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 may seem to be a giant, scary activity. In spite of everything, you’re presenting your group for judgment with actual cash and assist on the road throughout a time when many nonprofits are seeing drops of their donation numbers.
Whereas that is all true, it’s essential to do not forget that grant writing is basically only a sequence of steps, not a mysterious course of that ends in cash for some fortunate nonprofits and rejections for others.
Profitable grant writing comes right down to group, cautious decision-making, and expertise. The extra you strive, the extra classes you decide up and the higher you grow to be (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 obtained 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 choices. Spend a while studying extra about these key areas of the grant panorama:
- Funders. Personal foundations, public foundations (technically known as public charities), authorities companies on the native, state, and federal ranges, and companies are the first forms of organizations that present grants to nonprofits.
- Funding buildings. Grants are available a number of totally different styles and sizes. Funding could be restricted to the particular undertaking specified by your proposal or unrestricted for common use. Payouts is likely to be given unexpectedly or offered in installments. The whole worth is likely to be a flat amount of cash or matched, that means the grant offers a sure portion of your undertaking’s whole prices (typically 50%). Every of those classes can carry totally different reporting issues that you simply’ll want to know forward of time, as properly.
- The levels of the grant lifecycle. There’s extra to grant in search of than writing a proposal and profitable funding, most notably the post-award steps of grant administration and reporting. Intently following your funder’s reporting tips not solely ensures compliance and easy payouts but additionally units you up properly for future partnerships.
- The elements of a grant proposal. Should you’re model new to grant in search of, you’ll want to know the totally different sections and paperwork that make up a typical proposal. The precise necessities and order will range from grant to grant, however you possibly can typically count on to see these sections:
Try Study Grant Writing’s introductory information for a breakdown of those frequent parts and paperwork.
Step 2: Assessment Your Nonprofit’s Mission.
What are you in search of funding for? The overwhelming majority of grants are restricted, that means they’re supposed to fund particular tasks, packages, or initiatives.
Ideally, your nonprofit already is aware of the brand new tasks 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 provide you with new tasks and packages solely for the sake of making use of for a grant. This can be 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 various 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 properly.
Memberships and paid platforms are additionally accessible and supply further options that may allow you to construct a constant grant funding pipeline. Instrumentl and GrantStation are each in style 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 a protracted 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 very best likelihood of success. A number of standards can assist you prioritize your alternatives, together with:
- Mission alignment between your nonprofit and the funder
- Mission alignment with the grant’s said objective and targets
- Any present connections you may need with the funder
- Applicant success charge, or the variety of awardees over the full variety of candidates for previous grants offered 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 influence in your undertaking
There’s nobody good method to measure competitiveness, and your consolation zone will range relying on the particular circumstances. One useful rule of thumb we suggest is to prioritize grants with applicant success charges of 20% or larger.
Bear in mind, too, that you would be able to (and will) attain out on to funders to study extra when you can’t discover related info on-line or by way of any databases you utilize.
Work by way of your listing a number of occasions, narrowing it right down to a handful of the very best alternatives. Whenever you’ve settled in your #1, it’s time to begin 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 group members as wanted. Higher to speculate the time in understanding the rules now than battle by way of the applying 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 straight from the said necessities of the grant. It will hold you on observe, save time, and lead to a more practical proposal.
We name it the “narrative skeleton.” Work your method 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—this may 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 aim 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 Mission and Gather the Essential Information
Grant proposals include info gathered from throughout a corporation, so that they normally require enter from a number of group members and departments. Earlier than you start drafting your proposal, it’s a good suggestion to sync up with the people who’ll allow you to alongside the best way.
Whereas making ready your narrative skeleton, you recognized info that you simply’ll want in your proposal, like influence knowledge about previous packages or projections in your proposed undertaking. Put together an agenda and invite the people who can assist you collect this info to a grant kickoff assembly.
Throughout your assembly, evaluate 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
- The right way to share info and paperwork with the grant group
- Anecdotes and constituent suggestions that will be useful to assemble
That is additionally the time to debate some essential logistics. Your group ought to finalize the finances in your proposed undertaking as quickly as potential (particularly for matching grants) so as to embrace it in your proposal. Focus on any further 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 comply with up as wanted. The hot button is to be organized—nobody needs 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 fundamental grant proposal. Take into account these greatest practices to assist make this course of as easy and efficient as potential:
- Begin from the tip and work backward. Most grants finish with the meatier and extra advanced sections, like sustainability plans and budgets. Attempt to sort out these first to each get them out of the best way and to maintain their essential particulars contemporary in your thoughts as you draft the sooner, extra narrative-driven sections.
- Observe storytelling greatest practices. Energetic language, use of the primary individual, illustrative particulars, actual individuals 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 appropriate steadiness 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 choices. Ensure that 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 to this point, 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 moderately than shortage; that’s, when you ought to clearly illustrate the issues at hand, hold the give attention to the way you’re shifting ahead urgently and deliberately. Tie your fundamental speaking factors again to measurable influence each time potential and illustrate them with tangible examples and particulars.
We suggest tackling this step quick and furiously.
Should you’ve deliberate out your timeline properly, you’ll have loads of time to evaluate your proposal, get suggestions, and make revisions, however for now, you need power and momentum. For many grants, it’s best to purpose to finish a full first draft in 4 days or fewer.
Step 9: Put together the Full Utility.
With an entire 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 essential present the funder. These mostly embrace budgets, resolutions, and letters of assist. Bear in mind, it’s by no means a foul concept to intently evaluate your grant tips one final time to ensure you’re not lacking something.
At this stage, you’ll additionally probably wish to create a canopy sheet in your proposal that outlines the contents and supplemental supplies.
Step 10: Assessment, Submit, and Take a Breather.
Lastly, ask a teammate to fastidiously evaluate your full proposal and evaluate it towards the grant’s tips. Have them search for any big-picture points, lacking particulars, and clunky language.
Then, make your ultimate revisions and submit the grant in accordance 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 trip, or simply taking an early afternoon to satisfy up with a buddy. No matter works for you!
This 10-step course of has served us and our grant writing college students properly, and it ought to function a useful framework in 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, strive exploring on-line grant writing programs that supply acknowledged certification!
Bonus factors when you go the additional mile in your group—keep 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 tasks. This easy train can go a really lengthy method to streamline your future grant writing efforts and set your nonprofit up for long-term success. Better of luck!
Concerning the Creator
Meredith Noble
Meredith Noble is the co-founder of Study Grant Writing, a web-based membership for these constructing their careers in grant writing. Her e-book, The right way to Write a Grant: Develop into 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 high 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 could be discovered curled round a steaming cup of green-tea and a great e-book.
