2. Pre-Grant Writing check list
◦ Meet all of the grants requirements
◦ Summary statement
Brief paragraph
Who you are, what your project is, money needed
◦ Create an outline
Describe each point of your proposal
Expand on each point as needed
◦ Go back and make sure that the grant funder
matches the funds you need
Re-check the requirements
3.
4. Form Grant Committee
◦ Get a group of colleagues together to work on the
project as a team
Two, or more, eyes are better than one
Brainstorm
◦ Get ideas on paper
Decide on Goals
◦ Have clear goals and a plan on how you will meet
those goals
5. Lets the granter know what you are looking for or
what you need at a glance
Very Similar to a Cover Letter
◦ At a glance goals and objectives
Short and Sweet
◦ Can be as short as a few sentences but no longer than
one page
Be Complete
◦ Concise and to the point goals that are clearly stated
Time to impress
◦ Should be . . .
Well written, concise, and intriguing so that the grant
reviewer will want to keep reading
6. Meat of your proposal
◦ Where you convince the granter on why you need these funds
or resources
State what you propose to do is right and why your
organization is the right one to do it
◦ Assume reader does not know about the issue/problem
Explain what the problem is and how it is important
Show them research done to search for possible solutions
◦ The need statement must include stories and data, and
be matched to the interests of the granting organization.
Goal is to convince the funder that this project solves
an important societal problem, and that the funder
should be completely interested in supporting it.
7. Explain what your organization plans to do
about the problem
◦ Spells out what you hope to accomplish and specific
outcomes or results from your project
Goals
◦ General or broad outcomes
Objectives
◦ Specific steps you will take to achieve those
outcomes
8. Section where you will walk the grantor by the
hand through EXACTLY HOW you will the
goals and objectives from the previous slide
◦ This section must be very detailed and go into every
aspect and step of the project’s process until
completion
Include a timeline along with a who will do what when
Provide Logic Model
Simple Chart of the key elements of the project
Inputs-What is needed to complete the project
Outputs-What will be produced
Outcomes-What will be gained
Impacts-How it will effect the community at large
9. Funder’s want to know that their money is
going to actually do something so one must
decide in the grant writing process how they
will evaluate the impact of their project.
◦ Include what records you will keep or data you will
collect and how you will use that data
If this process costs money make sure to include that
cost in your budget
Many organizations hire outside firms to do this data
collection
10. Most funders do not like to be the only
source of funds so. . .
◦ Show the grantor that you have committed funds
from other sources
◦ Also show the in kind contributions you expect
Like, a meeting space or any equipment
Any and all sources you may have gotten funds from
Like
Fundraisers
Other Grantors
Private investors
Etc.
11. A few paragraphs explaining your organization
◦ Explain what your organization does
◦ Why it can be trusted to use the resources responsibly
and effectively
History of your organization
◦ State its mission
◦ The population it serves
◦ Provide overview of past projects and accomplishments
◦ Describe/list other programs
Be Complete and describe everything about
yourself
12. How much will the project cost as a whole
◦ Explains the money your organization will need and
how it is going to be used to the grantor
Needs to include expected expenses and income
expenses
Expected expenses are. . .
Personnel expenses
Direct project expenses
Administrative or overhead expenses
Income Expenses are. . .
Earned income
Contributed income
13. Where you show the grantor all of the
additional work, research, and documentation
that your organization is trust-worthy
◦ Need such things as
IRS letter showing your organization is tax-exempt
List of your board of directors and their affiliations
Financial statement from your last fiscal year
Budget for your current fiscal year
Budget for your next fiscal year if it is upcoming
Anything else that the grantor requires you to show or
prove within the requirements
14. This is the first thing that the grantor will see and
read about your organization so make it
professional but eye catching
◦ This is simply a brief summary and quick and concise
needs statement on why your organization needs these
funds
◦ Also is a brief and concise statement about your
organization and what it has done and what it wants to
do
This is the thing that will grab the grantor and
make them want to continue reading
Should be completed last so you know exactly
what you want and can state it in a paragraph or
two
15. The final process to writing a grant is putting it
all together
◦ First the grant should be proof read and gone over so
that there are no grammatical or analytical mistakes
Need to make sure that you have provided and answered
everything that is required for the grantor
◦ Next a Cover Letter and Cover sheet should be added
with your organizations CEO’s signature on both
◦ Does not need to be placed into a fancy binder but
should be held together as one piece in some form
◦ Make a copy of the grant for personal files
◦ Mail it to the grantor
16. After mailing the grant application wait a little
while and check in how the application is doing
by contacting the grantor
◦ Ask if it was received and complete
Keep the grantor informed
◦ Mail or contact the grantor if your organization has
accomplished anything new or has been sited in a news
article
Be patient and wait
◦ The application process can take sometime so be patient
and you will be notified if you have received the grant
Good Luck!
