By Reeti RoyAs a writer just starting out, applying for grants can be a great way to pursue your passion. The application process can be daunting, but I've found that my ability to be myself and follow instructions has been invaluable. I hope that my own experiences will help you to apply for and win grants. In my second year of college as a student of English Literature, I applied for a grant. I worked with a creative writing organization who would work with children from middle class families as well as those from a low socio-economic background. Working with underprivileged kids meant that they were not familiar with the English language. I stressed in my application that I was fluent in both Hindi and Bengali, languages which were required for me to communicate with them. I also wrote about how I had media experience and was aware of how to interact with the press (this would help them generate publicity for the organisation). My second grant was from Matador Network, the largest independent online travel magazine and my third was from the Charles Wallace India Trust Fund to pursue a Creative Writing course at the University of Edinburgh. Although I’m quite new to this myself, I have gotten every grant that I have applied for. Here’s what I've found works:
- Make personal contact beforehand Often, sponsors don’t know you at all and you don’t even have a chance to meet with them for an interview. Sometimes, they are reading thousands of applications. It would always help if you contact the organisation before-hand and ask them about exactly what they are looking for and what kind of candidates they encourage. Don’t be afraid to clarify things that you don’t understand with a member of the organization.
- This does not, however, give you the license to send them five emails a day haranguing them, pictures of your pet puppy because you think he is cute or snapshots of you eating crab-meat with your hubby on an exotic vacation. Be affable and enthusiastic, but not obnoxious and intrusive. My first sponsor told me really scary stories about people calling him five times a day and dropping in at odd office hours! When I had emailed him with my grant request, I had followed the guidelines carefully and told him about my interests and experiences in a four paragraph cover letter.
- Include CV with the grant application, even if it's not requested. Sending a CV helps the sponsor understand your educational background, your work experience and also note your interests. It also helps them see if you have leadership qualities, time management skills and whether you can multitask. A well-crafted CV can only be a positive thing.
- Often, using a resume format instead of a CV can be really helpful. Matador’s Editor, David Miller, has a really useful article on how to craft your writing resume.
- Be genuine, no matter what. Yes, it is very important to have a polished, error-free essay when you are applying for a grant, but try to be your most authentic self. Being authentic for me means that I will throw myself into my work and argue passionately about causes I believe in. For instance, my background in literature and social anthropology and my interest in human rights and social justice issues invariably becomes a pivotal point in my proposal. I talk about how it is important to address issues through writing, advocacy and academia and how grants can help me fulfill some of those goals.
Reeti Roy is an independent journalist originally from Calcutta, India. Her grants include The Choice fellowship from The Seagull Foundation For The Arts, The Matador Travel Writing Scholarship from Matador Network, and The Charles Wallace India Trust Fund to pursue Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh.Interested in contributing a guest blog post of your own? Check out the guest blogger guidelines.