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Successful grant proposals require advance preparation. Once you identify your potential funder, follow a reliable method to write a grant proposal. Successfully compete for grants with an organized, well written proposal.
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Introduction
- Whether it's the first proposal or the fiftieth, writing grant proposals makes most people anxious. There is some mystery surrounding which proposals get funded and which ones don't. Improve your chances of getting the brass ring. Learn the essential steps in the proposal writing process and win more funding.
Step 1: Gather Your Proposal Team
- Most successful proposals are written by teams. The team members each contribute specific expertise, so that the organization can prepare its proposal more efficiently. Seirtec: Managing the Development of a Proposal Consider outside consultants to round out the team if staff skills are inadequate for the tasks.
- Select one person from the organization's management staff as the proposal lead. Seirtec:Managing the Development of a Proposal This person should know the organization's mission, programs and activities. They must also be able to articulate the needs of the organization well.
- Include a staff person from your finance department so that your budget estimates will be accurate. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Get input from your organization's human resources and program implementation staff, if they are not represented on the team. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Assign one staff person to be the proposal writer. Seirtec: Improving Your Chances of Winning a Grant This person should have the appropriate writing skills in addition to excellent project management skills.
- Appoint one person as the proposal coordinator. Seirtec: Managing the Development of a Proposal Their main responsibilities will be to keep track of important milestones and help other team members meet deadlines.
Step 2: Read Funding Guidelines
- The most important step in writing a grant proposal is not writing; it is reading the funder's guidelines. Most professional grant writing consultants recommend that the entire proposal team read the guidelines, at least twice. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls
- Give each team member a complete copy of the proposal guidelines. Seirtec: Managing the Development of a Proposal
- Ask each team member to read the funding guidelines and make notes about specific sections of the guidelines which are relevant to his or her expertise. Proposal Writer: Proposal Preparation Checklist
- The proposal lead should schedule a meeting for the entire proposal team and have the team members compare their notes. Seirtec: Managing the Development of a Proposal
- Each team member should read the proposal guidelines again and make a list of questions that need clarification from the funder. Proposal Writer: Proposal Preparation Checklist
- Submit these questions to the funder before the team starts writing the proposal. Seirtec: Improving Your Chances of Winning a Grant
- Distribute the revised proposal guidelines, based on answers from the funder to the proposal team. Proposal Writer: Proposal Preparation Checklist
Step 3: Complete a Proposal Outline
- The proposal outline gives all team members a roadmap to follow. Many organizations are tempted to skip this step. However, if you don't know where you're headed, it will be difficult to know when you have arrived there.
- Preparing an outline is essential to a successful proposal. Each member of the proposal team will use the outline to create and enter their input into the final document. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls
- Create an outline from the guidelines. Use a digital copy of the proposal guidelines to make your outline, if one is available. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls If not, scan the guidelines to create a digital copy.
- Include every required section of the proposal response in your outline.
- Every funder will provide specific guidelines about the maximum number of pages that the proposal and each section can contain. Never exceed the allowable page limits. Seirtec: Improving Your Chances of Winning a Grant
- Unless the funding agency makes an exception for complex projects or partnerships, the average full grant proposal is usually no more than fifteen pages long. NP Guides: Full Funding Proposal
- Foundation and government grant proposals often follow a similar format. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Components
- Proposal Executive Summary. Write this section after the proposal is complete. Pelosi: Congresswoman Pelosi's Grant Information Summarize the problem, your solution and highlights of your approach in one page. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Needs Statement. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Needs Statement Your needs statement describes the problem that your project is trying to solve. This section should not exceed two pages. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Project Description. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Project Description Provide details about the project's objectives, methods for achieving them and key activities. Aim for no more than three pages. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Workplan and Activities. MCF: Writing a Successful Grant Proposal Workplan Many proposals present the project's methods and major activities at a glance in a one page flowchart or timeline. CFDA: Project Objectives: Goals and Desired Outcomes
- Evaluation Plan. NP Guides: Evaluation Plan Your methods for measuring the project's impact and accomplishments, usually one to two pages. NP Guides: Evaluation Plan
- Project Budget. Pelosi: Congresswoman Pelosi's Grant Information A one page list of project expenses and income, unless the funder requires a different format. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Budget Narrative. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Budget Narrative Explanation of calculations for figures in the project budget.
