Essential Elements for Your Grant Proposal to Ensure Success in Funding

• Author: Michael Bordonada
• Posted: 2024-03-31

You cannot expect to write a winning grant proposal without an outline that will effectively convey your need for the money. Grant writing has become a science. If you cannot afford to hire a professional grant writer for your organization, it is possible to write your own proposals in-house if you have the right knowledge and writing skills. Before you get started, you need to make sure that you know how to write the proposal to give you the edge.

Here are the critical elements that every professional grant application should include.

Executive Summary

This one-page synopsis should simply be a short statement containing an overview of your organization, its mission, and information detailing how it will fulfill the project. Use this summary to present the problems facing your organization and how you plan to tackle the issues with the right funding. This is also where you will need to briefly discuss the funding that you need in order to meet your objectives. In this section, be sure to also include who the funding will benefit and how the oversight will take place.

Presenting Your Case for Need

This is the section of your proposal in which you will sell your organization and your need for the funding. This one-page section should work to communicate that your organization is able to solve the problem with the proper funding. Without being negative or derogatory toward other organizations, you may want to use this section to detail how your specific project will solve the problem better than other initiatives might do it. The point of this section is to sell your project and how it will provide a unique response that will benefit the greater good.

Overview of the Project

Now is the time to get into the meat of your project. While the first two sections provided brief snapshots, this is where you will dive into the specifics of the proposal to discuss the intent and process of your project. Although the length will vary greatly in length, you should aim for three to five pages if you want to effectively convey your cause.

Included in this overview should be details about the measurable objectives of your project, how you plan to achieve these goals, who will administer the initiatives, and how you plan to evaluate the possible outcomes. It is imperative that you use this detailed section to answer the how, when, and why of your proposal for funding.

Budget

Every successful grant proposal will include one page devoted to budgeting concerns. Use this section to list your projected expenses, including an explanation of how you formulated the final numbers. Depending on the needs of the funder, you may need to include more information about anticipated project revenue and itemized costs. Be sure to present a detailed account of how you plan to use all of the money. This will build trust in the project and put you in a better position of securing the funding.

General Overview of Organization

Many grant funding projects will want to know about your organization in general before awarding you money. This overview is designed to provide information about the history and the goals of your organization so that the funder will be able to better understand how you will be a good steward of the money. This is where you want to include information about staffing, demographics of the people that you serve, your place in the community, and the past success stories of your initiatives. A quality organizational overview will run about two pages in length.

Possible Attachments and Further Resources

While not as exciting as the rest of the proposal, it is important to include all of the necessary attachments and appendices at the end of your pitch. This section largely depends on the scope of your proposal. Possible items to include are a copy of your organization's last financial audit, proof of any 501(c) 3 status, letters of support, and references to attest to the viability of your organization.

Writing a grant proposal necessitates that you carefully balance the need for information with brevity. Following this general outline will ensure that you provide all of the necessary information without boring the audience.