Rushed Grant Applications Are a Symptom – Not the Real Problem
Lucy Njue
Reflections from the frontlines of grant writing
When was the last time you worked on a grant proposal without too much pressure? Without sleepless nights?
Somehow, we’ve come to accept that grant applications naturally come with exhaustion. Long nights. Endless calls. Last-minute documents. A quiet belief that if you’re not completely drained by the deadline, maybe you didn’t work hard enough.
Over the years, working alongside organisations on grant applications of different sizes and complexities, I’ve seen it all. In a few rare cases, proposal processes are calm, well-organised, and coordinated. Roles are clear. Decisions are made early. Everyone knows what is expected of them. I genuinely enjoy working in those environments – though, admittedly, they are few.
For the vast majority, however, the experience is very different. The process is chaotic. The pressure is intense. And the deadline feels like a crisis rather than a milestone.
So how do we avoid this?
When pressure replaces preparation
One consistent observation stands out: when grant applications become frantic, it is rarely because people aren’t committed or capable. It’s usually because too much is being decided too late.
In complex, multi-country or consortium proposals, this shows up in familiar ways like:
Consortium partners are still being identified after the call is released. Local partners come on board just weeks, sometimes days, before submission. Roles across the partnership remain unclear and continue to shift. A mandatory needs assessment hasn’t been conducted, yet design and writing are expected to move ahead.
At the same time, expectations quietly shift.
The consultant is expected to “perform miracles” and ensure all is delivered on time. S/he is expected to not only write the proposal, but to coordinate partners, resolve open design questions, and make sense of incomplete inputs.
In one assignment, I was expected to coordinate project design workshops, conduct a needs assessment, draft both the narrative and financial proposal, coordinate partners across countries, manage communication, and make strategic decisions about how budgets should be allocated across organisations, within a month – all under the justification that I was “experienced enough.”
These are not isolated incidents. They reflect what happens when preparation is poor and leadership decisions are deferred.
No matter how experienced a consultant is, some decisions must be owned by the organisation.
Grant applications are a team effort
Another recurring challenge is the assumption that a consultant can or should carry almost every role. In reality, high-quality grant applications require teamwork and clear roles as follows:
- Leadership sets early strategic direction, including consortium composition, budget principles, and non-negotiables.
- An internal proposal or consortium coordinator manages communication, meetings, timelines, and partner inputs.
- Programme teams ground the design in experience, learning, and context.
- HR supports staffing assumptions and feasibility.
- Finance (internally embedded) works closely with the consultant to ensure budgets are realistic, compliant, and defensible.
- Administrative teams assemble documentation and compliance materials.
- Consultants focus on what they do best: shaping ideas, strengthening coherence, positioning the proposal, and producing high-quality writing — not carrying unresolved leadership or financial decisions.
Matching ambition with preparation
Of course, not every organisation has the luxury of large teams. Smaller organisations often work lean – and rightly pursue grants that match their capacity. The real challenge arises when the complexity of the grant far exceeds the level of preparation, and pressure is expected to close the gap.
Perhaps the real question isn’t why grant proposals are so exhausting, but when did we start believing they had to be?
Because when preparation happens early, roles are clear, and leadership decisions are made on time, grant applications are still demanding – but they no longer require sleepless nights to succeed.
And that shift matters, not just for proposal quality, but for the people and organisations behind the work.
Grant proposals require adequate time
I have also seen that in many cases, consultants are brought in at the last minute after the team realises that they can’t deliver on time!
Allow me to say this plainly: one month is a very short time for a complex, multi-country, multi-partner grant application, even when teams are experienced, and systems are strong. When leadership decisions, partnerships, and data are still unresolved, one month becomes exhausting rather than productive.
As consultants, we are human.
Writing strong proposals is creative work. It requires time to think, test ideas, rewrite, and refine, much like an artist sketching, erasing, and starting again to get it right. When everything is rushed, quality inevitably suffers.
Practical lessons for complex grant applications
- Treat predictable funding calls as strategic cycles, not emergencies.
- Make leadership decisions early on partnerships, roles, and budget allocation principles.
- Never delegate unresolved strategic or financial decisions to consultants under deadline pressure.
- Assign a clear internal proposal coordinator for multi-partner grants.
- Engage finance, HR, and programme teams before writing begins.
Strong grant applications are not built through heroic effort at the last minute. They are built through clear leadership, shared responsibility, and respect for each role in the process.
(Lucy Njue is a Kenyan fundraising and sustainability strategist, and Founder and Executive Director of Realtime Insights)
