2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Simplifying the complicated, March 30, 2000
This book offers a step-by-step approach to writing grants, written by Robert Zimmerman, one of the principals in a San Francisco-based development consulting firm. The book is geared for all non-profits, with good general information but with no special tips for those in education that seek grants. The second chapter, Who are the Grantors?, defines foundations, corporations, religious donors, and government agencies. The section on Religious Donors highlights a donor group that is frequently overlooked. Zimmerman outlines the methods used to obtain information on the grantor - an important step, since a key to funding is to know what the funder is interested in supporting. He offers information on the key resources: the Foundation Grants Index, the Foundation Directory, the Foundation 1000, annual reports, tax returns, and the foundation libraries, but also features the Foundation Grants Index quarterly and other periodicals, and some tips on obtaining information about corporate giving programs (Taft is really the best resource for this, beyond the corporations themselves). He identifies the elements of a research profile outline, and outlines methods of online research, a relatively new tool for grant writers. Most beginning grant writers make simple mistakes that can be avoided, if only they read the directions and plan their project carefully. Beginners also tend to focus too much on the writing (even worry too much on the writing) and of the entire 48 pages of this book, only 13 are given to the writing of successful proposals. On the one hand, people in search of specific help in writing may consider this a weakness of Zimmerman's guide; on the other hand, his de-emphasis of the writing process focuses attention on the process leading up to the grant should be a good clue to the beginner: the process is key to success in the grants world. The attention paid to detail ahead of time is as important -- possibly more -- as the final product. Finally, if an aspiring grant writer is working in education, for example, running acorporate and foundation relations office or a government grants office at a college or university, this book is very elementary - it will only take the novice a short distance of the total he or she needs to go to learn the profession. However, it is ideal for the small non-profit, looking at writing one or two grants over a period of a couple years.
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