How to Write a Grant Proposal that Works - Part 1

For many organizations, grants can be an essential source of capital and funding. However, there are only a limited number of government agencies and foundations offering grant assistance so competition for funding can be fierce. So, it is essential that any grant proposal should contain all the necessary information and be presented in the right manner for it to be successful. In this two-part article I look at the elements that make a successful grant proposal.

Most funders will provide their own application forms and instructions for any grants that they make available. So the first thing you should do is to request the proper forms. In some cases they may accept a generic application form but it won't increase your chances of success. Be sure to read all instructions before you begin preparing your application. If you have doubts about anything or any questions you should contact the funder for advice.

To create a grant proposal that stands out from everyone else, you must write several drafts. With that, don't fill out the official application form until you are satisfied with what you have written and you have all extra documents prepared.

Begin your grant proposal with a summery that includes how much funding you need and why. The summary can be short—between 50 and 100 words. This should be followed by information about your organization. This should include the history of your organization, its mission, what it has achieved to date and how it will use the funders financing effectively. Remember that your organization and the funder should share the same goals.

Now comes the important part. In the next section you have to describe why you need the funding, how you will use it, and what you will achieve with it. As you can imagine, the funder's final decision on whether to accept your application will hinge on this section so give it plenty of time and your full attention when writing.

Keep it as simple as possible, present the problem you are trying to tackle and request a grant to finance your solution to this problem. Try to give human examples of the problem and how your organization helped, or could help in the future if the funding is granted. Try to get your hands on some grant applications that were successful in the past to see how they were written.

The second part of this article we will move onto the next stages of the grant writing process.

 

Written by: Frank J Klein - CIO

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