How to Bake a Just Write Proposal

How many of us dreamed of being a grant writer at age 12?

Yeah, me neither.

I also never dreamed of being a baker. Yet here I am with 25+ years of grant writing and fundraising experience and an addiction to the lovely amateur contestants on the Great British Bake Off. (Yes, I rewatch my favorite seasons even when I know who will win.)

Just like it takes more than a sweet tooth and a spatula to win GBBO, grant writing is more than staring at a screen and forcing words onto a page.

If you’re feeling stuck in your current role and yearning for more leadership opportunities, or if you’re considering a shift into other areas of fundraising or nonprofit administration, know that you have considerable skills that are more transferable than you may think.

Being a grant professional is like being a contestant on the Great British Bake Off, only with less sugar and more stress. To succeed, you must:

• Nail the Recipe (Writing): Grammar and punctuation are your flour and sugar—you have to have them just right.
• Master the Technical Challenge (Budgeting): Budgets and financials are your soggy bottom – avoid them at all costs (but know how to fix them if they happen).
• Win Over the Judges (Stakeholders): Wrangle your team like a pro baker wrangling unruly dough. You need everyone on board for the perfect project.
• Temper the Dream with Reality (Balancing Expectations): Leaders have wild ideas; grants have rules. You’re the judge deciding what gets baked (funded).
• Become a Jack (or Jackie) of All Trades (Communication): Talk to everyone – board members, colleagues, even grumpy grant makers. You must understand all the ingredients (needs) in the mix.
• See it Through to the End (Project Management): From oven (application) to cooling rack (reporting), you shepherd the whole project, making sure nothing gets burnt.
• Learn a New Recipe Every Time (Tech Savvy): New online platforms? Glitchy software? You’ll be the baking pro figuring it out, even if you want to throw it all in the bin.
• Keep the Funders Happy (Communication): They have the dough (money). Make sure they know how their investment is rising (being used).
• Herd Cats (Collaboration): Getting everyone to cooperate on a grant proposal is like wrangling a room of toddlers hopped up on sugar. Good luck.

That’s just a taste of the skills you’ll hone as a grant “pro.” If you can juggle all that and churn out proposals like a well-oiled KitchenAid, you’re building a skillset that can take you anywhere. Grant writing might not be your childhood dream, but it can be the springboard to a surprisingly versatile career.

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Kimberly Hays de Muga

Kimberly Hays de Muga, GPC, is an expert trainer and coach in nonprofit capacity building, grant writing, fundraising, and board development. She brings more than 25 years of fundraising experience that includes raising $100 million from individuals, foundations, corporations, and local, state, and federal funding for nonprofit agencies in the education, health, and human service sectors—from food banks to pediatric hospitals, to state-wide mental health coalitions.

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