Here are my 10 tips on how to apply for federal grants:

1. Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity carefully and thoroughly.
2. Make sure your goals are aligned with the funder’s priorities.
3. Look at past grants to see the type of projects that are funded and the geographic distribution of those projects.
4. Attend a funder’s workshop or webinar if they make one available.
5. Don’t skip any questions in the application.
6. Make your application easy to read; that is, reviewer-friendly.
7. Pay attention to details like: page limits, margins, font, font size and so on.
8. Use the Notice of Funding Opportunities’ evaluation criteria to compare your responses to the agency’s expectations.
9. Have an outsider review your proposal before you submit.
10. DO NOT miss the deadline.