7 Steps for Writing Winning Grant Proposals

Every grant has its unique set of guidelines you’ll need to familiarize yourself with before submitting your proposal. Before you even begin drafting your next grant proposal, download, print, and thoroughly read the guidelines to ensure you’re compliant and avoid disqualifying yourself off the bat. By understanding what the funders are looking for, you’ll have a guide to each part of your application – which sets you up for submitting a successful grant request before it’s even reviewed.

Did you just review the funding guidelines and requirements and now you’re overwhelmed? Take a deep breath, you’ve got this! Before you begin writing anything, start by creating a bullet-point outline. Think of this outline as the backbone of your narrative. What problem are you addressing? How will your project make a difference? Highlight the main points of your story here. This foundation will help keep your proposal focused and on track.

It never hurts to get a helping hand and bring together a gathering of minds when writing a grant proposal. Start by gathering the key stakeholders and resources you need to bring your proposal to life. Whether collecting crucial documents, delegating tasks, or setting deadlines, hosting a quick kick-off meeting will help ensure everyone starts on the same page and sets the stage for smooth collaboration.

Finalizing your budget is one of the most critical components of your proposal to be successful. The group or individual providing the grant funds will want to know how you’ll use their money and see that you’ve planned your project thoroughly and carefully. Establish all the costs associated with your project early. This helps ensure they align with the guidelines and the scope of your proposed activities without hitting funders with an unexpected curveball that might hurt your chances of securing the dollars.

Once you’ve developed your outline, hosted a kick-off meeting with contributors and stakeholders, and finalized your project budget, it’s time to dive into the writing. Make your story compelling and concise, highlighting the importance and impact your project will have within your community. Make sure in your proposal, it’s crystal clear about how your project aligns with the funder’s priorities. It really should be so obvious what your project is there’s no room for ambiguity about the goals. Above all, remember a well-crafted narrative can help you stand out against other applicants.

Nearly all grant applications require additional documents to be used as supporting evidence for why your project should receive funding. This can include documents including financial statements, letters of support, or other relevant materials. Ensure these documents are up-to-date and meet the specific requirements outlined in the guidelines. As we mentioned earlier, during your initial kick-off meeting, appoint a point person to collect and audit these supporting docs ahead of time so you’re not scrambling and stressing trying to gather everything together at the last minute.

Before submitting, it’s essential to have another pair of eyes review the proposal. Not only will this help catch any spelling, grammar, or guideline errors, but it can also provide vital new perspectives or ideas that your grant proposal could benefit from. Once you’ve made your final edits, submit your proposal and celebrate the hard work you’ve put in!

We’re not saying writing winning grant proposals will be easy, but following these steps will help simplify the process and set you up for improved success. Ahead of your next grant application, start by familiarizing yourself with the guidelines and requirements. Next, define your narrative for your project so you’ll be able to clearly articulate the value it would provide the community if funding is secured. Then, gather your team of contributors and stakeholders to host a kick-off meeting where your team will get their marching orders to ensure the proposal gets across the finish line.

After that, you’ll be well on your way to writing a winning grant proposal by following all the steps highlighted in this blog. Above all, remember you can write a winning grant proposal with hard work and a little luck!

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