Studying grant writing is a ceremony of passage for a lot of nonprofit professionals. Many people first dive into grant writing with minimal (and even no) prior expertise.
Writing a grant proposal would possibly appear to be an enormous, scary activity. In spite of everything, you’re presenting your group for judgment with actual cash and help on the road throughout a time when many nonprofits are seeing drops of their donation numbers.
Whereas that is all true, it’s necessary to keep in mind that grant writing is absolutely only a sequence of steps, not a mysterious course of that leads to cash for some fortunate nonprofits and rejections for others.
Profitable grant writing comes all the way down to group, cautious decision-making, and expertise. The extra you attempt, the extra classes you choose up and the higher you turn into (which is why many organizations depend on grant writing freelancers who focus solely on the craft).
However let’s say you’re working in-house and simply acquired handed your first grant writing project—what subsequent? We break it down into an approachable 10-step course of.
Step 1: Perceive the Grant Panorama and Course of.
First, you’ll want some context to make extra knowledgeable selections. Spend a while studying extra about these key areas of the grant panorama:
- Funders. Non-public foundations, public foundations (technically known as public charities), authorities companies on the native, state, and federal ranges, and firms are the first forms of organizations that present grants to nonprofits.
- Funding constructions. Grants are available a couple of completely different styles and sizes. Funding may be restricted to the precise undertaking specified by your proposal or unrestricted for common use. Payouts could be given unexpectedly or supplied in installments. The overall worth could be a flat sum of money or matched, which means the grant supplies a sure portion of your undertaking’s whole prices (typically 50%). Every of those classes can convey completely different reporting issues that you simply’ll want to know forward of time, as nicely.
- The phases of the grant lifecycle. There’s extra to grant looking for than writing a proposal and successful funding, most notably the post-award steps of grant administration and reporting. Intently following your funder’s reporting tips not solely ensures compliance and clean payouts but in addition units you up nicely for future partnerships.
- The components of a grant proposal. Should you’re model new to grant looking for, you’ll want to know the completely different sections and paperwork that make up a typical proposal. The precise necessities and order will range from grant to grant, however you may typically count on to see these sections:
Take a look at Be taught Grant Writing’s introductory information for a breakdown of those widespread elements and paperwork.
Step 2: Assessment Your Nonprofit’s Undertaking.
What are you looking for funding for? The overwhelming majority of grants are restricted, which means they’re supposed to fund particular initiatives, packages, or initiatives.
Ideally, your nonprofit already is aware of the brand new initiatives that want funding as a part of its broader strategic plan and calendar.
Do not put the cart earlier than the horse—solely apply for grant alternatives that align together with your mission and what you already wish to accomplish. Don’t give you new initiatives and packages solely for the sake of making use of for a grant. It is a recipe for mission drift, disorganization, and finally, a much less centered and efficient nonprofit.
Step 3: Analysis Grant Alternatives.
Begin on the lookout for your first (or subsequent) grant to use for.
There are lots of useful sources to take a look at. For presidency grants, depend on the official grants.gov web site. Candid and The Nationwide Council of Nonprofits present useful directories for all kinds of basis grants, as nicely.
Memberships and paid platforms are additionally obtainable and supply extra options that may make it easier to construct a constant grant funding pipeline. Instrumentl and GrantStation are each well-liked decisions on this class.
Begin your analysis by discovering alternatives that align together with your mission, supposed undertaking, worth, and timeframe. Don’t be afraid to place collectively an extended listing at this stage.
Step 4: Prioritize Your Choices.
Subsequent, start narrowing down your listing of grant alternatives to people who will give you the best probability of success. A number of standards may help you prioritize your alternatives, together with:
- Mission alignment between your nonprofit and the funder
- Undertaking alignment with the grant’s acknowledged objective and objectives
- Any current connections you might need with the funder
- Applicant success fee, or the variety of awardees over the full variety of candidates for previous grants supplied by the funder
- The prominence of the funder or the niche-ness of the grant (as proxy measures of competitiveness)
- The price of pursuing the grant or the trade-off of time spent making use of for and managing it versus its precise worth or affect in your undertaking
There’s nobody excellent approach to measure competitiveness, and your consolation zone will range relying on the precise circumstances. One useful rule of thumb we suggest is to prioritize grants with applicant success charges of 20% or better.
Bear in mind, too, you could (and may) attain out on to funders to be taught extra for those who can’t discover related info on-line or by way of any databases you employ.
Work by way of your listing a number of occasions, narrowing it all the way down to a handful of the most effective alternatives. Once you’ve settled in your #1, it’s time to start out making use of.
Step 5: Dive Deep into the Grant’s Tips.
Your chosen grant’s tips and necessities would be the basis of all the things that comes subsequent. Take your time to learn, learn, and reread them.
Actively search clarification from the funder and skilled staff members as wanted. Higher to take a position the time in understanding the rules now than battle by way of the appliance course of later and notice you’re off-target!
Step 6: Put together a Narrative Skeleton.
Start by giving your self a stable construction to construct on, one which’s constructed immediately from the acknowledged necessities of the grant. This may preserve you on monitor, save time, and lead to a simpler proposal.
We name it the “narrative skeleton.” Work your means by way of the grant’s tips and necessities and compile them into a top level view.
Use the precise language from the rules because the part headings—it will instantly convey relevance to your funder. Start brainstorming speaking factors and forms of knowledge to incorporate in every part as you consider them, however don’t fear about filling within the particulars and drafting full sentences but. The purpose is solely to put the groundwork with an easy-to-use template that you simply’ll later fill in and polish right into a completed product.
