One common grant writing mistake I've found while taking your courses is that some organizations want to get started with applying for grants before they are even ready. This ties into Problem #5: High Risk, Low Capacity. The program is too risky and probably wouldn't be sustainable without grant funds.

One solution I would want to implement in this scenario is before ever touching a grant application, I would want to create and review a personal Grant Readiness Checklist as discussed in your course "Grant Writing Basics for Beginners." After identifying red flags in the organization that may hinder our chances of securing grants, I would discuss these issues with the leadership in order to see how we can fix these shortcomings so we can be more successful in the grant hunt. Then once we're in a place where we can try for funding, I would want to make sure that--while still playing to our strengths--we also address our problem areas. Instead of sweeping under the rug, I would want to convey how we will work on our weak points going forward. It is important to be honest with potential funders.