The Chronicle of Philanthropy posted a transcript of their live discussion on “How Grant Seekers Can Write Sharp Proposals in Bad Economic Times”. This pertinent topic provided some very relevant take-away points:

• The proposal is not your only point of contact; grant seekers should cultivate relationships both before and after submitting a proposal
• The proposal itself should be concise and clear, with a focus on your impact as an organization and what impact the support will help you make/maintain
• Think outside your sector for funding – there are many who might be interested in funding an aspect of your work (for example, if you develop curriculum, but distribute it electronically, think of IT companies as potential funders rather than just education funders)

For the full discussion go to: http://philanthropy.com/live/2009/04/grant_writing/