Grant writing refers to the practice of completing an application process for
funding provided by an institution such as a government department, corporation,
foundation or trust. Such application processes are often referred to as
either grant "proposals" or "submissions." Successful grant writing
requires a clear understanding of grantsmanship. While the principles and
fundamentals of grantsmanship apply broadly, it is important to know the
target and to be able to tune the language appropriately. Understanding
the creation process of a grant proposal is a big part of the success in grant
writing. The basic parts to the proposal creation process include:
Analyzing the intended audience for the proposal
Analyzing the purpose of the proposal Gathering information about the subject
of the proposal Choosing the appropriate type of
proposal Writing the proposal
Formatting the proposal Revising, editing, and proof reading the
proposal Submitting the proposal
Introduction A grant proposal normally requests
funding to support activities that are consistent with the mission of the grant
agency. Most large corporations have philanthropic programs offering grants
to help local colleges and universities, arts organizations, and social services.
All background information should be gathered prior to writing a proposal.
Usually, the background information is found in the areas of concept program
and expenses. Also, it is helpful to know the name of a key contact in the
organization to determine where the information is located. Several of the
grant writing steps can be combined into one, as part of the creation process,
like writing, formatting, and revising the proposal. The number of steps for
proposal creation may depend on the timeline given for the creation of the
proposal as well as the type of funder. Within project grants, there are
fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, experimental
and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical
assistant grants, and many others. Grant funders include the federal government,
state and local governments, private foundations, corporations, and
individuals. Grants are often announced online through a request for
proposals/applications, which specifies the nature and cost of the program that
must be proposed. These documents are issued by a public or private funding
agency, inviting qualified organizations to submit a proposal for a specific
funding opportunity. They typically include guidelines, due dates, and more
required information. Identifying an appropriate potential
grantmaker can be one of the most challenging parts of the grant writing
process. In the United States, the two primary sources of funds are: government
grants and foundation grants. Grants.gov is the best place to start a search for
grants available through the federal government. Here you can search by
sector. Searches can also be filtered by agency. "Foundations" can be broken down
into several categories: community foundations, private nonprofit
foundations and small family foundations. Foundation Center Online
offers an affordable suite of tools to conduct foundation research. It is wise
for grantseekers to identify as many foundation prospects as possible and
then study the guidelines of each to see which are a good fit, before spending
the time required to submit an application. This can be accomplished by
studying the guidelines of the foundations via their websites, and by
calling to personally speak with a program officer.
Audience analysis Successful grant proposals focus on the
mission and interests of the funding organization. A good audience analysis
allows the grant writer the opportunity to better tailor the content of the
proposal to ensure it follows the ideas of the funding organization. When
submitting a proposal to an organization in another culture, it is important to
understand cultural differences and how they can inform the applicant's
approach. Proper cultural awareness ensures a persuasive argument that is
free of cultural misunderstandings. If a language barrier exists, appropriate
time must be allotted in the grant proposal writing schedule. This will
result in copy that respects the conventions and styles found within the
funding organization. Another helpful way of avoiding
misunderstanding when displaying facts and data in a proposal is to use short
sentences, simple vocabulary, and local conventions regarding punctuation,
spelling, and mechanics. The writer can also discuss with the organization’s
executive board if they are willing to ask the funding organization if they can
do a read-through of the grant proposal draft to determine if the draft reveals
any misunderstandings due to language or cultural differences. Successful graphs
use captions and proper colors. A good label to a graph or chart helps avoid
misunderstandings when reading, and saves the reader the task of looking
back at the text in order to know what the graphics mean. The graphics should
not only be well-designed but should also have colors that are suitable for
the eye and that are only used to represent data and not decorate it.
Color in graphs should achieve something in particular—something that serves the
goal of communication. Dressing up a graph might serve a purpose in
advertising, but it only distracts people from what’s important—the data—in
an information display. Data in charts should be explicit and clearly
categorized. Purpose analysis
Once the purpose of the proposal has been carefully discussed and established
by the writer, the executive board, and the team that will carry out the
project, writing a list of specific outcomes that will surge from the
proposal will be the next step to follow. The list will specifically help
the writer to narrow down the order the project outcomes should be listed and
how much detail should go into each one of them. When choosing what outcomes to
list in the proposal, it is important that they reflect how they benefit the
funding company. Drafting and formatting
The drafting and formatting steps of the proposal writing process go hand in
hand. It may be more helpful to draft the proposal according to the guidelines
that proposals require. The structure of a proposal varies according to the type
of proposal, the type of project, and the organization.
