Have you struggled with getting a grant proposal started? Have you pondered how to clearly define the purpose of your request? A good place to start is determining whether your organization needs a project grant or an operating grant. Project grants are for specific projects, and the grant dollars are to be used within a specific time frame, versus a general operating or general purpose grant which can be used to support general expenses to operate the organization.
First of all, I make the assumption that as a grantwriter you have researched your funder to make sure your project fits with the funders mission and funding guidelines and have made some initial contact with the funder to determine if your project is a good fit. If it is, the next thing you must do is find out if they have specific requirements in terms of application forms and documentation, as some funders prefer their own forms and/or cover sheets. Many funders will accept the Minnesota Common Grant Form, which you can obtain via the Minnesota Council on FoundationsWeb site at www.mcf.org.
Summary Page or Cover Sheet
This page is a summary of contact information and a 2-3 sentence summary of your request. Make sure to include how much you are requesting and whether that request covers more than one year. This page should give the funder a quick overview of your request and link your proposal to their mission.
Organizational Information
In 2-3 paragraphs, include a brief summary of your organization including: its history, mission, goals, current programs and activities. Include any service statistics, strengths and accomplishments of your organization. Describe your board, staff and volunteers in terms of involvement, support and quantity. Add information that builds the credibility of your organization and how you effectively work with other organizations.
Problem/Need/Situation Description
This is where you describe the problem, need or situation that you plan to work on and why it is important to do so. You need to convince the funder that the situation is important enough to deserve time and attention and that you have the resources and expertise to help. Discuss current research to support your claims (try to keep the information as local to your service area as possible.) Also explain who wants you to tackle this issue and how they might help you. Whom have you talked with about the issue?
Work Plan/Specific Activities
In this section explain what your organization plans to do about the problem, issue or situation you described previously. List your goal or goals as they relate to helping solve the issues. Break it down further by listing your objectives or ways you will meet the goals. Next describe the specific activities. Some organizations like to format this into a graph, again see if the funder has a preference. Questions to answer in this section include: Who is the target audience and how will they be involved in the activities? Who is going to do the work and what are their credentials? How many people will you serve? How long will the project take place? How will the proposed activities benefit the community?
Outcomes/Impact
In this section tell the funder the impact that your project will have and what will change as a result of your project. What do you want to happen as a result of your activities?
Evaluation
This section deals with measuring your results and explaining how you will know whether you achieved desired impact. Explain your record keeping and data gathering, who will do it and what you will do with the results.
Funding
It can be extremely helpful to funders to include a brief narrative of funding items, such as what other funders have commited or are pending, in-kind contributions, long-term funding plan and the sustainability of the project.
Attachments
One thing to remember for a project request is that funders will require an organizational budget as well as a project budget. Check with the funder for other required financial documents and items such as IRS determination letter, list of board members, key staff, etc.
By Holly Witt, NRS, Alexandria
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