- Organizational Capacity Information. MCF: Writing a Successful Grant Proposal Organization Information Description of the organization, its mission, activities and previous accomplishments. Most funders allow one page for this section. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Introduction
- Expand your outline by adding your team notes and other annotations, such as how the organization plans to respond to specific sections. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls
- Download a sample proposal for a similar project. NP Guides: Sample Proposals Compare your outline to the sample proposal's table of contents and check for additional items that you might need to put into your outline. Here are a few sources for sample proposals.
- Proposal Writer: Sample Grant Proposals
- Non-Profit Guides: Sample Proposals
- School Grants: Sample Proposals
- Grant Proposal: Sample Anger Management
- List optional information that the organization plans to include in the proposal, like graphs, charts and support letters.
- Hold regular follow-up meetings to keep track of the proposal team's progress. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls
Step 4: Complete a Proposal Checklist
- The proposal coordinator and the designated proposal lead should draft a proposal checklist using the proposal guidelines and answers to questions sent to the funder and notes gathered from the team members. Proposal Writer: Proposal Preparation Checklist
- The proposal checklist captures all important dates, required steps, documents and attachments needed to complete the proposal.
- Many funding proposals also require standard forms that the organization downloads from the funder's website. AGM Connect: AGM Common Proposal Form Include these forms in your checklist, along with the name the person responsible for signing them.
- Organizations that submit grant proposals to the Federal government must first obtain a DUNs number.Grants: Applicant FAQs
- Federal grants also require registration in the Central Contractor Registry and completion of several forms that identify the key staff and authorized proposal submitters. Grants: Applicant FAQs
- Add all documents that the organization may be required to provide as proposal attachments to the proposal checklist too. Each funder's requirements will vary.
- Commonly requested attachments for grant proposals include copies of the organization's 501(c)3, articles of incorporation and bylaws, annual reports, list of Board members, letters of support and the organization's annual budget. Idealist: The Nonprofit FAQ
- Use your checklist to make sure your proposal package is ready for submission. Proposal Writer: Proposal Preparation Checklist
Step 5: Detail the Project Plan
- The proposal team needs a clear succinct statement of the project's goals, objectives and outcomes in order to begin developing the organization's response. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Project Description
Final Preparation
- Ask the funder for a copy of a previously funded proposal. All government agencies and many foundations have them available. Guidestar: Grant Writing 101
- Create a proposal schedule. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls Distribute it to every person on the proposal team.
- Many organizations hold a proposal kickoff meeting to gather input from the team members and to refine the project's, objectives, activities and timeline. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Gathering Background Information
- Write a brief concept paper or project summary including the purpose, rationale and goals. Pelosi: Congresswoman Pelosi's Grant Information
Finalize Project Plan
- Once you have completed the proposal planning and preparation, start writing the required sections of your proposal. Expand your concept paper into a full proposal.
- List the project's goal and the length of time it will take to accomplish. NP Guides: Goals and Objectives
- List each project objective. Objectives must be measurable and quantifiable. CFDA: Project Objectives: Goals and Desired Outcomes
- Describe the characteristics of the project's recipients. The funding sources may call this the target population. NP Guides: Needs Assessment
- Provide facts, statistics and graphs or charts that explain the needs of the target population. CFDA: Project Objectives: Goals and Desired Outcomes
- Explain all project methodologies. NP Guides: Methodology
- List key activities and resources related to your objectives. CFDA: Program Methods and Program Design
- Detail all project outcomes. CFDA: Program Methods and Program Design
- Community support for the project is essential to writing winning proposals. CFDA: Program Methods and Program Design In addition to support letters from organizations, elected officials and other stakeholders, your proposal should demonstrate that your target population supports the project's design, goals and objectives. Pelosi: Congresswoman Pelosi's Grant Information
Project Evaluation
- Your evaluation plan is an important part of your grant proposal. All funders expect organizations to measure and document their project's impact.
- Most funders will suggest which kind of evaluation they require in the proposal guidelines.
