OVERVIEW:

Grant or proposal writing is not creative writing. Reviewers appreciate grant requests that are simple, concise, consistent, and organized in a linear fashion with adequate supporting information. In other words, your proposal needs to make sense and give a vision of what you intend to do. It must show how you intend to proceed, what will happen along the way and what will happen after you finish. You are selling an idea, so think benefits. Who will benefit and how much? The more the benefits, the better chance you will have of gaining success.

Wordiness, vague sections and fluff are not appreciated. Do not give reviewers any more or any less information than they need. Say what you mean, and mean what you say, but be a miser with words. Before you start, study the criteria, and get your project firmly established in your mind. If you don't understand it, no one else will. Do a trial run by writing out a rough, for-the-heck-of-it draft, just so you can see it on paper and fill in the blanks. Every step brings you closer to success.

Divide and conquer! Take your proposal section by section and get your project laid out so it makes sense. Let others read it, and see if it makes sense to them. If you don't have all the supporting information at hand, get it now. Do the necessary research or interviews, hunt down engineering specs, environmental studies and whatever else you might need. Think about charts and graphs if you intend to use them. Secure resumes. A grant or proposal is a plan, and the more complete the plan, the better chance grantors will buy into it.

Write your proposal as simple as possible, using plain words. Keep your sentences short and meaningful, conveying thoughts directly. Paragraphs should be short too, maybe four or five sentences. Break up the elements of your request, and leave plenty of white space between them. The more you try to cram on a page, the more confusing your request will become. That could cost you a grant. Paper is cheap.

Once you have your proposal laid out, simplify it. Let the dust settle so your mind can reset, and you can look at your proposal objectively. Put yourself in the position of your reviewers and remove as many possible objections to your plan as possible. Is your proposal strong on benefits? Will it create lots of jobs? Is your project self supporting once completed? Consider the upside and the downside. Minimize the downside. Simplify your project, and then simplify it again. Remove the dog legs and obstructions, making the road to success as straight as you can.

Polish your writing too. Seldom is there a sentence or idea flow that can't be refined or simplified. Remove difficult, hard to read, sentence construction and unnecessary multi-syllable words. Pluck out buzz words and jargon, and use plain English instead. In other words, fine tune your project and the language you use to describe it. The idea is to win the prize, not befuddle your reviewers. Focus upon your project and complete it in a workman-like manner! "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

All right! The first step before writing a proposal or grant is to research the project and understand its goals. Contact the grantor and ask for any information alluding to their requirements, style of submission and goals. The idea is to match the project's goals with the grantor's requirements or failure will surely result. Often, the grantor will mail you a "kit" containing the pertinent information.

1. Believe that someone wants to give you money!
2. Project your organization into the future.
3. Start with the end in mind, and look at the big picture
4. Create a plan, not just a proposal.
5. Do your homework: research prospective funders.
6. Search locally first.
7. Target a funding source that has interest in your organization and program.
8. If you need money now, you have started too late.

Build your proposal around these guidelines:

1. Proposal summary
2. Introduction of the Organization
3. Problem Statement or needs assessment
4. Project Objectives
5. Project Methods or Design
6. Project Evaluation
7. Future funding
8. Project Budget
9. Appendices

1. PROPOSAL SUMMARY:

The proposal summary appears at the beginning of the proposal and should outline the project. Make it a cover letter or a separate page. Make the summary brief, no longer than three paragraphs. Usually the writer finishes the proposal first and then writes the summary to match. Reviewers will consider your summary as their first impression of your proposal, and it will be the hook that causes them to read the main document or reject it on the spot. Your proposal summary had better be good, very good!

2. INTRODUCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION

Proposals should include a description of the applicant organization's past, present and projected operations. Create a brief biography of board members and key staff members. Include the organization's goals, philosophy, record with other grantors plus any success stories. This information should be relevant to the goals of the granting organization and its grant program. Also, it should establish the applicant's credibility.

• Be concise, specific and compelling.
• Build credibility for your organization (Collect information)
• Strengthen the connection between the grantor and your organization
• Establish a context for your problem statement.
• Answer: Who, what, when, where, why and how much!
• Ask: "So what?" and "Who cares?"

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT:

The Problem statement or needs assessment is a key element of a proposal. It establishes that something needs to be done or fixed or changed. There has to be a reason why a funder would grant your project money. Give them a good one. Address this section in a clear concise, well documented statement of the problem to be rectified using grant moneys. Use data collected in a needs assessment that would illustrate the problem(s) to be addressed. The information provided should be factual and closely related to the problem addressed by the proposal.

• Zero in on a specific problem or issue to be addressed.
• Do not make assumptions of the reviewers.
• Use statistics to support existence of your problem or issue.
• Make a connection between the issue and your organization.
• Make a case for your project locally, not just nationally.
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the problem or issue.
• Set-up the delivery of your goals and objectives.

4. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Describe clearly the goals of the project. Explain the expected results and benefits of each objective. The writer should also list the specific criteria of the grant program, then describe how the proposal meets each criterion.

• Goals are general and offer the evaluator an understanding your program's thrust
• Objectives are specific, measurable outcomes, realistic and attainable.
• Objectives help solve the problem or address the issue.
• If your objectives make reference to an outcome, make sure it's do-able.
• Do not confuse objectives with methods.
• Be realistic.

5. PROJECT METHODS OR DESIGN:

The project method outlines the tasks that will be accomplished with the available resources. It is helpful to structure the project method as a timeline. Early in the planning process, applicants should list the tasks that will have to be completed to meet the goals of the project. They can then break these into smaller tasks and lay them out in a schedule over the grant time period. This will provide a chance to consider what personnel, materials, and other resources will be needed to carry out the tasks.

• Describe activities in order and detail.
• Explain why they will bring results.
• Make sure your methods are realistic.
• Describe why you have chosen these over other approaches.
• Show your knowledge of the bigger picture.
• Include a timetable of major milestones.

6. PROJECT EVALUATION:

Applicants should develop evaluation criteria to evaluate progress towards project goals. It is important to define carefully and exactly how success will be determined. Applicants should ask themselves what they expect to be improved once the project is complete. Also ask, "Who cares?" and "So what?" What is the impact of your project and how many will it affect?

• The Project Evaluation is most important, but often missing or minimal.
• Write a summative Evaluation Plan to evaluate the project during and after its execution. It can be used as a tool to make appropriate changes along the way.
• If you are having trouble developing your evaluation process, you had better take another look at your objectives.
• Be ready to begin evaluation as you begin your project.

7. FUTURE FUNDING:

Applicants may be asked to list expected sources of continuing funding after the conclusion of the grant. The applicant may also be required to list other sources and amounts of funding obtained for the project.

PROJECT BUDGET:

Particular expenses should be outlined in detail in the project budget. It can also be helpful to divide the budget into categories, such as personnel, salaries and benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contract costs, etc. Many grant applications request a line item budget. The budget should show how funds will be spent and by whom. The budget should also demonstrate consistency with project activities.

Typically shown in three parts:

1. Personnel (salaries, fringe benefits, contracts)
2. Non-personnel (space, rent of equipment, supplies)
3. Indirect costs (overhead)

• Budget should correlate to objectives and methods.
• Timelines are often found here.
• Justify requests for salary.
• If you plan to hire personnel with the funding, include a positions description.
• Consistency shows commitment on your part.

9. APPENDICES:

The author of this web site, William L. Lampe is available for
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