Moderation in all things?
The Greek philosopher, Socrates, is credited with saying “All things in moderation” but the essential thought is most likely the work of the Greek Poet Hesiod around 700 bce. That was a pretty sobering thought back then, I would think. At a time when human beings were just getting started on the big problems, like creating governments, medical procedures and facilities, and making other important decisions that would affect us for hundreds, if not thousands of years, it had to be enticing to go overboard and just do what felt right at the time and not think too much about the consequences. And yet, it’s obvious that that’s exactly what they were thinking about.
We modern humans might be wise to listen to those old Greeks. We have a tendency to “Think big”, “Go for the gold”, or “Go big or go home”, but this may not always be in our best interest. Do we ask for so much in grants that we are in danger of not getting anything at all? Or, do we ask for too little, in the interest of not upsetting the funders, and not ever have enough to do the job we really wanted to do?
My feeling is that we always give an honest answer. If we think we cannot do a good job for less than $250,000, and that is what is available, then we should ask for that. After all, a funder can always give less, or ask why we think we need that much. But if we believe that we can do a good job for less, then we should be honest about that too. Asking for more and not being able to spend it, or justify it, accomplishes nothing worthwhile. It only makes funders more cautious next time.
There is really no right or wrong, but it is something to think about. Here’s wishing you the perfect amount for you to accomplish your goals!
Engels Grant Writing & Management 