Rejection is not fun. We have all received those letters or emails at one time or another. You know the ones, "after careful consideration, we have decided not to blah, blah, blah...."
Argggg! It's one of the worst feelings in the world.
When it comes to grant funding, receiving a rejection letter from a funder politely declining to fund your project/program/staff, sometimes we may feel like hours of time preparing, writing and gathering data have all gone to waste.
Have no fear.
All is not lost and there is hope. Believe it or not, there is a lot to learn from these experiences.
Here are "Positive Things to Tell Yourself When a Funder Rejects You":
#1. "You are awesome." - It's not about you. I mean I know the letter had your name on it, but really some perfectly good organizations with great causes sometimes don't get funded. Why? There are many factors at play beyond your control- politics, changes in funder needs/wants, you name it and sometimes the "limited dollars" and "we can't fund all outstanding projects" is true.
#2. "You can do it." - Rejection just makes the sweetness of the day you receive funding that much sweeter
#3. "Two times the charm." - some funders are hesitant to fund you if it is your first time applying. They sometimes see submitting applications year after year as a learning and refining process and a way to get to know you. For some, it's a part of the process.
#4. "This is an opportunity for improvement"- Feedback is priceless! Inquire with a funder to gain their insight and ways you can strengthen your application for next time.
#5. "Just keeping swimming"- Don't ever give up. Dust yourself off, repair your ego and submit another application.
Read this article on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/positive-things-tell-yourself-when-funder-rejects-you-shavonn/
- Shavonn
Shavonn Richardson, MBA is Founder of Think and Ink Grant Consulting™ www.thinkandinkgrants.com. She is a grant writer, nonprofit consultant, speaker and an active member of the Grant Professionals Association.
Learn more about grant writing here.
Follow her on Twitter @shavonnrichson and LinkedIn
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