Grant Writing Best Practices

Basic Proposal Writing Principles

1. The Proposal should be Neat, Clean and Easy to Read!

• Proofread the document, there should be no typographical errors.
• Send the original. Only send copies if the funders request copies
• Make sure the proposal is broken up into paragraphs. Provide adequate “breathing space” within the body of the proposal
• Don’t submit proposals in extravagant packaging. Expensive covers may indicate that you waste money.

2. Write Your Proposal in English.

• Avoid using jargon
• Define the terms you use
• Have people who are unfamiliar with the proposal review it for clarity

3. Make It Brief

• Make it long enough to clearly communicate your point

4. Be Positive

• According to the Grantsmanship Center, “You’re an applicant, not a supplicant! Don’t beg!”
• Avoid calling attention to mistakes

5. Avoid Unsupported Assumptions

The following are some common assumptions:

• Grant seekers do not include information about their organization because they assume that the funding source has heard of them already
• Grant seekers describe the national scope of a problem but do not state how it relates to the community where the grant seeker works
• Grant seekers identifies a causal relationship between events; but does not provide evidence of cause and effect.

Proposal Checklists

The following section describes the sections of a proposal:

The Proposal Summary

Although the proposal summary appears at the beginning of the proposal, it should be completed at the end of the proposal writing process. The summary should include the following elements:

• A statement about the grant seeking organization’s credibility
• The issue or problem which will be met through the proposal
• The objectives of the funding proposal
• A description of the activities to be accomplished to meet the objectives
• Total cost, the funds already committed and the amount asked for in the proposal

The Introduction

The section should be thorough and descriptive. Its purpose is to describe the agency’s qualifications as and applicant and provide credibility. In some instances, it may even take half the length of the proposal. While government proposals do not always require introductions, they ask for a description of the applicant” or “background”.

In writing the introduction, make sure to include the following information:

• Establish who is applying for funding
• Describe applicant agency purpose, goals and programs
• Describe targeted clients and program beneficiaries
• Delineate accomplishments
• Provide statistics and data which support credibility, particularly in areas which will be funded
• Provide statements or endorsements to support credibility
• Will lead logically to the problem statement
• Keep it brief, interesting and free of jargon

The Problem Statement or Needs Assessment

This is the most critical part of the proposal. It states the reason behind the proposal. The section should focus on the condition of the target population and beneficiaries. A problem statement should examine a situation, relate it to similar situations in other communities, and show how it may have broader implications for the program. The problem statement should do the following:

• Should be related to the organization’s goals and purpose
• Organizations should support the problem statement from evidence drawn from experience, statistics, and knowledgeable persons or testimony.
• It should be of something that you can realistically do something about
• Problem statement should focus on the needs of target groups and beneficiaries and not on the implementing organization’s needs

Program Objectives

The objectives are outcomes of the project, not the activities related to the project implementation. The difference between activities and objectives is the difference between means and ends. Objectives begin with statements like “to increase….” “to decrease…” and “to reduce…” Program objectives should, “Tell who is going to be doing what, when, how much” and “how we will measure it.”

Before submitting the proposal, make sure that program objectives do the following:

• Describe the project’s problem-related outcomes
• Do not describe project activities
• Define the targeted populated
• State when the objectives will be met
• Describes objectives in numerical terms

Methods (Activities)

The methods will describe the steps to be taken to achieve the desired results. The methods should flow from the objective statements. Be sure to accompany methods with an explanation and a rationale. Explain why you think the methods will work. Before submitting the proposal, ensure that the methods section contains the following information:

• Methods should flow from problems and objectives
• Clearly describe program activities
• State reasons for selection of activities
• Describe sequence of activities
• Describe program staffing
• Describe clients and client selection
• Activities should be reasonable, i.e. they should be able to be undertaken during the allotted period of time

Evaluation

An effective evaluation should contain two components: a “product evaluation” and a “process evaluation.” The product evaluation should do the following:

• Describe whether the program has achieved the stated objectives
• State whether the accomplishments can be attributed to the program

A process evaluation should do the following:

• State whether the program has been conducted in a manner consistent with the plan.
• State the relationship of different program activities to the effectiveness of the program

Moreover, an evaluation should state the following:

• Who is conducting the evaluation ad how the evaluator will be selected
• Define evaluation criteria
• Describe data gathering methods
• Explain test instruments or questionnaires
• Describe data processing analysis
• Show how evaluation will be used for program improvements
• Describe evaluation reports to be produced