My 8-Step Process for Writing a Grant Proposal

Finding a genuine grant is challenging in its own right. Once you find a couple of grants, you need to write a grant proposal to get the funding. You’ll likely get only one shot at a grant application. If you fail, it’s back to grant scavenging.

Writing a grant proposal that reflects your project statement, objectives, and mission, while also clearly defining the funding rationale, is the key to getting the money. As such, it is the greatest challenge you’ll face.

In hopes of winning grant funding, you’ll need to write more than just the main grant proposal. You’ll also need a compelling cover letter, a budget summary, and likely a statement of need. That’s why larger nonprofit organizations hire agencies and grant writers to write their grant proposals.

But depending on the grant type, grant writing can take up to 100 hours, and a grant writer can cost anything from $40 to $200 per hour.

If you lack the resources, you’ll have to write your own grant proposal that will impress the possible funder. Fortunately, grant writing is a skill you can master whether you’re applying for private, corporate, or government grant funding.

Key Considerations Before Writing a Grant Proposal

Before we learn how to write a grant proposal, you might also be interested in how to become a grant writer.

Now, here are the factors you must consider when writing a grant proposal:

Understand Your Audience

Tailoring your proposal to your target audience’s interests and needs is crucial. This means researching who will be reading your proposal and understanding their priorities, values, and expectations.

Present your project in a way that resonates with them, using language and examples that are compelling to them. Knowing your audience ensures that your proposal speaks directly to their concerns and interests, increasing the chances of approval.

Choose the Right Funder

Selecting the appropriate funder is a strategic decision. Not only should you carefully choose a primary funder whose goals align with your project, but you should also have a list of backup funders. This prepares you for the possibility of your primary choice not working out.

Comprehend Grant Requirements

Every grantmaking body has its own set of rules, goals, deadlines, and guidelines. Understanding these requirements is critical to your success. Take the time to review and differentiate each funder’s criteria.

By aligning your proposal with these requirements, you demonstrate your ability to meet their expectations and increase your chances of success.

Develop a Specific Plan

A well-defined, actionable plan is the backbone of a strong grant proposal. Clearly outline what you intend to do, why it is necessary, and how it will achieve positive results. Detail the steps you will take, the resources you will need, and the timeline for your project.

This plan should show the funder that you have thoroughly thought through your project and are prepared to implement it effectively. A clear, specific plan reassures funders of your project’s feasibility and impact.

Write a Draft

Begin by drafting an outline of your proposal, breaking it down into sections that address each of the funder’s requirements. This helps organize your thoughts and ensures that you cover all necessary points. As you draft each section, consider how visuals like charts, graphs, and images can enhance your proposal and make it more compelling. Visuals can clarify complex information and make your proposal more engaging, giving you an extra edge over text-only submissions.

Be Clear and Concise

Using active voice and action verbs keeps your writing dynamic and engaging. Avoiding the past tense helps maintain a forward-looking perspective, which is essential for proposals focused on future projects and outcomes.

Be clear and concise in your writing, ensuring that every word counts and that your message is easy to understand. Sometimes, visuals can communicate complex ideas more effectively than words, so use them to your advantage where appropriate.

Include Supporting Materials

Supporting materials, such as a detailed budget, are crucial components of your grant proposal. Clearly outline how you plan to use the funds, providing specific numbers and justifications for each expense.

This could include past successes, relevant research, or testimonials. Providing thorough supporting materials demonstrates your preparedness and the credibility of your project, helping to build trust with the funder.

How to Write a Grant Proposal

If you’re unsure of how to write a grant proposal, here are the eight fundamental steps. Understanding the grant application process is crucial for creating a winning grant proposal. Using a grant proposal template with sections such as the statement of needs, introduction of the organization, and problem statement can help you efficiently create a winning grant proposal. The tips will help you write a successful grant proposal for various grant programs and secure the funding your nonprofit organization’s project needs.

1. Research First, Grant Writing Later

There are many examples of organizations itching to write grant applications before conducting research. One of the top three reasons for rejection is that the project doesn’t align with the funding agency’s goals. Government agencies, in particular, have specific budget requirements, such as airline travel, which must be carefully considered. These grant writing tips will help you write a successful grant proposal for different grants and get you the necessary funding for your nonprofit organization’s project.

What Type of Grant Proposal Are You Writing

Usually, there are three different grant proposals.

