FREE Site For Successful Grant Writing
How to Get Started With Your Grant Application

See a list of over 80 grants for women.  Or get free information on government grants.

Brainstorm

Just because you have an idea for a grant doesn’t mean you are ready to sit down and begin writing your grant proposal. Remember, the general purpose of any proposal is to persuade the readers to do something -- whether it is to persuade a potential customer to purchase goods and/or services, or to persuade your employer to fund a project or to implement a program that you would like to launch, the process is the same. So, begin by asking yourself some vital questions.

• What is the need your project is providing? Maybe: "What need is your project providing?" Ok – use your question.
  
  
• Why should your project be undertaken? 
  
  
• What problem are you going to solve? 
  
  
• What will your project accomplish?
  
  
• Is yours an innovative project or an improvement on an existing program?
  
  
• What new level of excellence will you achieve? 
  
  
• Who will be better served by your program?
  
  
• How will the research contribute to scholarship in your area?
  
  
• How will the artistic community benefit from your work? 
  
  
• How many people will you need to accomplish your project?
  
  
• Do the people have the necessary expertise to accomplish the goals and objectives?
  
  
• If you are solving a problem, what caused that problem?  Why has it not been solved already?  Why has your solution not been achieved before?
  
  
• What are the obstacles to conducting the research, creating the program, performing the creative activity?  Why have others not overcome them? 
  
  
• How will you overcome those obstacles?
  
  
• What measurable and objective outcomes do you want to accomplish?
  
  
• At what point could you evaluate your program a success?
  
  
• What will you need to know for your project to be complete (for the time being)?
  
  
• What level of production are you seeking? 
  
  
• How will your objectives be met?
  
  
• What specifically will you do?
  
  
• Are the results of your project likely to be useful by other institutions/companies?

Begin Writing a Grant

After thoroughly thinking through these and other questions, you can begin the grant writing task. As with the extensive list of grant types, there are huge differences in application and award procedures among grant making organizations. Federal agencies (government grants) and large foundations may have formal application packets, stringent guidelines, terms, and set deadlines with which applicants must comply. Smaller foundations may operate more informally and provide a greater measure of assistance to inexperienced grant seekers. Nonetheless, all of those in search of grants need to go through certain steps in the grant process.

For your project, you will want to write a grant proposal which is very much like a business plan. If you don’t have a business plan already, you need to write one. This proposal should cover all concepts of the project to be funded:

• why it is necessary
• the project itself (the nuts and bolts, how it will work)
• the budget
• a demographic study of the area (who will use the services of the project)
• a summary

Writing a Grant Proposal When No Form Is Supplied

The following informational outline can be used if the funding organization does not provide a grant proposal packet.

There's no trick to grant seeking.  It's not a game.  It requires good planning and hard work. Thoroughly planning the project is the single best thing you can do to insure a good grant proposal.

Identify Your Goals

Every grant proposal will require a section(s) that describes the broad goals and measurable objectives of your project.  You need to detail the activities that will be implemented to accomplish the program's goals and objectives.  Make sure your goals are well developed, realistic and that your plans are innovative and appropriate.

Write a Budget

Your budget and budget narrative must closely match the described activities. 

Evaluation Plan

Your evaluation plan should carefully measure whether the stated project objectives are being met on a timely basis.

Achieving Your Goals

The key to a strong grant proposal is proving the likelihood that you will achieve your goals. Result areas should always be clearly identified and measurement indicators should be outlined. It may not be easy to do, but the value of having clear performance standards cannot be underestimated. If there are potential problems, it is better to address them up front. Be honest and you will be respected.

Click to get more information about writing a grant proposal.

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