By Kirsten Reid, Esq.
After eight years in the grants and funding world, I can tell you the biggest pitfall I see—across organizations of every size and mission—is this:
Too many teams treat project planning and grant application preparation like an emergency fire drill.
Or worse…they treat it like a dream without a plan.
Everyone talks and talks about what they want to do. “Someday we’ll launch this program.” “We really should expand that service.” “Wouldn’t it be great if we had funding for X?”
At Levitate Institute, we encourage our clients to keep these “dream lists” of projects so that when fast-turnaround opportunities pop up—and they always do—we already have a menu of ideas to pull from.
But here’s the problem: Most organizations stop at recognizing the dream and never take the next step of turning that dream into a plan.
And when the grant announcement drops with a 2–4 week window?
Cue the cortisol. Cue the scramble. Cue the frantic emails, desperate partner outreach, untested budgets, and half-developed narratives that everyone knows could have been so much stronger if we’d only had more time.
Funders can feel this chaos. They want to invest in projects that appear:
- Thoughtful
- Stable
- Strategic
- Collaborative
- Trustworthy
Not ones built at 1:00 a.m. the night before the deadline.
And the damage is real:
- Grant professionals burn out.
- Community relationships get strained.
- Small organizations with skeleton crews feel overwhelmed.
- Great ideas fall apart because someone couldn’t get board approval in time.
- Millions of dollars go unclaimed simply because the planning wasn’t there.
No wonder so many people say they hate grant writing or feel it’s “too hard.” In reality, what they hate is the fire drill, not the craft.
But here’s the good news: Most of this pain is preventable.
Below are three practical, high-impact steps you can start implementing today to make your next grant cycle calmer, more strategic, and much more successful—whether you write proposals in-house or work with a contractor like Levitate.
1. Make the Dream List… Then Add Details to Bring It to Life
Yes—start with your dreams. Capture every idea that excites your team.
But then ask: What would this look like in real life?
Take 10–15 minutes per idea and jot down:
- Who would benefit?
- What partners might be involved?
- What outcomes would you love to see?
- What resources would be required?
- Does this build on past work or data?
These don’t have to be polished project plans. Think of them as “starter seeds” your future self (or your future grant writer) will thank you for.
The more you revisit and refine these ideas over time, the more grant-ready they become.
2. Start Partner Conversations Early—Long Before the Deadline
One of the most heartbreaking things I see? A fantastic idea collapses because partners can’t be reached the week of submission.
Even when people have casually agreed to be involved, there’s often no clarity on:
- What role they’re comfortable taking
- What they’re willing (or able) to contribute in matching funds or in-kind support
- Whether they need internal approval
- What documentation or letters of support they’ll need
Partnerships built under pressure create stress for everyone involved, and they often don’t reflect the strong relationships funders hope to see.
So start early. Ask questions. Clarify expectations. Put agreements in writing. Determine who needs to approve what—and how long that process takes.
Preplanning here is one of the strongest predictors of grant success.
3. Outline a Budget Early Using a Standard Federal Form
I know budgets intimidate people. But creating them early—before your narrative is written—actually makes everything else easier.
Here’s why:
- It forces you to think realistically about project scope.
- It highlights gaps in staffing, equipment, or resources.
- It reveals what’s feasible vs. aspirational.
- It prompts questions now, not the night before a deadline.
Use a federal-style form even if you’re applying to a private foundation. It helps you structure your thinking around categories, avoid duplication, and build a professional budget that can be easily adapted later.
And remember: nothing is too small to include. Underbudgeting is just as harmful as overbudgeting.
A Final Word: Preplanning Is Not Bureaucracy—It’s Freedom
These small steps—documenting your dreams, nurturing early partnerships, outlining foundational budgets—are not busywork. They are the scaffolding that makes real impact possible.
They reduce stress for your team.
They improve workplace relationships.
They strengthen competitiveness.
They save hours of panic and rework.
They help you seize fast-moving opportunities with confidence.
Most importantly: they help your community.
At Levitate Legal and our nonprofit arm, the Levitate Institute, our goal is to ensure no organization leaves money on the table—not because the idea wasn’t good, but because the planning wasn’t there yet.
We’ve made the mistakes. We’ve lived the fire drills. We’ve felt the chaos.
Learn from what we’ve learned, and let’s rise together.
If you want help turning your dream list into a strategic, fundable portfolio—or you’d like templates, trainings, or support in building a stronger grants pipeline—Levitate is here for you.