• Letter of Inquiry (LOI)
• Full Proposal
• Letter Proposal

Understanding the grant proposal format for each type is essential for creating a compelling proposal. Using a grant proposal template can help structure these different types of proposals effectively.

LOI is usually around two to three pages long and goes to a foundation. The goal isn’t to go straight to grant funding. The LOI should summarize the plan, budget, and how you plan to achieve your goals.

It’s a way to test the waters and see if you and the funder are a good fit. If you are, you’ll be moving to a full proposal.

The full proposal is what most organizations think of when writing a grant proposal. General full proposals can range anywhere from five to twenty-five pages. There are major grant proposals that can go up to 100 pages.

The format is fairly standard, and it includes a cover letter, project summary, and the organization’s budget summary.

The letter proposal is usually for corporations and is usually around three to four pages long. Although similar to LOI, keep in mind that you’re asking for money with the letter proposal, while LOI serves only to check the agency’s interest.

Research Agency Goals

Before you consider even writing a sample grant proposal, conduct thorough grant research. If you’re not sure where to find grants, visit the government’s grant website.

Let’s say you found a couple of potential grant fundings; what’s next? The answer should be obvious: it’s research. Understanding the requirements for a successful grant application is crucial at this stage.

The core of what each funder is seeking in a grant proposal is the same. You need to answer:

• For what does the organization need the funding?
• What’s the grand project and goal?
• How does the funder fit into the story?

However, grant writing is complex because every funder has an idea of what makes a great business or nonprofit project. It’s that grey area that can make the grant proposal writing process difficult, even for experienced grant writers.

One funder will want the financial data in a neat spreadsheet. The other might ask for a project budget statement with a detailed justification for every cent. The third might not cover direct costs such as travel, but has no problem with funding events. And there’s always that one organization that can’t stand grant proposals in Arial 12 text font.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all template. This means that if you don’t read carefully what the particular funder is looking for, your failures will overpower positive outcomes in a second.

Think of it like playing baseball. Although the general baseball rules are the same, no matter which team you play, you still have to prepare for every team separately if you’re hoping to win.

2. Read the Grant Application Carefully

Go through the entire grant application first. Don’t skip. You might feel like you’re saving time, but by skipping, you’ll end up wasting more time because it’s inevitable you’ll have to go back. Understanding the grant application guidelines is crucial to ensure your proposal meets all the requirements. So, read the application carefully.

As you’re reading, underline the following key information:

• Questions you’ll have to answer.
• Materials and data you’ll need to provide.
• Keywords that will help you write a more “pleasing” grant proposal.
• Proposal format guidelines.

Tailoring your proposal to the funder’s specific requirements is crucial, as demonstrated by successful grant proposals.

Keep in mind that most people are lazy when reading grant proposals. Meaning, your grant proposal needs to be easy to read but also not dumbed down to a 6-year-old level. By not being lazy in your application reading, you can get a good idea of what tone of voice to use to satisfy the reader.

Usually, you want to imagine the reader as a knowledgeable colleague who’s too lazy to have in-depth knowledge.

3. Write Down Each Key Request

After jotting down the essentials, create a grant proposal outline. The outline should assess the grant’s purpose and how your organization plans to contribute to the said purpose.

If your organization is focused on helping the local community, you need to focus on activities that promote education, donations, local improvements, and more.

Try to answer the following questions in the outline:

• Who are you?
• How much do you need, and how do you plan to use the money?
• What makes your organization’s project stand out?
• What’s the narrative behind your project?
• How does your project improve the current status quo?
• What is the proposed project and its impact?

This should give you a strong starting point for writing the grant proposal.

Create a General Grant Proposal Outline

Before you dive into each grant’s specifics, create an outline you’ll use for each grant proposal. Although each proposal differs, every grant foundation will ask for the following information in the grant proposal:

• Title Page – The title page should include a brief and direct title, the applicant’s institutional affiliation, the name and address of the funding agency, project dates, the grant amount, and an executive summary (signatures).
• Introduction – A short intro that creates the initial project impression by explaining the project ideas.
• Project Narrative – Provide details such as problem statement, goals, methods, general project process, possible outcomes, and research.
• Organization Personnel – Listing the personnel and a short description of the necessity for the given staff. Which staff members are long-term, which are short-term?
• Budget & Time-Frame – Overview of why you need the money, expenses, how you plan to spend funds, and the time frame in which the project will occur.

To create a winning grant proposal, it is crucial to include an executive summary and a direct problem statement supported by quantitative data and evidence.

