Grantwriting Anyone Can Write! Seriously…Anyone

By Luke Bolinger, CPRP, Development & Neighborhood Services Division Manager, Town of Erie Parks and Recreation

Remember that line from the movie Ratatouille? “Anyone can cook!” Chef Gusteau was an advocate that that there was nothing really spectacular about a person in order to be a successful cook. I mean, Remy was a rat and he cooked a dish that took that curmudgeon critic back to his childhood! That’s an impact.

So what does a talking rat cooking delicious meals have to do with grant writing? Anyone can do it. It doesn’t take a journalism degree or a two-day course – it takes patience. It takes knowledge of the subject matter. Most of all, it takes patience. If you truly believe in a project, then you can write a grant application. Sure, some training might give you some tips and it doesn’t hurt to brush up on creative writing, but I would say about 85% of any grant application comes from what you and your colleagues already know about your community, the project, and the need. The other 15% depends on the project, funder, and application requirements.