Have you ever been working on a grant proposal and paused mid-sentence while describing the population you serve? You may have stopped and wondered, “Wait – Is that the right word to use?” You’re not alone. That brief pause is already a win, because it means you’re paying attention. The words we choose matter. Not for the sake of keeping up with jargon trends, but for the sake of representing with accuracy and dignity, the people and communities we write about in our grant applications.
Words are not neutral
Let’s set the record straight – words are never neutral. In the nonprofit sector, phrases such as “underserved,” “at-risk,” “the homeless,” and “vulnerable populations” are a dime a dozen.
Sound familiar?
It’s easy to assume that it’s just the industry standard – and maybe it is. But these words and concepts were born out of specific historical contexts, sometimes meant to sort people, exclude them, and/or to create categories of “others” to define who counts as neutral or “normal.”
Intentional or not, when we repeat this language without a critical eye in our grant proposals, we risk reinforcing the same harm that your organization and many others in the nonprofit sector may be actively working to address. A neutral or indifferent stance to the language we choose to use is anything but neutral. Word choice can have the snowball effect of erasing nuance, perpetuating stereotypes, and stigmatizing communities.
What do you mean by “diverse”?
Let’s take a closer look at a word that comes up constantly across the nonprofit landscape: diverse.
We use it in our grant writing, see it in organizational mission statements, and often find it inserted into funder priorities. Recent political attacks on diversity aside, most nonprofits would agree that the word feels comfortable, inclusive, even righteous.
But are we using “diverse” in an accurate and truthful way?
Ask yourself: Do you tend to use the word “diverse” as a soft stand-in for BIPOC?
If you’re not sure, ask yourself this: When you say diverse are you gesturing at race or ethnicity without just naming it explicitly? Does the line “our organization serves diverse communities” sound familiar?
It’s important to understand that the word is quite imprecise. Imagine a panel of all men from different countries and backgrounds. Diverse? Technically, yes. But diverse how, exactly? What many grant writers actually mean when they say “diverse youth” or “diverse communities” is something more specific: Asian, Afro-Latinx, Indigenous American, or other non-white communities. Not naming that specificity is where the problem and inaccuracy lie.
If your organization serves predominantly Black and Latinx families, say that directly. The communities you serve deserve to be named and not obscured by “diverse.”
grant language in action
Let’s take a look at another example. Imagine reading through a grant proposal and you see the following sentence that describes a population being served by a nonprofit. “Since our organization predominantly serves low-income BIPOC communities, families in our service area cannot afford ballet classes for their children…”
It might not sound “wrong” at first. But if you take a closer look, you can see that the sentence implies that poverty is a characteristic of BIPOC identity, as something inherent to the people themselves.
Here is an improved version – shared by our high-impact nonprofit partner, City Ballet of Boston – whose youth programming reflects an intentional and balanced mix of BIPOC and non-BIPOC youth. This version actually decouples BIPOC and poverty and reads:
“Decades of wage suppression, discriminatory housing policy, and underfunding of schools means that many BIPOC families in our service area are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, putting the high cost of ballet classes, pointe shoes, and equipment out of reach for many. Additionally, ballet’s Eurocentric beauty standards have historically favored certain body types, skin tones, and features, sending BIPOC youth the false message that ballet is not ‘for them.'”
This language actually identifies where the problem is – in systems, history, costs, and cultural gatekeeping – not in the people themselves.
tips for grant applications
1. Lead with assets, not deficits: describe what a community brings, and the structures and systems that stand between them and what they need.
2. Describe communities the way they describe themselves: the people and communities you serve identify themselves in a specific way, so follow their lead.
3. Name the system creating the inequity or harm, not the person: discriminatory policies, underfunded schools, etc.
4. Replace vague language with specific language: from diverse youth → Black and Latinx youth. From underserved communities → communities grappling with decades of financial disinvestment. The specificity is more truthful, respectful, and clear.
Final thoughts
The next time you’re drafting a grant proposal, try to read it with fresh eyes. Ask yourself whether the writing locates the problem in the right place, meaning in the systems and histories, not the people. Ask yourself whether you’re accurately describing the people you serve, and be specific about who you serve. If it feels uncomfortable, lean into it.
About Page Consulting Group
Page Consulting Group helps nonprofits secure foundation funding through a proven three-phase process grounded in research, strategy, and execution.