There are many books on grant writing that you can check if you feel like you need a specific template.

5. From The First Draft to the Final Product

Before you write a successful grant proposal, you should first write a draft of the grant proposal. The reason for writing the draft isn’t to write a perfect proposal. Instead, it’s to get your ideas down on paper for different grant applications. By not focusing on perfection, you’re saving time while building a solid core for your proposal.

Successful grant writing involves turning ideas into something real and convincing others to get excited about your vision.

6. Create the First Draft

Go back to your outline and questions and summarize them in a single narrative. Determine the key points that will impress the reviewers and support your project. If you have previous projects and experience that will benefit the evaluation, add that as well.

Analyzing grant proposal samples can provide valuable insights into what makes a proposal successful. It is crucial to write grant proposals that will impress prospective funders. This involves analyzing successful grant proposals and understanding the grant-writing process, including the need to write and submit proposals, receive notice of acceptance or rejection, and revise proposals for future funding cycles.

Don’t ponder on a single question for too long. If you feel you’re hitting a wall, move on to the next question.

Although you don’t want to be too specific, you should still outline the specifics of your mission. If you write, “I want to help my community,” you can be sure the reviewer will read that line a million times and will ignore your proposal.

Instead, explain how you plan to use different grants to help the community in a couple of sentences. For example: “The grant will help us buy the computers that we need to provide literacy education to community members coming from low-income families.”

Funders don’t care about general ideas. By providing specifics, you’re indirectly proving your competence to achieve the goals.

7. Review the Grant Proposal Draft

After you write a grant proposal draft, it’s time for a thorough grant proposal review. When reviewing drafts for different grants, here are tips that should serve as a review process guide.

Seeking advice and feedback from experienced individuals is crucial to creating successful grant proposals.

Pinpoint what information will support your cause with the reviewers. Be careful that you don’t accidentally add information that will create implicit bias or acts of prejudice and stereotyping. For example, just because the community you’re trying to help doesn’t have a proper education system, that doesn’t mean the community isn’t knowledgeable.

Grantmakers are looking for high-quality programs. During your evaluation, ensure that you have a clearly outlined reporting system for your expenses. Setting up a streamlined communication system shows you’re ready to report on your program’s progress and how you distribute the funds.

Your funding request needs to be transparent. Meaning, nonprofit organizations seeking funds should have preestablished rules that explain the spending process.

You can take a further step and create review criteria. This can mean adding a numeric rating scale, objectives, and other metrics that help minimize subjectivity.

Check for any specific requests that different grants may ask for. Many funders will ask you to submit the grant proposal online. In that case, don’t bother checking if they accept regular mail or fax.

Although you want to be compelling with your request, there are particular elements you want to stick to like glue. Grant providers have evaluation rules, and they will expect you to follow them. Going too much out of the box can result in disqualification before the reviewer even reads your request.

Finally, have at least two to three readers outside your nonprofit organization check the draft. If they don’t understand what your program is about, the chance is the grant reviewer won’t either. Ask them what parts aren’t clear, go back and rewrite. After you finish rewriting, you can ask the same people or, even better, have a different set of readers review your draft and provide tips.

8. Provide Necessary Documentation

People who wonder how to write a grant proposal often forget that grant writing includes a budget summary and a cover letter.

Providing the necessary grant proposal documentation is a critical part of a successful grant application, as it helps funders understand the applicant’s identity and the alignment of the project with the funder’s objectives.

Research estimates that new programs have a success rate of 30-40%. Meaning, if you want to succeed, you need to make everything count.

Create a Budget Summary

Writing your grant budget summary requires that you clearly streamline where the funding is going. Your mission might be clear and inspiring, but at the end of the day, it’s still business, and funders will want to know how you plan to spend their financial resources.

Government agencies have specific requirements for budget items, such as airline travel, which need to be meticulously followed.

The key here is not to provide general numbers. Be super specific with your nonprofit organization’s needs. If you want to be successful, don’t round up to $1,000 if the equipment you need costs $1,002.36.

Take your time, research the format in which the funder wants the summary, and provide strong support for each cent you’ll be spending on your project.

Clearly list everything your organization will spend money on. This means equipment, staff, business travel, supplies, utilities, building costs, etc. Never have “other expenses” unless you plan to provide detailed support.

Explain why your nonprofit organization needs the resources and how they will support you towards success. Getting grants isn’t easy, but if your project is straightforward and you write honest grant proposals with transparent expenses, you’re bound to succeed.

