The Components Of Grants

The Components Of Grants The first step to writing your grant proposal is to understand first its many components. Although there is no general format to follow when writing your proposal, its most common components are what we will discuss in this section. A well-written grant proposal is key to any grant application. It must, at all cost, be easy to understand, complete, written in the required format, and brief. Whether the proposal is for your individual need or for your organization, write all the necessary information and details you want your grant maker to know about your proposed project. Remember that grant making agencies will use your grant proposal as a gauge to decide whether to give you funding or not. As previously mentioned, grant proposals may vary in format and style per grant making agency. But most of them require the following components in your proposal: Project or Proposal Summary This usually appears at the beginning of the grant proposal. You may write this in the form of a cover letter or an executive summary. Please keep in mind that this section is the most important foundation of the entire proposal. So take some time and focus when you write this section. A powerful Project or Proposal Summary must have the following: • • • • • • •

Brief overview of the grant seeker (This could be you or your organization) Contact information A general overview of your project plus the reasons why you need funding assistance The amount of grant money you want to request A brief summary of your past projects and achievements (if applicable) Grant seeker’s general objectives especially if these are connected to the grant making agency’s own objectives Other factors that will show project is worthy of the grant

Do not be overwhelmed by the above mentioned items, though. Remember you are writing a summary so keep it brief. Some writers prefer to write this section last, while others do it right away. Whenever you feel you will be most comfortable doing this, just go ahead with it. II.

Body of the Proposal

a.

Introduction of the Organization/Company

Your introduction should include a description about your past, present, and projected operations. Other pieces of information that must be in the introduction include the following: • • • • • •

Your contact details Vision and mission of your company or organization The most recent achievements of your company or organization (if applicable) Short backgrounder of the community, people, groups, etc. who will benefit from your proposed project Backgrounder of your company or organization’s management team Number of staff

•

A list of your past projects that were previously funded (if applicable) – Do not forget to cite how the funds were used and its impact to the served community or group.

b. Assessment of Need/s This section should state the specific problem or situation where the grant money will be used. Depending on your proposed project or activity, it will be a plus if you can support this with a qualified research and statistics. Discuss also the relevance of your project as the key solution to the given problem. c. Goals and Objectives of the Project This part should have the goals and objectives for your proposed project or activity. Remember to keep everything realistic. It is easy to be carried away when doing this but always make sure to keep things real. As you write this section, keep in mind that goals are general and provide an overall understanding of the strength of your project while objectives are more specific. d. Methodology The methodology section should give your grant proposal’s reviewer a skeleton or framework of the different tasks necessary to implement your project. You should also have the required resources for each task. The methods should be explained in detail including the relevance of each to the proposed project. Some key facts that should be part of this section include: number of personnel, materials, timeframe, and other key resources for the successful implementation of your project or activity. Evaluation For this part, you must include all supporting facts and justification to validate your proposed project. You must highlight or give emphasis to the effects and benefits of your project to strengthen its worth for funding. There are two kinds of evaluation: o o

Summative evaluation Formative evaluation

Summative evaluation is done at the start of the project. Its aim is to assess how the listed activities can meet the objectives of a specific project. Formative evaluation, on the other hand, is the assessment of the project during and after its implementation. III.

TARGET SOURCES FOR FUTURE FUNDING

This part is more applicable for people writing their proposals for private grant making agencies. In general, these agencies do not usually fund projects 100%. This section must therefore state your other sources of funds to support your project or activity. IV.

BUDGET PROPOSAL

This section has the nitty-gritty details of your proposed project’s budget. Grant making agencies have very different formats for a budget proposal. Some provide their own budget forms while others require specific formats. So it is important that you follow whatever requirement your grant maker has. If you can, ask the help of somebody familiar in doing budgets when you do this section. Not

everyone is comfortable dealing with numbers so it is best to have someone help you prepare this section. V.

STRENGTH OF THE PROJECT AND ORGANIZATION

When you write this section, keep in mind these two things: you must establish credibility of your company or organization; and you must be able to highlight the strengths of your proposed project. To help you do this, mention the number of board members and key personnel involved in your project. Include their qualifications and achievements to have a solid presentation of this section. The involvement of each member of the board must also be part of this section. Likewise, do not forget to include how your project came about, your purpose, and other positive aspects of your project or activity. VI.

CONCLUSION

This should be a brief summary of your entire grant proposal. This section must strongly reiterate and highlight the strengths of your proposed project or activity. VII.

APPENDICES

This section usually contains attachments as required by your grant making agency. This normally includes the following: • • • • • • • • • • •

Verification of tax-exempt status (IRS determination letter) Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws List of Officers and Board of Directors Financial statements for last completed fiscal year (audited, referred) Current general operating budget and special project budget (if applicable) List of clients served (if applicable) List of other current funding sources and uses Biographies of key personnel or resumes (if requested) A limited number of support letters or endorsements Commitment letters from project/program consultants or subcontractors (if applicable) Diagrams for equipment or schematics for building requests (if applicable)

Now that you know the components of a grant proposal, it is time to start writing your own. Do not be afraid to try and try until you are comfortable with what you have. As mentioned in earlier topics, it will help if you can get someone who will review your proposal. This could be a friend or a relative who has experience in grant writing. You can even ask the help of a professional writer if you want to. This way you can greatly improve on your work before finally submitting it to your grant maker. There are only three possible outcomes after you have finally submitted your proposal: 1. Your grant maker has accepted and approved your grant proposal. 2. Your proposal has been accepted and approved but with limitations. 3. Proposal denied. If the latter happens, take it more as a challenge than a failure. There are other grant making agencies out there that might be interested on your project or activity. Do not hesitate to ask your grant making

agency why your proposal was denied. Take their comments positively. It will surely help you do better next time.