Planning and Writing a Grant Proposal: The Basics UW Madison

The list is in no way exhaustive, but they cover common themes seen in the philanthropic sector. Every organization is unique, as is every funding opportunity. That being said, there are some shared characteristics that most successful proposals contain. Successful grant proposals not only convey the great idea you have for your organization but convince others to get excited about the future you envision.

The project description section is the main section of your grant proposal. This section is written best by separating different issues and ideas in separate sections. This will make it easier for you to write the section by focusing on one idea at a time, and make it easier on the reader as well since the section won’t be all scattered. After having ensured that the content of your proposal matches the requirements of the grant issuer, start writing your first draft by expanding each point in your outline. This first draft doesn’t have to look good or perfect—it’s a draft and you can polish it later. You must emphasize the aspects of your business that the funder will like best (their requirements/guidelines will give you clues).

Write Your Executive Summary

Well, it is thanks to a proposal document called a small business grant proposal. Like federal, state, and local grants, pass-through grants come from the federal government. The funding is distributed to a state or local government, who then passes on the funding to different organizations, institutions, and businesses.

• Mirroring the verbiage in the document helps to let the organization providing the grant know that you understand the organization’s purpose.
• No one should be trying to figure out what you’re trying to say or what you’re asking for the money for.
• You need to show that your company or organization has the capacity and the ability to meet all deliverables from an execution perspective and also meet all legal, safety, and quality obligations.
• By hiring someone who specializes in grant writing, you can increase your chances of getting funding for your project.
• This explains why such a proposal needs to include many of the elements in your business plan—the same elements that make your business plan compelling.

Writing a grant proposal bears a lot of weight since it’s the key to earning funding for many organizations. To submit a proposal with a high chance of success, remember these tips. The budget is the true heart of a grant proposal as it outlines how an organization plans to use funding if they receive it. Here, you must go into detail about budget allocations, justifying these expenses.

Think like a reviewer

As mentioned earlier, if there are keywords in the call for proposals—or in the funding organization’s mission or goal—be sure to use some of those terms throughout your proposal. You want to help your readers understand the connections that exist between your project and their purpose without belaboring these connections. Many government grants will have stringent personnel requirements because they want you to create employment with the money that they are giving you.

And as with proposals meant for lenders and equity funders, your proposal for a grant funding must be downright compelling. Even though the grant issuer isn’t taking any gains from your profits, they don’t want their funds to go down the drain. Commit yourself to apply to a grant only if you match all the foundation’s qualifications and you’re willing to research and write tailored applications for each foundation. Also, apply only for the kinds of funding you already identified you are pursuing in your fundraising plan. Approach your application from the angle of a reviewer instead of a business owner. Most organizations that bestow grants have long-term institutional goals, and they want to see how their funding can help boost those goals.

Small Business Development Centers

Before you start writing your grant proposal, you’ll want to research the grant or grants you are applying for and the organization to whom you are submitting your proposal. This is part of the pre-award phase, covered in more detail on grants.gov. The presentation should thoroughly explain the reasons for your proposal and why you’re applying for grant funding from a specific funder. Explain the who, what, when, where, how, and why of your proposed project or program.

These are typically made by non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and small businesses and submitted to government departments, foundations, or large corporations. Writing a grant proposal takes preparation, planning, and packaging. You must gather the proper requirements, write up a convincing proposal, then submit it to relevant grantors by set deadlines. Therefore, it’s important to know if applying to grants is the right decision for funding your nonprofit, amongst many other funding sources at your disposal. Now, let’s understand the basics of grants, different types of grants, and how your nonprofit can write an effective grant proposal step by step.

Grant Proposal Essentials

For this reason, it’s a smart idea to hire a grant writer through a freelance platform like Guru.com. A grant writer has the experience and expertise to connect you to the right donors and help you earn the funding you need. Be clear and straight to the point in your writing; four categories of income are don’t waste space in your proposal spewing useless details. Review all your data, especially numbers, to make sure that all information is accurate and up-to-date and easy to read. We’ve rounded up examples of successful, awarded grants to help you learn from the best.

This means the required information and formatting may be different from proposal to proposal. To better understand the common elements, it can help to review grant proposal guidelines and instructions to get a sense of what will be asked of you. The call for proposals will also instruct you on the evaluation criteria that must be met and how the grant committee will consider each proposal. Review these carefully before even drafting, and list them out to compare to your proposal to align your goals with the purpose of grant funding. You’ll also need to cover how you plan to implement your proposal. Check the RFP or type or grant application guidelines for any special requirements.

Submit a grant inquiry letter before writing a full grant proposal

You’ll need to put the work in, and the requirements can be demanding. Read more about where to find grants for your nonprofit here. Grants can provide different types of support for your organization. The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. In fact, this card is so good that our experts even use it personally. Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Funders are much more likely to select your organization among others if they clearly understand and empathize with your cause and recognize the impact your work has in the community. So decide now how you will evaluate the outcomes of your project. The easier way to connect with customers, suppliers and staff, and watch your business grow. In addition to mentorship, you can access a variety of workshops online and in-person. Browse through SCORE’s library of webinars, on-demand courses, and local workshops to find a class that can help you improve. Live classes are also available if you can’t attend workshops in person.