When it comes to grant writing, some strategies that seem successful in the short term can quickly become unsustainable. This was something we learned after meeting with Chris Bertulli of Beda last June, who had a grant writing approach that initially seemed foolproof. Their method was to create hyper-specific templates, or "molds," for each grant.
By studying a grant program thoroughly and developing a precise framework, they achieved a high win rate. But there’s a catch: with thousands of grant opportunities out there, it’s not feasible to build a custom mold for each one! Even if you’re industrious enough to do that, why not take a smarter route and channel your strength to other important tasks?
Think of a mold in grant writing like a custom cookie cutter. Imagine you’re baking star-shaped cookies. You make this one, highly detailed cookie cutter just for that shape, and it fits perfectly, producing the exact shape you need every time. Your cookies look great because you’ve matched the cutter precisely to the image.
But here’s the catch: there are thousands of different cookie shapes you could make, representing all the different grants out there. To match each one, you’d need to create a custom cutter for each shape—which is not only time-consuming but also unrealistic!
Instead, what if you had a flexible dough-shaping tool that could adapt to many shapes? This tool wouldn’t give you a single perfect match every time, but it would be versatile enough to get close with far less effort. For grant writing, this means building a general system for creating strong, adaptable drafts by gathering the right context for each grant, rather than crafting rigid, one-time molds.
In this article, we’ll explore why building molds for every grant is impractical and how understanding the key components of each grant type—rather than rigidly following specific molds—can help you leverage AI to create effective, adaptable drafts. Let’s dive in!
The Pitfall of Building Unique Molds for Every Grant
Imagine dedicating hours to learning every detail of a specific grant; let’s say for the “Canadian Agriculture Export Program,” and then developing a mold that’s perfectly tailored to it.
When an applicant comes along, all you need to do is plug their information into the mold, and you’re almost guaranteed a competitive application. This hyper-targeted approach is effective in the short term but doesn’t scale well for two main reasons:
1. Too Many Grants, Not Enough Time: With thousands of grants available, building a mold for each one would require an immense amount of time and resources. You’d need a dedicated mold for every grant program to maintain a high win rate, which is practically impossible to keep up with.
2. Clients Need Multiple Grants: Many organizations require multiple funding sources to meet their project budgets, so relying on a single grant or pre-built mold may not be enough. A funding strategy that includes various grant opportunities ensures more stability and greater chances of full funding. But without a system to manage the diversity of grants efficiently, each new grant becomes a bottleneck.
Instead of relying on pre-built molds, a better approach is to focus on understanding the essential components of grant applications and how to tailor them to each new opportunity. We created an intensive course that dives deep into Grant Writing with AI. Check it out here to Boost Your Success!
How to Leverage AI in Grant Writing Without Building Molds
Building molds taught us an important lesson: we don’t actually need a unique template or custom AI model for every grant. What we need instead is a strategy to quickly gather relevant context. With AI tools like ChatGPT, we can streamline the drafting process without dedicating hours to building specific templates.
Here’s a step-by-step approach to help you get started:
Step 1: Create a Base Framework for Your Drafts
Establish a base framework that can be adapted to different grants. This framework should include the core sections that nearly all grants require, such as:
- the project overview,
- need statement,
- objectives,
- outcomes, and
- budget summary.
With these core elements, you’re on your way to building a custom GPT model for each application.
Step 2: Use AI to Gather Grant-Specific Context
For each new grant opportunity, use AI to summarize the grant guidelines and eligibility criteria. AI tools can quickly analyze long documents and highlight the essential details you’ll need to address in your application. By identifying the core components of each grant, you’re essentially creating a context for AI to work within without building a fixed mold.
Step 3: Adapt the Framework Based on Fundee and Funder Context
With your base framework and grant-specific context in hand, ask your grant writing AI tool to draft sections based on the project’s objectives and the funder’s requirements. You can use the fundee’s mission, vision, and project details as input, along with the funder’s focus areas and scoring criteria. This allows the AI to write a draft tailored to each grant’s unique requirements while maintaining the flexibility of a generalized framework.
Step 4: Refine and Customize as Needed
Finally, review the AI-generated draft and make any necessary adjustments to ensure it aligns with the grant’s language, tone, and specific requirements. AI can get you close to the final draft, but a quick manual review will help you catch details that require a more nuanced touch. This allows you to meet the unique needs of each application without reinventing the wheel.
Even though these steps are only a tip of the “AI in grant writing” iceberg, you’ll see a significant difference in your grant writing game if you apply them. However, you can dive deeper here if you’re thinking about how to build a custom GPT in 2025. We dissected everything you need to know about grant writing and AI. Don’t miss out on it!
Benefits of This Adaptable Approach
By focusing on building context rather than creating rigid molds, you can respond to new grant opportunities much faster and scale your grant writing efforts without a massive investment in time or resources. This approach offers several advantages:
1. Efficiency: Building context is faster than building molds, allowing you to write high-quality applications without an exhaustive upfront effort.
2. Flexibility: Since you’re not tied to a specific mold, you can adapt to different grant types and funder requirements more easily.
3. Scalability: This approach supports a broader pipeline of grant applications, which is particularly beneficial when working with clients who need diverse funding sources.
Conclusion: A Smarter, Scalable Way to Write Grants
In the world of grant writing, it’s tempting to create a specific mold for every grant. But with thousands of grants available, this approach can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, by focusing on building context for each grant application using AI, you can create high-quality drafts faster and more sustainably.
So next time you’re considering creating a template for a new grant, remember: it’s not about building molds for every single program—it’s about knowing how to gather the context that really matters. With this adaptable approach, you’ll be able to scale your grant writing efforts, meet diverse funding needs, and achieve better outcomes for your clients.
Want to bring your grant writing to the cutting edge? Our AI toolkit is here to make it happen! Lately, AI has been a game-changer in our community—think live webinars, hands-on resources, and even a custom-built GPT designed exclusively for grant writers. We're dedicated to helping you stay ahead in a fast-evolving field. Join the collective today and get in on the action!
