Every year, thousands of Nigerians apply for grants, fellowships and funding opportunities. Most of them are qualified. Many of them are talented. But only a few are selected. Why? The key difference is not talent or how qualified they are. The key difference is positioning and strategy. To win funding is not luck; it is a skill. And like any skill, it needs to be learned or adopted.
How can you position yourself to win grants and funding opportunities?
Research
A lot of people see an opportunity and apply straight away, without making a few background checks. Before you even touch the application form, spend time understanding the opportunity inside out. Read the eligibility criteria line by line. Study the funder’s past grantees. Check their mission, values and priorities. Who are they looking for? What exactly are they looking for? Sometimes you’re qualified for the opportunity, but you are not exactly the kind they are looking for.
Stop Applying Randomly
Everyone sometimes wants everything, and it’s good. But funding bodies want people whose work clearly reflects their mission. Before applying, study the organisation. Read who they have funded before. Look at their language. Understand their priorities. If your work does not naturally align, do not force it. Don’t apply for it.
Tell Your Story
Storytelling is likely the most-used word in every industry. That is because it is true. Your application is persuasion, not information. A lot of people spend time informing and informing instead of writing how their story aligns with the opportunity. Instead of saying, “I want to create change,” explain exactly what change means and who it affects. Storytelling allows you to be clear, explicit and precise.
Build Clear Proof That You Are Already Doing the Work
Funders do not fund potential. They fund evidence. If you say you care about education, show proof. Have you written about it? Volunteered? Started something small? Conducted research? Published ideas? Taken action in any form? You do not need to be perfect. But you need visible commitment. Create a simple portfolio. This can be a Google Drive folder, personal website, or LinkedIn profile showing your work, projects, writing, or impact. When funders see evidence, they feel confident investing in you.
Position Yourself Before You Apply
Many people only prepare when they see an opportunity. People prepare long before. Position yourself in your field. Share your ideas publicly. Write articles. Post insights. Participate in conversations. Attend events, even virtual ones. Connect with people already doing meaningful work.
Opportunities often favour people who are visible and engaged. When your name appears in an application, it should not feel like the first time you exist. Visibility creates familiarity. Familiarity creates trust. And the chain goes on.
Apply Without Emotional Attachment to Rejection
Rejection is normal. Even the most successful people are rejected many times. Do not interpret rejection as personal failure. Instead, treat it as part of the process. Each application improves your preparedness. Consistency separates those who eventually succeed from those who stop trying.
What opportunities are you applying for this year?
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Featured Image by Mikhail Nilov for Pexels
