Revisiting Your Proposal: How to Refresh and Resubmit

     Securing grant funding is a competitive process, and even the strongest proposals may not be funded on the first try. However, a rejection doesn’t have to be the end of your funding initiative. Often, it is just a step in the process.  

     Many funders encourage resubmission, offering an opportunity to refine and strengthen your proposal. By carefully evaluating feedback, refining weak points, and incorporating new insights, you can greatly improve your chances of success with a refreshed proposal. This article explores actionable steps for revisiting, refreshing, and resubmitting a grant proposal to improve your chances of success the next time around. 

1. Analyze the Feedback

Review Comments: Funders sometimes provide feedback outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal. This feedback can be your most valuable tool in the revision process. Carefully read through reviewer comments and note specific critiques, such as gaps in your project design, insufficient data to support claims, or concerns about project feasibility. 

Identify Common Themes: If your proposal was reviewed by multiple people, look for recurring themes or similar comments. For example, if several reviewers noted that your objectives were unclear or your budget seemed too high, these are key areas to address in your resubmission. 

Clarify Unclear Feedback: If the feedback is ambiguous or if there’s something you don’t fully understand, don’t hesitate to reach out to the funder for clarification. This is often encouraged, and it demonstrates your commitment to improving your application. Ask specific questions to ensure you fully understand what changes are needed. 

2. Reflect on What Worked — and What Didn’t

Evaluate Your Proposal Strengths: Not all parts of your proposal may need revision. Reviewers often highlight positive aspects, such as innovative project ideas, strong organizational capacity, or clear alignment with funder priorities. These elements are your strengths, and they should remain the core of your resubmission. Keep what worked, but consider how to amplify these strengths even more. 

Examine Key Weaknesses: Common weaknesses in proposals include vague objectives, inadequate explanation of community impact, or a lack of specific, measurable outcomes. Assess whether these were issues in your proposal and determine how you can address them. Sometimes, a weakness may lie in how the information was presented rather than the content itself, so focus on making your messaging clearer and more direct. 

3. Strengthen Your Narrative

Refine Your Storytelling: A compelling narrative helps reviewers understand why your project matters. Ensure that your story is cohesive and engages the reader from start to finish. Does it clearly articulate the problem, your proposed solution, and the potential impact? Demonstrate the importance of your proposed solution in relatable, realistic scenarios that are understandable to the reviewers.  

Enhance Clarity and Focus: Reviewers may be experts but often evaluate many proposals quickly. Make your proposal easy to read by improving clarity, avoiding jargon, and getting straight to the point. Each section should build on the previous one, creating a logical flow from problem statement to solution. 

Use Data More Effectively: If your initial proposal lacked data to support your claims, take this opportunity to incorporate more concrete evidence. Use relevant statistics, case studies, or research to demonstrate the need for your project and the effectiveness of your approach. Data can make your proposal more credible and persuasive. 

4. Update Your Budget and Timeline

Review Budget Justifications: Your budget is just as important as your project narrative. Ensure that each line item is well-justified and aligns with the funder’s expectations. If reviewers expressed concerns about your budget being too high, too low, or unclear, this is your chance to address those issues by providing more detailed explanations of costs and demonstrating cost-efficiency. 

Adjust the Timeline: If your project timeline seemed unrealistic or too vague, take time to reevaluate it. Create a more detailed timeline with clear milestones, deliverables, and deadlines. Reviewers want to see that your project can be completed within the proposed time frame and that you’ve accounted for potential challenges. 

5. Incorporate New Information

Leverage Recent Developments: If there have been significant developments in your project, organization, or field since your original submission, use these to strengthen your resubmission. For instance, new partnerships, additional funding sources, or recent successes can make your project more compelling and reduce perceived risks. 

Highlight Partner Contributions: Collaboration can increase your project’s credibility and impact. If you’ve formed new partnerships or secured letters of support since the original submission, make sure to include this updated information. Highlight how these partnerships will enhance your project’s success and demonstrate the broader support your project has within the community or field. 

6. Tailor the Proposal to the Funder

Realign with Funder’s Priorities: Funders are looking for projects that align closely with their mission and strategic priorities. Review the application guidelines and any recent changes to ensure your proposal speaks directly to their values and goals. This may involve adjusting your project’s scope, emphasizing certain outcomes, or reframing how your project addresses the funder’s key areas of focus. 

Refine Objectives: Make sure your objectives are clear, specific, and measurable. Funders want to see that your project has well-defined goals and that you’ll be able to track and measure your progress. Using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) framework can help clarify your objectives and demonstrate that your project is feasible within the grant’s constraints. 

7. Double-Check All Requirements

Review Eligibility Criteria: Sometimes small changes in a funder’s eligibility criteria or guidelines can occur between submission rounds. Before resubmitting, double-check to ensure that your organization still meets all of the funder’s requirements and that your proposal aligns with any updated guidance or criteria. 

Follow Submission Instructions: Even the best proposal can be rejected if it doesn’t follow the submission guidelines. Ensure that all required attachments (e.g., financial statements, resumes, letters of support) are included, and that you’re adhering to formatting guidelines such as page limits, font size, and file types. Pay close attention to deadlines, stay organized, and make sure everything is submitted on time. 

8. Seek External Input

Get Fresh Eyes on Your Proposal: After working closely on a grant proposal, it’s easy to become too familiar with the content and miss errors or unclear sections. Ask a colleague or someone outside your organization to review the proposal with fresh eyes. They may notice gaps or suggest improvements that hadn’t occurred to you. 

Consider Professional Review Services: If possible, enlist the help of a grant specialist or a professional editor with experience in grant writing. These experts can provide valuable insights and suggest revisions that could make the difference between a successful resubmission and another rejection. 

Resubmitting a proposal is not simply about tweaking a few details—it’s an opportunity to strengthen your project and approach. By thoughtfully analyzing feedback, improving key areas, and ensuring alignment with the funder’s priorities, your refreshed proposal will be better positioned for success. Remember, persistence and strategic adjustments are key to winning grants!