This article seeks to help and motivate educators who have considered “writing a grant someday” so that the process and work of grant writing might become less threatening and more rewarding for the reader.  From the viewpoint of her own experience, the author will share the basics of what constitutes good preparation in order fora a grant proposal to be successful. To illustrate points being featured, the author will provide examples from her own successful grant applications. [This paper acknowledges funding from the Ohio Commission on Minority Health (OCMH) and Serves (United States Tennis Foundation for Academics, Character, and Excellence).]