Organizational Background and Capacity

This post is the third in a series of posts about writing successful grant proposals. See earlier posts about picking a funder, here, and paying attention to basic requirements like formatting, here.

You may think that a proposal should be focused on the terrific services your program will provide, but often, especially when you are responding to a government-sponsored Request for Proposals (RFP), the funder will want to know something about the organization submitting the proposal. Most funders will ask you to provide introductory material. Sometimes they want to know about the neighborhood in which you operate, and the people you serve.

Remember, when you submit a proposal, that you're entering a competition. You don't have to answer any questions that aren't asked. By the same token, you should answer all the questions that have been asked. But stay focused! You don't have to explain why it's critically important to fund early childhood programs if the funder is seeking to fund day care programs. In that situation, you'll want to focus on why your day care center, in your site in your neighborhood, should be the program that receives the funding. On the other hand, if you're applying to an organization that supports early childhood development, then you'd need to explain how funding a day care program like yours furthers the funder's goals.

The second part of the introductory material often requests information about your organization. This is also not a place to skip any questions. If the funder wants to know about your internal financial controls, find out about them and write a sentence or two describing them. Don't hesitate to boast about your experience, but don't exaggerate it either. Make sure you supply context for any claims. If you're providing statistics, be sure to provide both the percentage and the total number you served. Identify the source of any data you provide.

As always when writing responses or applications, stay within the prescribed page limits. It's always better to be under--if you are, that gives you more space to write your program description. (And that will be the next post in this series.)

Writing successful proposals: the basics

Second in a series of how to write successful proposals; the first post, on picking your potential funder, is here. Today I'm going to talk about the basics: good mechanics, good grammar, and following instructions.

It's very important to pay attention to what the funder wants. Three pages? No more than 50? OK! With 12 point type and one-inch margins? Do it! A table of contents? Attachments? A lot of life involves following instructions (think about completing an IRS 1040). Follow them.

Attend the bidders' conference, if there is one. It's always useful to be in the room and see the body language of the person answering questions. And to hear the questions as they are asked. The summary produced after won't do the drama, such as it is, justice.

Pay attention to deadlines. Like any other piece of writing, a proposal is not something you should be completing at the last minute. If it's possible, finish a draft a week or so in advance, and put it aside for a few days. You can use the time to gather all the attachments -- chances are they are not going to change. Then look at the text again, and revise it. Remember to leave enough time for production, you may be submitting 8 or 10 copies of a lengthy document.

These reminders all sound elementary, and they are, but it's always surprising how often grant writers forget them.

Picking a Funder: First of a series on writing successful grant applications

I'm no longer offering to write grant applications as part of my services, but I am teaching clients how to write successful grant applications as part of the editing and coaching I do. And that has made me think about how I write grants. So here is the first part of what will be a five or six part series on writing grant applications -- successful ones! Most of what I have to say is common sense -- but it's important to work with an experienced grants writer for a while before going it alone.

So -- starting at the beginning -- how do you decide whether to apply for a particular grant or respond to an RFP? Choose carefully. Writing grant applications is resource-intensive, and once you've picked one there may be another coming along at about the same time that you can't apply for. So you want to make sure that you're choosing the most likely funding source.

If you're looking at private funders like foundations, make sure that the program you propose is consistent with what the foundation wants to fund. The Foundation Center Library has a very useful Prospect Worksheet you can use to see how well your program aligns with the foundation's goals. It's available here. One word of caution: use this honestly, and it's helpful. Don't allow your vision to cloud your reason -- no matter how great your program is, if the foundation doesn't fund your kind of work, or won't work in your area, or isn't interested in serving your service recipients, you won't get the funding.

If you're looking for public funding or responding to an RFP, think about the program that's requested. Can you do all the work without straining your existing programs? There's usually a part of a proposal where you are asked to explain how the new program will fit in with your existing ones. If you're doubling your budget or staff, it's a signal to reviewers that you may be biting off more than you can chew.

Think about the type of program you are proposing. Are you replicating a model? If so, do you understand the premises underlying the model? Do you believe in them, so your staff will follow the model? Can you put all the elements into place?

A clear understanding -- of what the funder is seeking, of what you're planning to do, and how they fit together -- is key to picking what grants to apply for or which RFPs you should respond to. And picking well is a good foundation for successful grant writing.