Once you’ve done the prep work, actually writing the grant is much easier. You’ve already gathered the information you need to make your case; now it’s a matter of organizing it effectively and writing persuasively. Every application is different, but most will ask for an overview of your organization, an overview of your need, and an overview of the project.
Overview of Organization: This is where you will talk about your mission and the people you serve, as well as your goals and your strategies to meet them. Be careful with your use of jargon here. Many reviewers will not be familiar with your specific field, so explain abbreviations or industry lingo, but be careful not to over explain or talk down to the reviewer. If organization capacity is not in a separate section of the application, discuss it here. Reviewers want to know that you can accomplish your goals. Include any information you’ve compiled about your finances and key staff. Convince them that you will be able to do what you say you’re going to do.
Need: This is where you paint a picture of the problem you’re trying to solve. Discuss your clients, their current circumstances, and how this project will benefit them. Include current and relevant data. It is very tempting to make yourself sound as needy as possible here, but I encourage you to rethink that strategy. It’s important that grant reviewers understand the need, but it is also important for them to know they aren’t the only ones working to fill it. Talk about the any other funding you’ve secured and any other efforts you’re making to find funding.
It’s important to present your cause as worthy, but that only goes so far. Every cause is worthy to someone, and you’re probably not the only person making the case for your specific cause to this specific funder. Focus not just on the problem, but on what sets your organization apart.
Project: This is where you describe the project, including what the grant money will do and how. Discuss the benefits, the project goals, how you will track and evaluate success, and how you’ll continue the project once the grant is over. No one wants to fund a project that will go away once their money does, so make sure you’ve given thought to how you will sustain it after the grant period. Make sure that this project addresses the need you have discussed elsewhere in your narrative.
Other Considerations:
- Follow the instructions and meet the deadlines. Be meticulous about this.
- Make sure every part of your application makes sense with the other parts. Don’t have a project that doesn’t align with your mission or a budget that doesn’t make sense with the funders you’ve outlined in your narrative, etc. Sometimes more than one person from an organization will work on a grant. Make sure that no matter how many people work on it, the final application is cohesive.
- Double or triple check that you’ve included all required documentation and that everything is signed and dated.
- Proofread. Proofread again. Make sure your language is clear and you’ve used correct grammar. If possible, leave the grant for a few days after writing it and then look back on it. Read it out loud. Look for common spelling errors, autocorrections, and grammar mistakes. Most reviewers aren’t going to dock your points for a couple of little errors, but you want your work to be as near perfection as possible. Most importantly, you want to make sure your meaning is coming across and won’t be misconstrued because of distracting errors.
- Put yourself in the reviewer’s place. Remember that they cannot fund every application they receive. They’re not the enemy, but they are looking for reasons to eliminate your application. They have to. Picture a rubric from school. Grant reviewers award points in various categories specific to their guidelines: need, geography, how well it fits their mission, writing, etc. You usually don’t know how much weight each category holds for each reviewer, but you do know that you want to score as high as possible in each category. This is a competition, and the most points win.
Now that you’ve written your grant, submit it (on time!) and wait for a response.
Nonprofit Development Academy 