Intro to Grant Writing

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 (source).

Grant Proposal Writing 101

The first step of writing any grant proposal is to plan the project, but the second step is the most important: following the directions of the granting organization (called, the grantmaker). Normally, grantmakers require the following to be submitted within a grant proposal:

1. Cover letter
2. Executive Summary
3. Statement of Need
4. Qualifications & work schedule
5. Budget
6. Conclusion & appendices

The appendices can include any supporting materials or evidence that will the grantmaker in deciding whether your organization is right to address the problem stated in your proposal. According to The NonProfit Times, there are certain trends that have a significant impact on grantmaking to consider.