Keys To Crafting A Winning Grant Proposal

Align your proposals with funders’ objectives, present measurable impact, and elevate your organization’s success in securing funding.

Share

When it comes to securing funding for a nonprofit or community project, understanding what philanthropic funders are looking for in proposals can significantly enhance your chances of success. A great proposal is not merely about asking for money; it’s about demonstrating alignment with the funder’s mission, showcasing clear and measurable impact, and presenting a well-thought-out plan. Here’s a guide to help you craft a proposal that stands out.

Before you sit down to write a proposal, spend some time getting to know both the prospective funder and to thoroughly understand your organization’s needs.

Crafting 01

To write an effective grant proposal, fundraisers should aim to thoroughly understand the funder’s priorities and funding style, and gather pertinent internal information. This is particularly important for larger grants in which you invest a big chunk of time writing and planning. This preparatory work will help you align your proposal with the funder’s interests and present a strong case for support and investment – and not waste your time submitting proposals to opportunities that simply don’t cover your area of focus. Good funders and investors know they need to innovate, but even this innovation may occur within the broad lines of the strategic impact they seek to create.

You want to help your reader in the funding body to make the case internally, with ease: that’s why you want to speak the funder’s language as much as possible and overtly align with their strategy. Here’s a guide on what fundraisers should do before diving into writing a proposal.

Before you start, keep in mind that you might have a brilliant proposal, but the funders may have other funding priorities – they may focus on different geographies, issues, types of grantees or impact strategies. And many of them have more great requests than they can support and are trying to assemble a coherent ecosystem of high-impact grantees and investments. So sometimes even a great proposal won’t be selected because it doesn’t fit what the funder needs to enhance their portfolio.

1. What you can do to deepen your understanding of the funder’s priorities and approach?

  • Review the funder’s websites and annual reports: Funders  typically share their mission statements, values, and funding priorities on their websites. Review these materials to get a sense of what the funder is passionate about and how your organization’s work aligns with their goals.
  • Examine past grants: Look at the funder’s past grant recipients and projects. This will give you insight into the types of initiatives they support and how they align with their mission. Pay attention to the specific areas of focus and the size of grants awarded.

All the time you spend pursuing one opportunity is an investment. If you see that there is not a strong overlap between your focus and what the funder has supported in the past, move on; the exception to this is if you have intel from the funder that they are particularly interested in your work or are broadening their portfolio – and their website and public information just hasn’t caught up yet.

Understand the Funders’ Strategic Goals

  • Identify Key Strategic Areas: Funders often have strategic goals or thematic areas they prioritize. Understanding these can help you tailor your proposal to address the funder’s specific interests. For example, if a funder is focused on education and you’re applying for a health-related project, you’ll need to draw clear connections between the two… or be realistic and look elsewhere, as the time you spend on an impossible proposal is time you could have spent on a better prospect.
  • Analyze Recent Trends: Look for any recent changes in the funder’s priorities or focus areas. This might include new initiatives, geographic areas of interest, or shifts in strategy

Build Relationships

  •  Engage with Funders: Whenever possible, initiate conversations with funders before submitting your proposal. This could be through networking events, informational meetings, or a phone call. Some funders hold information sessions. Let them do most of the talking, so that you know what they need are looking for, though also take the opportunity to inspire them with the projects that you are passionately developing. A great pitch will make it seem to a funder that supporting you is an opportunity that they shouldn’t miss out on! These interactions can provide valuable insights into the funder’s current interests and expectations, and may even create an opening for you to influence the funder’s thinking and innovate around a new area.
  • Leverage Contacts: Use your network to gather information. If you know someone who has worked with the funder or has inside knowledge, seek their advice and perspective. You can sometimes check the list of grantees or investments on the website and then try to seek them out. Does the funder have a bias toward tech-heavy projects? Do they generally fund projects in global majority countries, even if their website says they are global? Do they have an unstated preference for public-private partnerships or overtly innovative projects? You may not always be able to find out, but background research can give you an edge on how to tailor your proposal or which of your organization’s priorities to propose to this particular funder.
Crafting 06

2. What you can do to gather information from within your organization or company to write a proposal that really sings:

First, read the proposal requirements in detail and pick out all the specific requirements. Some proposals may only be open to partnerships, to companies or organizations in specific countries, or require particular types of financial audits. In addition to having a clear idea of your organization’s needs and project idea, you also need to know what the funder wants to know about you and their requirements for a successful proposal.

Also check how much space you have to answer the questions. You may find some funders have very tight character limits: better to know how concise you have to be at the outset!

