Grant Writing Tips

Virtually all foundations, corporations and other funders expect a proposal to include the following elements:

• Statistics from authoritative sources
• Quotes from research literature
• Your own experience and research
• Stories that illustrate the need

Your "need statement" should address the following questions:

• What is the problem you intend to solve?
• Who are the people with the need?
• When or how is the need evident?
• Why does this need occur?
• What are the consequences of this problem for the broader community?
• How is the need connected with the mission of your organization?

Other tips:

• Be sure that the need is stated in terms of the community or the individuals involved, rather than from the perspective of your organization and its needs.

• Find out if the funder has ever funded work on this problem before. If so,were the previous grants succesful? How does your organization's work on this problem differfrom previous projects they might have funded?

• State the problem persuasively but don't overstate it. Demonstrate that it is solvable.

• Use the need statement to support the need for your particular methodology for tackling the problem.

The goals and objectives will give a clear picture of your project. They should flow logically from your needs statement. Focus on outcomes, not methodology in this section.

A goal is a broad-based statement of the ultimate result of your project. Example: The goal of the Community of Readers is to eradicate illiteracy in our county.

Objectives are outcomes that are measurable and will be achieved through this project.
Example: To reduce by 5 percent the number of inmates in county jail reading at Level I (as defined by the National Institute for Literacy).

Developing Objectives

1. What are the key changes you are trying to achieve?
2. Who will be involved in or affected by this project and the changes it brings about?
3. What is the extent of the change you are trying to achieve?
4. How can you measure and assess the progress you are making?

Tips

1. List your objectives in order of importance and keep them to one or two sentences.
2. Use action verbs. Usually they begin with "To." Often they use phrases such as:
   To expand ....
   To increase ....
   To decrease ....
   
3. One of the reasons proposals are rejected is that the objectives are confusing, non- specific and non-measurable.

In this section of the proposal you will discuss your strategies for achieving the objectives. This section should clearly identify how the funder's money will be spent.

Obviously there should be a direct connection between this section and the objectives.

Be sure to justify why you are using the particular methods, since for most problems there are many alternative methods for tackling them. Is there research that shows that the method you are using is the most effective? Do you have a successful track record using the selected strategies?

A timeline could be very helpful in this section. You might find it useful to organize the project in phases, rather than a monthly chronology.

Focus on the major activities of the project and describe those clearly. Don't waste limited space on activities that are just small steps.

Example

Methods:

• Hire a project director within the first month of the project.
• The project director will recruit 50 volunteer tutors.
• Tutors will receive 20 hours of training before becoming certified. Based on recent national research, the curriculum for the program will combine phonics, whole language, computer assisted learning and small group instruction. Research also indicates that instruction should be at least 5 hours per week.
• 50 inmates who have tested at Level I (only a functional level of literacy) will be matched with certified tutors.
• After ten months of instruction, at least 80% of the learners will test at Level II.

Many proposals have very weak plans for evaluation and some funders reject proposals that do not have a clear plan for project evaluation. One way you can give your proposal a competitive edge is to develop a plan for effective and meaningful evaluation. Indicate how you will use the evaluation findings and stress the significance that these findings could have for yourself and others who are involved in the type of work that you are undertaking.

A good evaluation process will provide you with information about the effectiveness of your methods and the progress you are making towards your objectives. Also, an evaluation will assist you in making course corrections during the project, if you discover that your methods are not moving you toward your objectives.

An evaluation can include both quantitative and qualitative measures. It can include feedback from the project participants/clients.

Indicate in your proposal the questions you are trying to answer with your evaluation and the methods you will use to gather and analyze your data.

Example

• Administer monthly tests to learners
• Chart the test results and set up bar graphs with comparative results for learners and those not in the project
• Gather attendance statistics weekly
• Use computer databases to track all aspects of the program

Qualitative Methods (to assess effectiveness of the methodology)

• Use portfolio assessment methods with learners
• Interview learners to assess satisfaction with the program

Some proposal readers go straight to the budget sections because it gives them the clearest picture of what you intend to do with their grant.

