responses include technical forms and attachments. Each component takes time to develop in addition to the actual writing. A rough estimate is three hours per page of a response package. Most response packages range from 20 to 50 or more pages.

Why do you visit a site before you write a project?

Each agency, school or non-profit organization has different foci with varying energy and support from its community, board, staff, and beneficiaries. It is important to capture that energy, fully understand what drives the organization, and sense the commitment and support that surrounds it. A good writer will be able to pool those energies into their writing to create a persuasive document that is also an accurate reflection of the need, capacity and goals of the organization.

Do you provide gratis services?

Currently, the demand for our services exceeds our capacity for developing full proposals. At this time, we are only writing proposals for those organizations which hold a long-term grant program contract. Other short-term services have been provided for reduced cost or gratis to those organizations favored by our writers and editors. Each writer can gift their services as their time allows to consult or support their favored organizations in other ways. In general, we encourage community activism at a grassroots level to those organizations that can demonstrate 100% funding to local programming with reasonable administrative costs. We use GuidStar reports to help guide our decision-making.