Step 7: Kick Off the Undertaking and Acquire the Essential Information
Grant proposals include info gathered from throughout a corporation, so that they often require enter from a number of staff members and departments. Earlier than you start drafting your proposal, it’s a good suggestion to sync up with the people who’ll make it easier to alongside the way in which.
Whereas getting ready your narrative skeleton, you recognized info that you simply’ll want on your proposal, like affect knowledge about previous packages or projections on your proposed undertaking. Put together an agenda and invite the people who may help you collect this info to a grant kickoff assembly.
Throughout your assembly, overview the next necessities:
- The grant, the funder, and the rules
- Your timeline and supposed submission date
- The information you want, from whom, and by when
- How you can share info and paperwork with the grant staff
- Anecdotes and constituent suggestions that will be useful to assemble
That is additionally the time to debate some necessary logistics. Your group ought to finalize the finances on your proposed undertaking as quickly as doable (particularly for matching grants) so that you could embrace it in your proposal. Talk about any extra documentation required by the grant, and get the ball rolling on securing it quickly. For some organizations, it may take fairly some time to safe official board resolutions, for example.
Reply questions, thank everybody for his or her time, and observe up as wanted. The secret is to be organized—nobody desires to be roped right into a undertaking the place they don’t perceive what’s wanted of them or when.
Step 8: Write Your Grant Narrative.
After your assembly, and as knowledge and enter start rolling in, begin drafting your predominant grant proposal. Take into account these finest practices to assist make this course of as clean and efficient as doable:
- Begin from the top and work backward. Most grants finish with the meatier and extra advanced sections, like sustainability plans and budgets. Attempt to deal with these first to each get them out of the way in which and to maintain their necessary particulars recent in your thoughts as you draft the sooner, extra narrative-driven sections.
- Observe storytelling finest practices. Lively language, use of the primary particular person, illustrative particulars, actual folks and locations, and a dynamic, optimistic tone all assist your readers higher envision their very own roles in your story and people of your neighborhood. Attempt to strike the fitting stability of delicate however emotionally compelling storytelling.
- Steadiness your narrative with arduous numbers. Funders are moved by tales, however they’ve to make use of numbers to make selections. Make it possible for your proposal makes a balanced case that’s defensible from each the qualitative and quantitative angles. Use knowledge for instance the issue you’re fixing, your progress thus far, and the way a lot additional your new undertaking will push you towards success.
- Keep centered and impact-forward. Write from a place of power reasonably than shortage; that’s, when you ought to clearly illustrate the issues at hand, preserve the concentrate on the way you’re transferring ahead urgently and deliberately. Tie your predominant speaking factors again to measurable affect at any time when doable and illustrate them with tangible examples and particulars.
We suggest tackling this step quick and furiously.
Should you’ve deliberate out your timeline nicely, you’ll have loads of time to overview your proposal, get suggestions, and make revisions, however for now, you need power and momentum. For many grants, you need to intention to finish a full first draft in 4 days or fewer.
Step 9: Put together the Full Software.
With a whole draft in hand that you simply’ve combed by way of and tightened up, it’s time to compile all the extra documentation it’s good to present the funder. These mostly embrace budgets, resolutions, and letters of help. Bear in mind, it’s by no means a nasty thought to intently overview your grant tips one final time to be sure to’re not lacking something.
At this stage, you’ll additionally seemingly wish to create a canopy sheet on your proposal that outlines the contents and supplemental supplies.
Step 10: Assessment, Submit, and Take a Breather.
Lastly, ask a teammate to fastidiously overview your full proposal and examine it in opposition to the grant’s tips. Have them search for any big-picture points, lacking particulars, and clunky language.
Then, make your remaining revisions and submit the grant in keeping with the funder’s directions (ideally a minimum of a day or two earlier than the official deadline).
As soon as it’s out of your fingers, take a breath, let everybody know, thank them for his or her assist, and shake off all of the nervous power. We suggest taking a stroll, bike experience, or simply taking an early afternoon to fulfill up with a buddy. No matter works for you!
This 10-step course of has served us and our grant writing college students nicely, and it ought to function a useful framework on your first forays into the world of grant writing, too. Observe its core suggestions and keep extraordinarily organized. If you wish to make your new abilities official, attempt exploring on-line grant writing programs that supply acknowledged certification!
Bonus factors for those who go the additional mile on your group—bear in mind the listing of prioritized listing of grant alternatives you developed in Steps 3 and 4?
Revisit them to create a coherent Grant Funding Technique, a yearlong roadmap of grant alternatives that can maintain your present and upcoming initiatives. This easy train can go a really lengthy approach to streamline your future grant writing efforts and set your nonprofit up for long-term success. Better of luck!
In regards to the Writer
Meredith Noble
Meredith Noble is the co-founder of Be taught Grant Writing, a web-based membership for these constructing their careers in grant writing. Her e book, How you can Write a Grant: Grow to be a Grant Writing Unicorn, is a bestseller for nonprofit fundraising and grants. Her experience has been featured in NASDAQ, Forbes, Quick Firm, Enterprise Insider, and different prime publications. She has secured over $45 million in grant funding, and her college students have secured over $627 million – a quantity that grows day by day. If Meredith’s not biking or snowboarding in Alaska, she may be discovered curled round a steaming cup of green-tea and a superb e book.