Grant Writing And Pickleball: Don’t Get Called For A Fault

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By Terri Colone and Colleen Engelbrecht, GPC

Pickleball and grant writing have more in common than you might think. In pickleball, the kitchen is a clearly marked zone near the net, and players know it’s not the place to linger. Cross into it at the wrong time and someone is likely to call a fault. 

In grant writing, the “kitchen” is less visible, but equally important. It’s an ethical line between presenting an organization’s work persuasively and overstating its readiness in ways that stretch professional standards.

Strong grant proposals tell a compelling story based on an organization’s strengths, needs, real data, documented capacity, and realistic plans, without misleading reviewers or claiming outcomes that have not yet occurred. That would be volleying facts over the net with a little extra spin.

The Score Tells The Story

Building a proposal around a nonexistent program, experience, or capacity simply because it mirrors a funder’s RFP isn’t strategic grant-seeking, it’s fiction. In pickleball, a player may boast about their skill level, but once the game begins, the score tells the story. In a similar way, a proposal’s claims should reflect an organization’s actual experience, systems, and readiness.

The key on the court and in a proposal is self-awareness. Pickleball players must continually assess their position, balance, and whether the next shot calls for action or patience. Grant professionals should do the same before making a claim; Is this accurate? Is there evidence to support it? Are we following the funder’s guidelines?

Staying out of the ethical kitchen doesn’t make a proposal less competitive, it makes it more credible, building trust over time as funders value clear, well-supported applications. When grant professionals respect boundaries, they protect their clients, strengthen funder relationships, and help ensure that communities benefit through ethical, accountable work.

The same discipline applies to using artificial intelligence. AI can support proposal development, but it can’t replace professional judgment, organizational knowledge, or accountability.

Respecting Ethical Boundaries

The art of grant writing takes time and practice, just like developing your skills as a pickleball player. AI tools can be appealing when deadlines are tight, and applications are repetitive. The risk is treating the AI platform as an actual team member. Overreliance can dilute a nonprofit’s authentic voice, weaken professional judgment, and create unrealistic expectations about turnaround times. A strong, research-based, collaborative application may still require four to six weeks or longer to prepare.

Pickleball is fast paced, but effective players understand when to enter the kitchen, let the ball bounce, make the shot, and then step back out. Grant professionals can use AI in the same way: intentionally, efficiently, and with sound judgment. AI may help create an outline, suggest an alternative project title, check for consistency, or trim character counts. But the grant professional remains responsible for the strategy, accuracy, evidence, voice, and final submission. 

The question is not whether to pursue every opportunity or use every available tool. It’s whether we can do so while respecting the ethical boundaries that protect our clients, our funder relationships, and the communities we serve.

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Terri Colone is founder and principal of Colone Consulting, specializing in Grantsmanship, Capacity Assessments, and Strategic Planning for nonprofits. Her email is [email protected]. Colleen Engelbrecht, GPC, is founder and principal of McNatt Media, where she helps small nonprofits develop effective funding strategies through grant writing and editorial services. Contact her at [email protected].