Trying to get grant funding is time-consuming, confusing and frustrating. Worse, all that effort so often goes unrewarded. Much of what makes grant seekers want to tear their hair out, or take to the streets with a Styrofoam cup instead, comes from the air of mystery surrounding the grant review process-that is, what determines which grants get awarded, and which ones get trashed.

This depends upon a number of factors. A rejected grant could simply be because the grantmaker ran out of money, because your project isn't a good fit for their agency, or because you neglected to include some critical component (with so many grant guidelines reading like IRS code, unfortunately it happens).

But if your grants efforts have consistently failed and your applications keep getting rejected, you're probably making one of the most common grant mistakes. According to reviewers at the National Institute of Health-one of the biggest granting agencies in the country-the number one reason grants get rejected is because they fail to effectively communicate the project's goals and objectives, how the investigators will accomplish those objectives, and why the results are important.

The good news is that now you know. The less good news is that it may not sound very easy to correct. But there are some simple things you can do when writing a grant proposal to decrease your chances of ending up in the "No" stack.

Make your grant reviewer salivate by including these ingredients in your grant proposal:

* Explicit goals and objectives. Grant reviewers want to know exactly what you aim to do in distinct, measurable steps. Do not address targeted problems with broad solutions. Instead, clearly state your plan of action, define the major milestones, and explain how you will measure your program's accomplishments.

* Realistic cost analysis. Applicants tend to low-ball when seeking grant funding, thinking that the less you ask for the more likely you are to get it. This is not necessarily true. In fact, grantmakers would rather invest more and see your objectives fulfilled than spend less and have it go to waste. Unrealistic budgets also make you appear fiscally inexperienced and irresponsible.

* Quantitative data. Show them the numbers! To demonstrate that you're knowledgeable about your area of interest, include historical data, statistical analysis, graphs and figures, previous data, and long-term projections in your proposal whenever appropriate.

* Organizational information. Provide concise details on your organization including: Its history and mission statement; the recipients of your services; a description of your programs; an overview of your successes; and why the grantor can trust you to use the funds responsibly and effectively.

* A complementary mission. Don't waste your time submitting the same, generic proposal to multiple agencies. You'll have much greater success if you tailor each grant to compliment the goals of granting agency to which you are applying.

Grant proposal poisons:

* Irrelevant or excessive detail. While it's important for your grant proposal to tell a compelling story, don't get carried away with a lot of superfluous information. In other words, don't spend pages waxing eloquent about the problem or your ideas. Get to the point quickly and use concise, objective examples to illustrate your successes-rather than vague or subjective anecdotes.

* Circular reasoning. A veritable death sentence for grant proposals! Circular reasoning goes like this: When the problem being presented is defined as the absence of the solution being offered. Grants that use circular reasoning don't stand a chance.

* Grammatical errors. This one is obvious, but somehow it persists. Grants with improper grammar, spelling errors, bad sentence construction, or those that are poorly organized and hard to follow, make a terrible impression on reviewers and reflect poorly on the applicant.

Writing winning grant proposals takes skill and experience. But adding, or removing, the above items from your next grant will significantly increase your chances of getting funded. Good luck and good writing!