When your organization needs a short-term financial boost to
start its charitable projects, applying for a grant is one thing you can do.
But, while a grant application process is fairly simple, writing the proposal can
be daunting.
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Is grant writing really that hard? Certainly not! Not if you
know how. And that’s why we’re here.
Top Grant Proposal Writing Tips
#1. Read the guidelines
Don’t just gloss over the guidelines, read it carefully to
make sure you’re not missing anything important. Minute details can make or
break the grant proposal.
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Donors typically have specific areas of interest, types of
support, evaluation criteria, and eligibility guidelines. Some only make grants
to charitable organizations catering to the needs of communities in a specific locale.
You may also need to submit a grant report to tell the foundation what you do
with the funds.
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In summary, please read the guidelines carefully.
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#2. Outline your action plan
A good action plan lists all the goals, action steps, objectives,
measurements, and responsibilities. The details depend on what kind of project
you’re working on.
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With a well-laid-out action plan, you’re halfway winning the
grant.
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#3. Set a realistic budget
The range of grants varies from one donor to another. Don’t ask
for the maximum amount the donor can give just because you can. Inflating your
budget will only make you look like you’re working for an inefficient organization on a project which is equally inefficient.
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#4. Write clearly
Why are you applying for the grant? Describe clearly how
your specific project will affect the community. Spell it out if you have to.
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Keep your paragraphs as well as sentences short as they’re
easier to read than longer ones. Use graphs and charts to make a point, not to
make your proposal looks sophisticated.
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Be sure to skip the
jargons too. Sorry, but you’re not going to impress anyone with them. There’s
a big chance people outside your organization won’t even understand those big
words. Are you seriously going to make the grant program officer google every
jargon you write?
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#5. Edit and revise
Please remember never
to submit your first draft. Once you’re finished writing the proposal, read it
out loud to your team. Does it sound weird? Do they notice any points that need
more elaboration? Is there any spelling or grammar error?
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To make your editing work easier, just copy and paste the
draft to the online grammar and
spelling checker tool. It can spot errors quickly and easily.
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#6. Start early
You’re not going to write the proposal at the last minute,
are you? Writing a grant proposal is a lot of work. There’s plenty to prepare,
and you need to keep revising the proposal until it’s totally sharp.
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Some grant-giving bodies award grants twice a year. If you’re
aiming for such a grant, make sure you use every second of that six months to
polish your grant proposal.
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