10 Things You Should Do if Your Grant Proposal is Rejected (2024)

Unfortunately rejections will happen – both in your personal life and your professional life.

When it comes to applying for grants, rejections can be particularly dejecting.

But a “no” from a potential funder doesn’t have to be the end of the process.

Here are our top 10 recommendations on what you should do with a rejection letter from a funder:

  1. Don’t take it personally. They rejected your proposal, not you.
  2. Call the funder to see if they can offer any insights on why the proposal was not funded.
  3. Request a copy of the reviewer’s comments.
  4. Ask if you can resubmit in the next funding cycle and how you can strengthen your proposal.
  5. Extend an invitation for them to tour your facility and see your programs in action.
  6. Research the Competition. Learn from the strengths of other proposals and try to apply that to your grant writing.
  7. Take copious notes. Keep track of the feedback you have received so that you can reference this when your next proposal is due.
  8. Move on – go back to your potential funding matrix and select another proposal to knock out of the park!
  9. Ask for another set of eyes. Make sure you have someone else read your proposal to ask questions and strengthen the language from an outside perspective.
  10. Hire a professional to review your proposal before you press submit.

We wish we could tell you that you will receive a successful award letter for every grant that you submit. Sadly, that isn’t reality. However, how you handle the rejection will make a big difference.

We have had our fair share of rejection letters, but getting that one successful reward letter makes it all worthwhile. Take a deep breath and follow the steps above.

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10 Things You Should Do if Your Grant Proposal is Rejected (2024)

FAQs

10 Things You Should Do if Your Grant Proposal is Rejected? ›

Respond to the rejection email respectfully and gracefully

Getting feedback about your application will help you understand why your application was rejected and also to identify what needs to be improved upon before submitting another application. Keep your email simple, respectful, and straightforward.

How do you respond to a rejected grant proposal? ›

Respond to the rejection email respectfully and gracefully

Getting feedback about your application will help you understand why your application was rejected and also to identify what needs to be improved upon before submitting another application. Keep your email simple, respectful, and straightforward.

What to do when your proposal is rejected? ›

Moving on won't be easy, but here are some emotional and practical steps to move forward with strength and resolution after proposal rejection.
  1. How To Handle A Proposal Rejection? ...
  2. Look At The Relationship Objectively. ...
  3. Work Through Your Feelings. ...
  4. Sell The Ring. ...
  5. Reframe The Situation. ...
  6. Take The High Road. ...
  7. Make A Future Plan.

How to respond to a declined project proposal? ›

Dear [Evaluator's Name], Thank you for considering [Your Company Name] for [Project Name]. While we are naturally disappointed that our proposal didn't move forward, we value your expertise and would appreciate constructive feedback on our submission.

What are 4 of the 5 steps required for a grant proposal? ›

There are a few basic steps of the grant writing process you should know: grant prospect research, first contact, research and discussion, write and submit, and follow up.

How do you respond when a client rejects your offer? ›

Express Gratitude. This part is relatively non-negotiable when it comes to responding to a rejection email: be appreciative. Always thank the prospect for their time and consideration — no matter how early in the sales process they opted out — and for the opportunity to learn more about their needs.

Why do grant proposals fail? ›

The most common reasons for proposal rejection boil down to a surprisingly small set of simple and familiar failures: Deadline for submission was not met. Proposal topic was not appropriate to the funding agency to which it was submitted. Guidelines for proposal content, format, and/or length were not followed exactly.

How often do grants get rejected? ›

These days, most research schemes have a success rate of ~10-20% of applications, leaving many people feeling disappointed, frustrated and wondering about their future as a researcher. Like others, I submit a lot of grant applications, and many are initially rejected.

How to respond to a grant rejection email? ›

Review Feedback From the Rejection

Reach out to the grantmaker either via email or by phone, thank them for the opportunity to apply for the grant, and then ask if they would be willing to meet with you to review the feedback on your proposal.

What are the 4 C's in proposal? ›

An effective grant application will be clear, concise, comprehensive, and compelling. These four “C”s may help you focus the drafting and revision process for any application. Aim to describe your research project so that it is intelligible to an interdisciplinary review panel.

What are the 5 R's of grant writing? ›

The "Five R's of Grant Writing" provide a comprehensive framework to guide you through the essential components of crafting a successful grant proposal. In this article, we explore these five critical aspects: Research, Relationships, Relevance, Resources, and Reporting.

What are the 3 C's of proposal writing? ›

These three keys, which I call the 3Cs are “Compliant, Complete, and Compelling”. Faltering on any one of them often results in disastrous consequences. Your proposal must include all 3 to win.

Can a relationship survive a rejected proposal? ›

Confusion and anger were the two most common emotions experienced by rejected suitors. She also reported that 30% of relationships survived, despite the rejected proposal.

Do couples stay together after a rejected proposal? ›

Many couples do survive marriage proposal rejections successfully, some having proposed to their significant other multiple times until they finally receive a yes. These are persistent partners, but these should also be healthy, loving, and committed relationships with loads of communication and respect.

Should I propose my crush after rejection? ›

If you propose her this time too it will be like you are giving a lot of importance to her. Giving someone more importance tends to loss you respect in that person's life. By not proposing her you are preserving your self- respect which shows you love yourself. I asked out my crush, but I got rejected.

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