- Develop evaluation criteria from the project's objectives. EPA: Tips On Writing a Grant Proposal
- The evaluation plan should provide details about what will be measured, how the organization will capture the data, and who will perform the evaluation. NP Guides: Evaluation Plan
- A formative evaluation measures the effectiveness of the project's activities during and after the project. EPA: Tips On Writing a Grant Proposal It can be used as a tool to refine or adjust activities during the project if milestones have not been reached.
- A summative evaluation measures the accomplishment of the project's objectives at the end of the funding period. EPA: Tips On Writing a Grant Proposal
- Remember to include personnel, data collection and analysis costs of the evaluation in your budget. MCF: Writing a Successful Grant Proposal Evaluation Plan
Step 6: Complete Your Project Budget
- The organization's finance staff person should work with the proposal lead person to develop an accurate budget. The proposal budget must support the project's goals, objectives, and activities. The budget must identify all expenses and resources needed to implement the project. MCF: Writing a Successful Grant Proposal Budget It should also show the organization's indirect costs related to the project.
- Use the funder's guidelines to determine allowable costs that you can include in your budget. Pelosi: Congresswoman Pelosi's Grant Information
- Check for limits or restrictions on the number and the amount that can be budgeted for staff, facilities, supplies, equipment and administrative costs.
- Your project may have additional expenses that cannot be charged to the funding source. Include them in the budget as in-kind or cost-match items. MCF: Writing a Successful Grant Proposal Budget
- Make a checklist or budget template of items that you need to include in your budget. Proposal Writer: Proposal Pointers and Pitfalls
- Create a budget that matches the project's timeframe. If your project takes place over several years, prepare an annual budget for one year first.
- Many funding sources require that you include an income statement with your budget. NP Guides: Budget In these cases you must detail all sources and amounts for income that you rely on or expect to obtain for your organization's operations and for the proposed project.
- Some funders expect organizations to have other sources of support for their project. If required, your grant proposal budget should include other potential sources of income for some of the project's expenses. CFDA: The Proposal Budget: Planning the Budget
- This might include other grants, matching funds or earned income. EPA: Tips On Writing a Grant Proposal
- If the proposed project will generate revenue from some activities, you must show this as income or support in your budget. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Support and Revenue Statement This anticipated revenue will offset some project expenses.
- Include a Budget Narrative to explain budget items that may not be self-explanatory. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Budget Narrative
- Provide details about the organization's salaries, fringe benefits, indirect costs rates and any other budget calculations that are unique to the organization or the project. EPA: Sample Indirect Cost Proposal Format For Nonprofit Organizations
- Use the budget format that the funder requires. If no format is suggested, use your organization's normal format.
- Use a spreadsheet to prepare your budget so that you can recalculate the budget easily if costs change.
Step 7: Organizational Capacity
- The capacity of an organization to carry out a project is as important as the project idea and a reasonable budget. You should complete this section after you finish the proposal. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Organizational Information This gives you a chance to highlight the organization's strengths and previous successes that directly support your grant request.
- Briefly discuss the organization's mission and history. MCF: Writing a Successful Grant Proposal Organizational Information
- Summarize the organization's current and previous programs. Include the size of the budgets, characteristics of the target population and significant achievements. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Organizational Information
- Describe the organization's Board, including how they support various activities. Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course Organizational Information
- Provide brief bios of the organization's Board members. EPA: Tips On Writing a Grant Proposal
- Discuss the experience and qualifications of the organization's key staff. Learner Associates: Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal Staff/Administration
- Describe their roles in the proposed project. Learner Associates: Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal Staff/Administration Sample
- Remember to emphasize how the organization is capable of implementing, managing and completing the project. NP Guides: Guidelines Cite relevant examples, but be brief.
- Include organization charts and resumes for staff and Board members in the proposal's Appendix or Attachments section if permitted by the funder. NP Guides: Full Funding Proposal
Conclusion
- Writing successful grant proposals requires preparation, attention to detail and a great team with passion and perseverance. Most proposal reviewers have to read dozens of responses for every possible grant. Review the funder's guidelines again before you put your proposal in the mail. Double-check every aspect of your grant proposal. Make sure you have answered every possible question and proved the need for your request. Make your proposal stand out from the rest.
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