After providing exact numbers, you need to justify each section. For example, if your nonprofit organization’s program aims to improve primary education in a community, you probably don’t need 20 high-end laptops.

After you finish writing the summary, go back to your original draft and ensure numbers sync between different documents. While it’s ok to have different numbers in other proposals since grants vary, a grant proposal for one grant should sync up.

There’s nothing worse than writing one number in a grant proposal and a different one in your summary. Inconsistency shows the reader that you weren’t thorough and can minimize your success.

Create a Cover Letter

In grant writing, a grant proposal cover letter introduces you, your nonprofit organization, and the project to the funder. Although a cover letter shouldn’t be more than a single page long, you still need to do basic research for different proposals and grants.

A cover letter is a core component of a successful grant application. It helps funders understand the applicant’s identity and project alignment with the funder’s objectives, making it a critical element in the grant application process.

A compelling cover letter is the key to success and ensures that the reader gives maximum attention to your grant proposal.

Not everybody asks for a cover letter. Commonly, corporations and foundations will ask for a cover letter, while federal and state grants won’t want one. Once again, double-check which proposals should include a cover letter before you start grant writing.

Essential tips for the cover letter writing process is:

• Be Brief – You have only one page to share particular ideas
• Don’t Repeat Information – A compelling letter doesn’t repeat the same idea or number twice.
• Match Dates – Although you might have written the grant proposal in June and the letter in August, the dates should always match.
• Add Correct Info – For different proposals, you need to check if you’re addressing the right person and the organization’s address is the correct one. The idea is to leave the best first impression possible. Introduce yourself and the nonprofit organization without overloading the letter with too much information.

FAQs

Here are the most commonly asked questions about writing a grant proposal:

What are the key components of a successful grant proposal?

A successful grant proposal typically includes a cover letter, a project summary, a detailed description of the organization, a statement of needs, a budget summary, and any required supporting documentation. Ensuring each component is well-written and tailored to the funder’s requirements is crucial.

How much time should I expect to spend on writing a grant proposal?

Writing a grant proposal can take anywhere from 20 to 100 hours, depending on the complexity of the grant and the funder’s requirements. It’s important to allocate sufficient time for research, drafting, reviewing, and revising the proposal.

Why is it important to research potential funders before writing a grant proposal?

Researching potential funders helps ensure that your project aligns with their goals and requirements. Many grant proposals are rejected because the project does not match the funder’s objectives. Thorough research can help tailor your proposal to meet the funder’s expectations better.

What are the differences between a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), a full proposal, and a letter proposal?

An LOI is a brief, preliminary document that outlines your project and checks the funder’s interest. A full proposal is a detailed document that thoroughly explains your project and funding needs. A letter proposal is shorter than a full proposal, typically used for corporate funders, and directly requests funding.

What should I include in the budget summary of a grant proposal?

The budget summary should include a detailed breakdown of all costs associated with the project, including equipment, staff salaries, travel, supplies, and other expenses. Each item should be justified to show how it contributes to the success of the project.

How can I make my grant proposal stand out to funders?

To make your grant proposal stand out, clearly articulate your project’s goals, demonstrate its impact, and provide specific, well-researched data to support your request. Additionally, ensure your proposal is well-organized, free of errors, and tailored to the specific requirements of the funder.

Why is building relationships and networking important in the grant writing process?

Building strong relationships is one of the most valuable strategies in successful grant writing. Establishing rapport with funding agencies, local funders, and national organizations can improve your visibility and credibility before you even submit a proposal. Networking with colleagues, administrators, and experts in your field of study allows you to exchange insights, identify collaboration opportunities, and gain valuable feedback on your ideas.

Additionally, engaging community members and groups, such as parent-teacher organizations, fosters buy-in and strengthens your organizational foundation by demonstrating local support. Partnerships and pre-existing connections demonstrate to funders that your project is rooted in cooperation and trust—key qualities that increase confidence in your ability to deliver measurable results and sustain long-term impact.

What common mistakes should I avoid when writing a grant proposal?

Common mistakes include failing to align the proposal with the funder’s goals, providing vague or unsupported budget items, failing to follow the funder’s format and submission guidelines, and neglecting to proofread for errors. Avoid these mistakes by carefully reading the grant application, conducting thorough research, and reviewing your proposal multiple times.

If you are new to grant writing and are looking to break in, we recommend taking our Grant Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a grant writer, how to dominate grant writer interviews, and how to stand out as a grant writing candidate.