Leonardo Cunha

Liderança | Empreendedorismo | Gestão | Planeamento | Estratégia | Escrita para Financiamento | Especialista em financiamento para desenvolvimento | Orador internacional

20 de outubro de 2025

Applying for a grant is often seen as a technical process — a matter of filling in forms, gathering documents, and meeting deadlines. Yet, in reality, it is a strategic exercise that reflects how an organisation understands itself, its purpose, and the social context in which it operates. Research in non-profit management has long demonstrated that successful fundraising is not solely about ideas but about the strategic alignment between the project proposal and the funder’s expectations (Bryson, 2018; Kearns, 2019). Many promising organisations fail not because their projects lack potential, but because they fall into recurrent and avoidable mistakes during the application process.

One of the most frequent errors is applying for the wrong opportunity. A call for proposals may seem perfectly suited to an organisation’s mission, but a single overlooked eligibility criterion can invalidate the entire effort. According to GrantSpace (2021), more than one-third of rejected applications are disqualified due to ineligibility or incomplete documentation before evaluation even begins. This reflects a deeper issue: the absence of systematic grant prospecting and due diligence. Effective organisations, as suggested by Drucker (2007), align their actions with clearly defined missions and invest time in analysing whether an opportunity truly fits their purpose and operational capacity.

A second mistake lies in unclear or unfocused proposal writing. Even a project of great social relevance can lose its strength if it is not communicated coherently. Clarity, conciseness, and a results-oriented approach are essential elements in persuasive grant writing. Studies by Stone and Cutcher-Gershenfeld (2020) emphasise that funders are increasingly attentive to the theory of change behind proposals — how well the activities connect with measurable outcomes and long-term social impact. Excessive jargon, vague objectives, or missing data not only weaken the message but also suggest a lack of strategic maturity. In the competitive world of grant funding, good writing is not ornamental; it is operational evidence of professionalism and accountability.

Finally, timing often determines success more than content. Grant calls open and close quickly, and many organisations underestimate the logistical time required to prepare a complete application. Collecting supporting documents, securing partner commitments, and validating budgets are steps that require coordination and foresight. As noted by Lewis (2022), effective project management in the non-profit sector depends on anticipation — the ability to act before deadlines become constraints. Missed timelines not only lead to lost opportunities but also reflect inadequate internal systems for project planning and monitoring.

Avoiding these pitfalls is not simply a matter of technical correction; it represents a shift in organisational culture. A successful grant application reflects strategic clarity, operational discipline, and communicative precision. As Salamon and Anheier (2020) argue, the most resilient non-profits are those capable of transforming bureaucratic procedures into strategic learning processes — using each application as an exercise in defining identity, building credibility, and demonstrating social value.

In the end, grants are not won by chance, but by coherence. Understanding the call, communicating with purpose, and managing time effectively are not just steps in a checklist; they are the foundation of sustainable impact.

References:

Bryson, J. M. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Drucker, P. F. (2007). Managing the nonprofit organization: Principles and practices. HarperCollins.

GrantSpace. (2021). Why grant proposals fail. Candid Learning. https://learning.candid.org/resources/knowledge-base/why-grant-proposals-fail

Kearns, K. P. (2019). Managing for accountability: Preserving the public trust in nonprofit organizations. Jossey-Bass.

Lewis, J. (2022). Nonprofit project management: A guide to managing social impact initiatives. Routledge.

Salamon, L. M., & Anheier, H. K. (2020). The third sector: Comparative studies of nonprofit organizations. Manchester University Press.

Stone, M. M., & Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J. (2020). Understanding nonprofit effectiveness: Organizational change and performance measurement. Stanford University Press.