Will You Support Us?

Probably, but we need some information first.

At certain times of the year, many of us at RRCHNM get bombarded with requests for letters of support for grant proposals or we are asked to serve on advisory boards as part of grant-funded projects. We love collaborating and supporting, but we need some information before we can agree to work with anyone.

Below are a few helpful hints to follow when asking someone to support a project in the proposal process.

• Tell me why, specifically, you are coming to me, to RRCHNM, for support;
• Be specific about what you are asking me/us to do over the scope of the grant (participate in 3 meetings, 2 phone calls over 18 months; agree to review the project and provide feedback one month before official launch; et al);
• Provide any information about compensation, especially when asking me as an individual to participate (there will be a modest honorarium to recognize the time you give to this project of $xxx);
• Provide a few pages summarizing the project goal’s and work plan from the grant proposal draft;
• Tell me/us what exactly you need to complete the grant application, in what format, and by what date (2-page CV in PDF and letter of support on letterhead by next Friday);
• If asking for a letter of support, provide a starter letter with sample text that references my/our role, and why I/we are supporting the project;
• Give us two weeks notice, at least, because we have deadlines and might be completing a proposal ourselves.

Starting out the collaboration process by respecting people’s time and showing that you’ve done your research will help everyone in the long run. On a personal note, writing down these hints will help me/us to remember them when we ask others to collaborate with us.

Good luck with your proposal!