Feedback – What Matters Most? Funder’s Feedback AFTER or Fresh Eyes from Colleagues BEFORE?
Everyone wants funder feedback…. We do too.
BUT if you wait for funder feedback after a decision has been made about your proposal, it is too late.
Nearly always, when grant professionals request funder feedback on a grant application, the proposal was already denied—because the vast majority of grantmakers have neither the capacity nor the desire to review and provide feedback on applications prior to submission. And yes, please don’t misunderstand us, IF your proposal is denied, you should ask for feedback from the funder.
However, have you ever considered that, when you are funded, asking for feedback from the funder is MORE important? You can focus on what helped you to stand out from the huge pile of applications and work to replicate that success, rather than focus only on a nuance that did not help you stand out.
Next, the second most important type of feedback (which is also more important than asking for feedback from a grantmaker after a denial) comes from a variety of stakeholders prior to submission. Learning what questions a reader with fresh eyes might have, which can often be addressed before submission, minimizes the risk that similar questions will arise for the grantmaker.
Creatively seeking this kind of feedback DURING your drafting process is valuable, and we mean more than “only” copy edits (although that is always important). This particular feedback (a “mock review”) gauges the effectiveness and completeness of your proposal:
How clear and compelling is the story?
Can a reader articulate your “Red Thread” as Tamsen Webster describes it?
*insert image with thread phrase with blanks from PowerPoint Red Thread deck*
How would your proposal score, as written right now, against the grantmaker’s published criteria?
We suggest that this sort of feedback is more important to gather, especially in this era of higher application volumes than ever.
We absolutely understand that not all organizations have the internal capacity to undertake pre-submission reviews. So our team offers editing services on an hourly basis for small organizations and mock review services for larger grant applications, whether foundation proposals or government applications. You can also download our free mock review guide to help you conduct mock reviews on your own.
In the pre-award process, how do you secure feedback from your stakeholders that mimics feedback from a grantmaker, so that your proposals can be as strong as possible? We’d love to hear! Let us know in the comments below.
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