For a small start-up organization or company, you may find that some proposal processes are just too complex for you to handle: they may require too much analysis, have an excessive number of questions, require more monitoring and evaluation than you can handle, or more financial auditing than you’re prepared to take on. Evaluate your options and try to figure out where it’s really worth investing your time – you probably want to cast a wide net, but you also want to tailor your proposals to have the best chance of success. Certain highly bureaucratic proposals may be better suited for large, established entities that have personnel with specialist expertise. (Of course, this approach to funding distribution can be very exclusionary and reinforce existing inequalities in power and access.)

Organizational Overview

  • Mission, vision and goals: To write a compelling proposal, you need to present a clear and inspiring picture of your organization or company. Ensure you have a clear and concise statement of your organization’s mission and vision. This helps frame this proposal within the context of your broader goals – and can help you demonstrate how your goals mesh with the prospective funder’s objectives.
  • History and Achievements: Summarize your organization’s history, major milestones, and key achievements. This provides context and demonstrates your organization’s credibility and track record. It’s generally more effective to describe what you accomplished – i.e. what changes happened in the real world and how those linked to you your actions – rather than chronicling the projects you did.

Project Details

  • Project Description: Develop a detailed description of the project or program you’re seeking funding for. This should include the goals, objectives, activities, and expected outcomes.

Note: The smarter funders will save you and themselves time by having a two-stage process: they might ask for a very short overview of your project first to see whether it meets their criteria and funding priorities first. Then, once they have screened for alignment, they ask for more substantive details in a heftier proposal.

  • Budget and Financial Information: Prepare a detailed budget for the project, including expenses and revenue sources. Funders will want to see a clear and realistic financial plan. Also, gather your organization’s financial statements to demonstrate financial stability.
  • Evidence justifying the need for your project: this may be required or simply nice to have. This could include statistics, research findings, or anecdotal evidence that highlights the issue your project aims to address or the market for your initiative.
  • Target Audience: You may be asked to document your market or the population you intend to serve. Include demographic information and any relevant contextual information.

Partnerships and Collaborations

  • List of Partners: If your project involves partnerships or collaborations, gather information about your partners, their roles, and how they contribute to the project. You may wish to highlight special skills or accomplishments that bolster the credibility of your proposal. This shows that you have a robust and well-supported plan.
  • Letters of Support: The funder may ask for letters of support from key partners or stakeholders. These letters can add credibility and demonstrate broad-based support for your project. You ideally want to have a mix of support from experts, stakeholders, prospective beneficiaries and high-profile endorsers.

3. Tailoring the Proposal

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary information and have a thorough understanding of the funder’s priorities, you’re ready to tailor your proposal to meet their expectations.

Align with Funder’s Priorities

  • Customize the Proposal: Use the information you’ve gathered about the funder’s priorities to customize your proposal. Make sure to address how your project aligns with their strategic goals and funding interests.
  • Highlight aspects of your project that directly resonate with the funder’s mission. This might include specific outcomes or methodologies that align with the funder’s focus areas.

Craft a Compelling Narrative

  • Articulate the Problem: Clearly define the problem or need your project addresses. Use the evidence and data you’ve collected to make a compelling case.
  • Show Impact: This is, in many ways, the core of what you need to demonstrate. How will investing in your approach credibly make a difference? Describe how the funding will help achieve the project’s goals and the broader impact on the community or issue area. Funders want to see that their investment will make or contribute to a tangible change.
  • You may also need to include a monitoring, evaluation and learning plan, so that both you and the funder can continually up your game and gain insight into the environment in which your intervention takes place.

4. Reviewing and Finalizing

Before submission, ensure that your proposal is clear, concise, and free of errors. It should accurately reflect the project details and align with the funder’s guidelines. Have colleagues or stakeholders review the proposal for feedback. They can provide valuable insights and catch any issues you might have missed.

Follow Guidelines

  • Adhere to Requirements: Double-check that your proposal meets all the funder’s guidelines, including formatting, required documents, and submission procedures.
  • Submit on Time: Ensure that you submit the proposal by the deadline. Late submissions are typically not considered.
Crafting 05

Preparing to write a grant proposal involves more than just drafting text; it requires a strategic approach to understanding the funder and gathering internal information. By thoroughly researching the funder’s priorities, collecting comprehensive internal data, and tailoring your proposal to align with the funder’s goals, you position your organization for a stronger chance of securing funding. This preparatory work not only enhances the quality of your proposal but also demonstrates your organization’s readiness and professionalism. As you embark on your next proposal, remember that effective preparation is key to crafting a compelling and successful grant application.

Unlock Your Grant Potential Today!

Sign up now to discover the best funding opportunities and simplify your grant applications with AI-powered tools.

Enter Your Email: