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A few years ago I moved into a small carriage house, where I have learned the value of versatility. My coffee table is an old bench, which doubles as additional dining room seating when needed.

Writing is like that. Documents can take different forms for various purposes. In prior Short Takes I’ve written about email, talking points, and thank you notes. This article is about how writing can help you get and keep a planning process moving.

Get started
Here’s what I mean. When I worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) we partnered with a school to create a family support program. Our hospital-school-parent team prepared a proposal. We got the grant and wrote a job description for a program coordinator, but the parents told us it was off track. We started over. Had we begun thet proposal process with a simple outline for this role, we might have reached consensus sooner.

Here’s another example. A BWH team wrote a grant to start a domestic violence program. We didn’t get the grant, but the process—and the proposal—helped us establish a working group that sustained the work. Eventually the program was funded by the institution.

Why it’s helpful
Writing is an excellent tool for imagining a new program, determining priorities, gaining consensus, and getting started. It will help you stay focused and determine your approach to donors. Sometimes, writing will help you decide not to submit the proposal at all.

More examples:

• A team discussed a new model to pitch to a funder. Meeting notes were circulated. Upon review, the team decided the approach wasn’t sufficiently compelling. We regrouped, rewrote, and submitted a stronger proposal.
• An executive director made a cold call to a foundation president and secured a meeting. A one-page outline of his new concept—goals, actions, and outcomes—helped him plan a productive conversation.
• A nonprofit received a substantial grant for a partnership with four organizations. A one-page summary efficiently updated the partners and focused their planning for program implementation.
• An organization was preparing to launch a campaign and needed language for use with interested donors. Within weeks, a high level, three-page document was finalized with input from a team of eight.

A favorite
A person of influence was interested in working with a college to launch a new initiative. The college formed a national planning team. In three rounds of conference calls, the team reviewed drafts of the proposed model that reflected their feedback on each prior draft. In short order, a final version was completed and submitted.

Keep it simple
Sometimes a casual outline suffices to start and keep a process moving. Nevertheless, maintain high standards. Your draft will get more attention and faster results if its intent can be quickly and easily understood.

I’m a proponent of brevity in writing. Tightly written proposals reflect the care and attention you took to get to the point. They can be lyrical and enjoyable to read, while succinctly delivering your message. Keeping it short helps get results.

Why
Busy readers appreciate brief writing. I groan when I receive a long email. Unless it’s urgent I often put it aside until later. When I read a succinct document I quickly understand the message and am more inclined to respond. Brevity increases the chance a proposal, letter, or report will be read, read sooner, and read from start to finish.

What
It’s a process. In my writing, what you see is far from what I start with. To begin, I write without paying much attention to length because I’m eager to get my thoughts on paper. I return to my draft later, often multiple times. The more I cut, the more I find to cut. The process gets easier, and more satisfying.

Here’s an example
Recently I changed:
“Brenda has found a new job and is working with her case manager to identify strategies for sustained saving.” (19 words) into:
“Brenda has a new job and is identifying strategies for saving.” (11 words)
Version 2 is easier to read, and deleting ‘case manager’ gives more credit to Brenda, where it belongs.

Benefits of brevity

• Your readers will appreciate a quick read that’s easy to understand.
• When the reader is a proposal reviewer, brevity is even more important.
• A shorter writing style is a jump-start to managing exasperating character and word limits.
• Catchy words will be more easily noticed and impress your readers.

Tips

• Shorten sentences and eliminate adjectives. Sometimes a message is stronger without them.
• Ask a colleague for feedback about writing efficiencies.
• When you have a lot of content to communicate, fewer words can help keep your readers on track.
• Don’t forget about email. Some of my most important communication is through email so I review carefully and cut as much as possible.

Finally, don’t compromise quality, but know when to stop. Your document can always be better, but it doesn’t always have to be.

Trimming your writing is like cleaning out your closet: the more you toss the easier it is to see what’s valuable to you, and what you can do without.

I’ve been looking forward to writing this article. My motivation is the lesson I learned from my mother about the bread and butter letter. This short, preferably handwritten thank you note is sent, she insisted, within 24 hours of visiting, or receiving a gift from a relative or friend.

At the time, I was not happy about this seemingly tedious task. Now, the bread and butter letter is a valued part of my daily life.

I believe the handwritten thank you note has a place in the office. While email is best when instant follow-up is needed or for attaching a promised article or other document, a handwritten note conveys an entirely different level of commitment.

It’s also useful for other purposes, for example to deliver such greetings as: congratulations on getting the grant, or I hope your talk goes well, or I heard you interviewed on the radio. What’s significant is that you noticed, and further, that you took the time to say so during a busy work day.

Here are some tips for writing the bread and butter letter:

• Maintain the 24 hour rule whenever possible. Your note will get attention.
• Handwrite your note. Your recipient will notice the attention you gave it.
• Keep it short. The reader will recognize the time you took to write your note, and how little time it takes to read it.
• Be genuine. Your recipient will know if you consider this an obligatory task.
• Be specific. Avoid generalities that may imply you’re not truly engaged. Refer to a shared interest, or something new you learned about the recipient.
• Take an extra minute to select words that accurately and creatively state your meaning. Consult a thesaurus if it’s helpful. Your reader will appreciate the effort.
• Be creative. Venture beyond business stationery and write your notes on appealing notecards that reflect your and your organization’s values and priorities.

Handwritten notes can have other benefits. These compact missives can further your relationships with donors and volunteers. They allow you to pause and consider their contributions and possible further involvement. And, it’s a terrific way to polish your writing skills.

Bread and butter letters can also be excellent management tools. As a young program coordinator I once received a nine-word, thoughtful, handwritten note of congratulations from my executive director. Her brief encouragement was so meaningful to me that I still have this valued document.

So, thank you for reading this article; I hope it’s helpful. And as we conclude 2018, my very best wishes for an outstanding year ahead.

 

This article is about one of my favorite topics.

I believe in big ideas. They imagine a world without conflict, cures for cancer, a stable planet, and equity in education. Big ideas inspire vision and shape programs that drive progress. They excite your supporters about possibilities for making the world a better place.

Get attention for your big idea
Proposals and other fundraising documents are vehicles for communicating your big idea. A strong case that uses carefully constructed, powerful language to articulate your vision can encourage donors, institutions, and people of influence to contribute their resources to your cause, to the fullest extent possible.

Too often, however, opportunities to interest supporters and mobilize action are missed because your vision is not clearly and persuasively stated.

A successful proposal presents:

• Your big idea
• Why it’s needed
• Why it’s needed now
• How you will achieve it
• How you’ll know it’s working
• Your capacity for moving a big agenda forward
• Resources needed to make it happen
• The commitment of early investors and plans for broadening support

Be bold
When it comes to big ideas, caution can limit impact. We don’t want to overpromise. Or we don’t believe our program truly contributes to large-scale change. Or we assume our big idea will be dismissed because it’s, well, too big.

A big idea with a straightforward roadmap that aligns with your program’s goals, objectives, and outcomes will be respected. At the very least, it should help your proposal get a second look.

Here’ an example
A well-equipped neighborhood park (funding request) provides a safe place where kids can be active, learn to resolve disputes, and form friendships (objectives); while helping reduce community tensions (goal); and contributing to a safer, more stable city (big idea).

From research on molecules that fight disease, to training teachers in how to spark the passion of future poets and environmentalists, to engineering solutions that improve highways and save lives, your programs have impact. By demonstrating how your idea contributes to a better world, you can maximize the involvement of donors with the passion, talent, and resources needed to make a difference.

Let’s face it. Writing proposals can be arduous. From enormous federal grants to two-page letters of intent, these projects can be hair-raising if they have impossible deadlines, require massive amounts of information in small amounts of space, or need review by persnickety readers at your organization. For many, writing a grant is just one more responsibility in a more than full-time job.

Lately I’ve helped prepare several federal grants. The experience got me thinking that there’s got to be another way to handle the craziness. So here are some tips for a summer day about keeping your cool when you’re under the gun.

• Prepare. Create a work plan and stick to it. A simple table listing each proposal task, who’s responsible, and the associated deadlines alerts the team about what’s ahead. Regular review will help keep you on track.
• Clear time in your schedule. This is easier said than done. If needed, educate your team—or your boss—about the value of uninterrupted time for a quality, competitive proposal.
• Dive in. Don’t delay. I can say with confidence that you’ll be sorry if you do.
• Spread out. Big grants have lots of moving parts. I create folders to keep things straight.
• Stay fit. I’m amazed by what a physical experience grant writing can be. Eat well, get sleep, and don’t stop going to the gym.
• Use your most productive time. This can take discipline. In my case it involves stopping when I start to sag and then getting an early start the next morning.
• Plan your reward. During one hectic project, in the midst of frenzied emails among the proposal team we discussed going out for ice cream when all this was over. The image of scoops of mint chocolate chip was incredibly motivating.

Finally, take a deep breath. I just recently tried this. I was tired but thought I was on the home stretch. Suddenly, something unforeseen came up that required renewed attention. I couldn’t stop because the deadline was…now. I sat back in my chair, looked out the window, took a deep breath, and regained my perspective, and my composure. I dove back in, surprisingly refreshed, and finished up the proposal.

I like to think about repurposing. These tips can be useful in all sorts of circumstances, including complex emails, delicate conversations, or even planning a vacation. If only I had the time!