= Structure = Summary
The major components of the proposal should be identified in this section.
Because the summary is the first section of the proposal, it should be short, yet
explicit enough to describe the problem or opportunity, solution, outcomes,
timeline, expenses, and qualifications, while keeping the attention of the
reader. It is important to use clear vocabulary to convey a persuasive
message. The Foundation Center recommends the problem to be explained
in one to two paragraphs. It should include a statement regarding a problem
or opportunity that the applicant organization is ready to address. The
solution should include a brief, yet explicit description of the project, its
logistics, and benefits the program will provide once it is in place. The
expenses should also be briefly discussed in this section. They should
include the amount of funding required for the project, along with
sustainability message that discusses the future plans for funding the project
once the grant period ends. Such information should be conveyed in one
paragraph. Finally, the organization’s qualifications and credentials section
should include a brief history of the organization, their purpose and
activities, along with the credentials of any personnel that will be focusing
on the project. Introduction
The context, scope, and organization of the proposal is found in this section.
Usually the introduction includes a brief description of the problem or
opportunity, also known as the statement of need, the purpose of the proposal,
the background of the problem or opportunity, sources of information,
scope of the proposal, organization of the proposal, and key terms used in the
proposal. Having the key terms in the introduction is a helpful way of
avoiding the reader any confusion. Because the statement of need allows the
reader to understand the applying organization’s request and needs it to
be clearly stated in the introduction. The Foundation Center lists in their
website the following aspects to consider when writing the statement of
need: what facts and/or statistics best support the project, give the reader
hope, decide if the project should be showcased as a model, determine whether
the need should be portrayed as acute, decide if it can be demonstrated that
the proposed project or program addresses the need differently or better
than other projects that preceded it, avoid presenting the absence of the
proposed solution as the actual problem. Plan of work
The solution to the problem or opportunity is presented in this section
as a plan. If the plan requires some type of research, this section is where
such information should be mentioned, along with statistics and examples.
Also, any type of action should be justified with supporting data. The
timeline for the plan or work should also be included in the plan of work. If
the schedule is detailed enough to be included in a chart, it should be
included as an appendix. A successful plan of work should mention the
measurable outcomes of the project. They should be specific, concrete, and
achievable. The methods section includes a detailed description of the project
along with a specific timeline and reasoning behind the methods of action
that have been chosen for the project. The methods section enables the reader
to visualize how the project will accomplish the objectives described on
the grant proposal. If staffing is mentioned under the methods section, a
few sentences should be devoted in order to expand on the specifics of the
staffing process. Another section to include under plan of work is the
evaluation portion of the project. The evaluation aspect usually comes in when
the project has been completed to ensure the measurable goals have been achieved,
and to find ways to better achieve the goals that were not reached. Lastly, a
statement of the project’s sustainability after the grant period is
over should be mentioned to ensure reader interest, and showcase that the
project is one to succeed. Budget
The costs of the work plan should be carefully described under this section.
While the main financial data will be developed after the proposal has been
created and approved, this section should include a broad outline of the
budget in order to make sure the expenses are reasonable and
proportionate to the outcomes that are anticipated by the proposal. Depending
on the type of costs, there can be a division between direct costs and
indirect costs. Qualifications and experience
A description of the qualifications of those carrying out the work plan should
be carefully described under this section. The more complex the project,
the more detailed the qualifications should be. A company brochure can be
used to showcase the company information. If using a prepared
statement, it should not take longer than two pages. The statement should
mention the company’s creation, its mission, structure, programs,
leadership, and special expertise. A discussion of the size of the boards may
be included, as well as a process of recruitment of members, and their level
of participation. Also, it may be beneficial to include the kinds of
activities and services provided by the organization, and the type of audience
they serve. Appendixes
Information that is not included in the proposal such as charts and graphics are
included in this section. If using charts and/ or tables, captions need to
be included. Other types of appendixes include letters of support that serve as
testimonial to the organization’s skills. The letters should be written by
a reputable and well-known person in the field. Also, if a full board list will
be included in the proposal, it should be included in the appendix.
Once the grant proposal is submitted there may be a few more steps to be
followed by the applicant organization including following up with the funding
organization. Many foundation grant makers and some government funders try
to make a visit before they make a decision on a proposal, so a
professional attitude is always needed from the applicant organization.
References External links
http:www.grants.gov A guide for proposal writing from the US
National Science Foundation Short guide for the preparation of grant
applications for the US National Institutes of Health
NASA guidebook for proposal submission