Grant rejections are part of the process and part of God’s plan

Writing grants takes a lot of work and dedication, but it’s not a short-term funding strategy. In fact, you’ll probably get several rejections before you’re successfully funded. But remember, those rejections are part of the award process and are often more educational than your successful grants. Whether you’re improving your grant-writing skills or improving your relationship with God, every rejection can teach you something if you’re willing to learn.

Pay what you deserve! So you are applying for a federal grant that is offered every year. Your feedback is good and your scores are high, but you didn’t receive funding. Like most things in life, getting a government grant simply comes down to paying what is owed. With a limited amount of money, not all grants, or even all well-written grants, can be funded. When in doubt, it may simply be due to your history.

Your first well-written application compared to a well-written application from an organization that has applied for the past three years will most likely not make the cut. Do you remember the DUNS number you needed for the application? That allows the government to track all the grants you have applied for. Applying for several years in a row also shows the government that your organization is stable and has the external resources necessary to be around for a while, characteristics that all funders look for. I’ve experienced this personally, and while the first few rejections are frustrating, getting that big government grant in year 3 makes it all worth it. Not to mention improving his grant skills!

We live in God’s time, not ours. While you may badly want a grant, sometimes it’s just not God’s time for you to have a grant. That in no way means you shouldn’t bother applying. But you must also learn to accept rejection without losing your determination to succeed! As humans, we are so used to the hustle and bustle of every day that too often we lose sight of the mission with which we started.

Here’s a real life example, several years ago, Jeffrey worked hard on a federal grant that was a perfect fit for his client. Despite positive feedback and high ratings, he received no funding. The following year he wanted to reapply, but couldn’t find anything to fix on the grant. So he pulled out the previous grant, changed all the dates, and resubmitted it word for word. That year his grant was funded! So why was the grant rejected earlier? Maybe it just wasn’t God’s timing to receive the grant at the time.