Why Did My Grant Application Get Rejected?
Chances are if you have ever written a grant (or 2 or 10 or 50), you have most likely dealt with the dreaded… rejection! The reality is, you can write the absolute best grant application, and could simply be denied for reasons out of your control. Was the pool of applications 10 other nonprofits or 1,000? Was the geographic scale at which the funder was awarded local or national? Being up against 10 nonprofits at a local level far increases your chances of getting funding compared to being up against 1,000 nonprofits on a national level. In the latter example, your application simply could have been rejected based on statistical odds not being in your favor. Alternatively, reason for rejection on a smaller, local level, might just have to do with the funders current priorities or financial situation. Coming off the heels of COVID-19, several foundations have had to re-assess priorities and give money where absolutely needed. For example, a foundation that may have previously funded arts and cultural organizations may have shifted their focus to basic and essential needs during this time. This does not mean they won’t support you again in the future, but it might be cause for your wonderfully written application to be denied at this time.
Still convinced you should have been awarded? Check out the list below. At a more technical level, the following provides common reasons why a grant application may be rejected.
Why a Grant Application Could be Rejected:
Doesn’t follow guidelines
Lacks required documentation
Deadline was not met
Doesn’t have a project budget
Doesn’t allow for the grant cycle timing
Doesn’t meet local/geographic requirements
Lacks project specifics
Lacks of clarity
Your goals aren’t the same as the funder’s goals
Your organization either isn’t ready or doesn’t appear ready for grant funding
Application contains program objectives that are not measurable
Inconsistencies with the budget
Research has not been done on the granting organization
Things that help a grant application stand out:
Already developed relationship with the foundation
You can prove you are fiscally capable (i.e. have diversified funding stream, or fund development plan, budgets are well developed, can be financially stable without this one grant funding, there are no errors in your accounting/budgets that get submitted, etc.)
Have a good track record with getting funding from other foundations
Can prove that the grant funds will be used effectively, and directly lead to growth/reaching goals, and/or can help a program be self-sustaining in the future