Some of the components you may be asked to include in your budget are:

• Your organization's annual budget
• An indication of when you were last audited
• The project budget
• Justification for expenditures
• The in-kind contribution from your organization and other agencies

Find out before you submit the proposal whether the funder is willing to fund overhead costs. If not, you will have to include only those costs that are directly related to the project.

If you are going to include overhead costs such as rent, utilities and salaries, you will have to have to estimate and assign percentages. For example, you might estimate that 10% of the time of the organization's director will be spent on this project. You can then include 10% of the salary in the project budget.

If the budget is greater than the amount you are requesting from the funder, indicate how you intend to achieve a balanced budget. If you are submitting the proposal to other funders, you should tell each funder that you are making requests of other funders.

Many funders want to know how you will sustain the project after their grant is completed. Your organization should have a plan for future funding. It could include the following fundraising strategies:

• An annual campaign
• Membership fees
• User fees
• Product sales

Summary

One way to develop a strong summary is to verbally explain your project to friends and family and try to do it in six sentences or less. Then listen carefully to their questions. While funders are usually very sophisticated proposal readers, they may know nothing about your organization or your project. The odds are good that the questions your friends and family ask are the same ones the funders will have and you may need to include this information in your brief summary.

Use strong active verbs in your summary. Stress the outcomes the project will achieve and any other unique features of the project. You will only have one to two sentences to state the need or the problem that you are focusing on.

Introduction

The other key component of the introduction is that it should explain why your organization is undertaking this project. You should demonstrate the connection of the proposed project to your organization's mission statement.

Cover Letter

The cover letter should state the amount of money you are requesting and a one to two sentence summary of the project.

Letters of Support

• Do your research before you submit the proposal. Your public library should have directories and annual reports of foundations and corporations. Learn as much as you can about the potential funder. What have they funded previously? What is the typical amount granted?

• Make personal contact with staff and board members (if appropriate). Develop a planning or advisory committee. Include clients, participants, others with expertise and representatives of similar agencies. Ask the committee to critique the first draft of your proposal.

• Pay attention to the appearance of your proposal. It is important that is appears inviting and readable. That means that you have to make effective use of layout. White spaces helps make a document more readable.

• Remember that bold type is easier to read than other techniques for creating emphasis such as capital letters, underlining, etc. However, don't overuse bold type or it will lose its impact.

• Keep it simple. Use plain English. Avoid jargon and big words when a short one will work just as well.

• Use active verbs.
  
  Example of a sentence with a passive verb: The decision will be made by the board.
  Example of a sentence with an active verb: The board will decide.

• Number the pages. Some foundation ask that you not bind or staple the proposal, so it is important to number the pages in case they become separated.

• Headings help the reader skim the proposal. Use them appropriately.

• Call the funder about two weeks after you have sent the proposal. Be very brief. Tell the staff person you are calling to make sure that the proposal arrived and to see if he or she might have any questions.

• If your proposal is rejected the first time, call the funder and ask for feedback. Be open, non-defensive and open to revising and improving the proposal.

• Is there a compelling need for this project?

• Is this project consistent with our funding priorities?

• Does the organization and the staff have the capabilities to implement this project?

• Does the proposal indicate an expertise with the subject?

• Do the objectives seem believable (i.e., achievable)?

• Is the project compatible with the organization's mission and other program commitments? (Or is the organization just "chasing dollars" to meet a fundraising goal or to fill gaps in the budget?)

• Is the program cost-effective? How many people will be served, at what cost?

• Are program participants/clients involved in decision-making or are they portrayed as passive recipients?

• Does the project seem to be breaking new ground? Could it be a model for others? Will the finding from this project be valuable to other organizations and funders?

• Is there a meaningful evaluation process?

• Can the organization obtain these funds from other, more appropriate sources (e.g., its own members, local funders)?

• Are other agencies included in the plan (especially those that the funder may have supported previously)?

• Is there a clear and feasible plan for longterm funding?