All interviewees agreed that the application was one of the most important components of the grantseeking process.
Here are some tips from the interviewees for preparing a stellar application:
• Match your goals to the priorities of the funder.
This was unanimously chosen as the most important component of a grant
proposal. Funders want to see how the work that your organization is
doing directly relates to their mission and/or objectives.
• Demonstrate a need. Funders need to see evidence of a
legitimate need being addressed by your organization. They want
to see how the organization is measuring the need and working with the
community to find a solution.
• Tell stories of impact. Illustrate how your
organization has had a genuine impact in the community using data,
statistics, personal stories, and pictures.
• Align proposed program and budget. Funders take extra
time while examining budgets. This is one of the major priorities in
reviewing grant applications. As a result, it is very important the
grantmakers perceive the budget to match the proposed program. Make sure
that your budgets are detailed and specific. Leave no room for
confusion.
• Create systems for monitoring and evaluation. Does
your organization have systems in place to monitor and evaluate
programs? Funders want to see evidence of these systems and look for
clear, concrete plans for monitoring and evaluating the proposed
program.
• Make sure it all adds up. Interviewees said
that while reviewing grant proposals, they look to see if the proposal
flows well. Does the proposed program serve to meet the organization’s
goal? Do the monitoring and evaluation strategies determine if the
program met its goals? Make sure that the grant proposal is one
conclusive argument, that funders should support your work financially.
New to grant proposal writing? Check out a great online resource with more tips for writing a winning proposal.