Olivia Fowler
Technical & Professional Writing ePortfolio
Grant Writing
Taught by Dr. Leslie Seawright in Fall 2022, ENG 672: Writing Grant Proposals was a daunting class for me. Initially, I didn’t even want to take the class because when I heard the term “grant writing” I immediately got bored and lost interest. Not to mention, I didn’t know the first thing about grant writing, so I had no idea if I’d be good at it or not. However, I ended up taking it because it seemed to be the best option and I’m so glad I did.
Grant writing was difficult to learn and took half of the semester for me to get the hang of it. I am proud of what I learned and grateful to Dr. Seawright for being patient enough to teach me. I was able to pivot as a writer and technical communicator and can now confidently say I’m a capable grant writer who is willing to learn more.
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ENG 672: Writing Grant Proposals
For this assignment, we had to find three possible funders for the chosen client; for me, it was the Vision Screening Program. I had to implement research methods I’d learned to find the best possible donors and then find all the necessary information about them: the grant title, amount of possible funding, relevance to my client, how to apply, important deadlines, and if it’s a recurring opportunity. This allowed me to learn all about grant networking and the various websites where donors are posted, helping me to better understand the extensive steps it takes to find viable donors for a client and sift through the relevant details necessary before writing a grant.
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ENG 672: Writing Grant Proposals
This assignment was about writing a “problem statement,” for my client, the Vision Screening Program (VSP). I highlighted the issues that needed addressing by potential donors. I also included numerous links throughout the document to increase accessibility and best support my claims for VSP.
I don’t remember learning about plain language from the lens of Janice (Ginny) Redish during this class, but I wish I would have because it’s incredible relevant. In ENG 775: Designing Technical Documents, Dr. Tarbox went into depth on Redish and the necessities of plain language. I think that grant writing, when done correctly, is a strong blend of persuasive and plain language.
For this assignment, we had to find three possible organizations to write a grant for. It’s important for grant writers to write well and have strong communication skills, so that they can best effectively advocate for their client. It’s also imperative for grants to be written in plain English, so that it is easily understood.