How do I write a grant proposal?

 

This might be our most popular question, and we have many resources to help you learn how to write a proposal for your nonprofit: 

Start with our free introductory class, Introduction to proposal writing. You'll learn about a proposal's components and other things you'll need to consider when preparing and submitting proposals. Budgets are an essential part of any proposal, so we recommend you also start with Introduction to project budgets. 

What are the elements of a grant proposal?

The typical elements of a proposal are listed below. 

  • Executive Summary: This is one of the most important parts of the proposal. The reviewer will often read it first to determine if they want to continue reading the rest of the proposal. You’re providing a snapshot of the proposal and making your case that this project should be considered for support. The executive summary is also used by the funder to determine that your proposal is within its guidelines. It should include a problem statement, solution, funding requirements, and information about your organization and its expertise
  • Narrative: It may be helpful to think of your proposal as a recipe. In the narrative, you are including all of the ingredients to build an awesome program that will have a long-term impact in your community. The narrative usually consists of the following sections: 
  • Statement of Need:  The statement of need answers the questions: “Why is your project necessary?” and “What problem are you trying to solve?” It describes a need or something lacking in the community that your project serves. This is not a description of what your organization needs to do its work, but what your community needs. 
  • Project Description: The project description is the main narrative about your project and how it will accomplish your goals. You are telling a story about what will happen when you apply your expertise to the need you’ve identified in your community. Like chapters in a book, the solution you present here flows from the statement of need. All in all, the project description includes:

    • Planned activities, outputs, and outcomes
    • Inputs (staffing, collaborators, materials)  
    • Evaluation  
    • Sustainability  
    • Organizational Information

Tip: The organizational information in your proposal helps convince grantmakers of your organization’s ability to carry out the project. Usually, a page will be enough for you to provide the background information of your overall organization: its history, mission, operations, staff, board, and audience served. 

  • Conclusion: Your concluding paragraph is a good place to call attention to your vision for the future and the long-term impact of your work. It’s also your last chance to make your appeal and reiterate the project’s importance. Don’t hesitate to add a touch of emotion here in summarizing your pitch and looking ahead. This is also a place to recognize the funder for past support, if applicable. If this is a new funder, then this is also a good place to re-emphasize the fit between your work and the funder's giving priorities. 
  • Budget: The budget presents the financial plan for a project, including all project income and project expenses, for a specified period of time. So that means there are two sides to the project budget--what goes out (expenses) and what comes in (income). Learn more with our free training, Introduction to project budgets. 
  • Supporting Materials: Along with your proposal, you’ll need to send a number of documents as requested by the funder. One is a copy of your IRS letter of determination to prove that you are a legal nonprofit. So, first and foremost, you must have 501(c)(3) status. The funder will also probably ask for various financial documents, and a full list of your Board of Directors.

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What types of documents will I need?

Check out our Document Checklist for Grant Proposals, a 3-part blog post series that covers the many types of documents often needed during this process. 

What if I don't have something the funder is asking for? 

 

If you don’t have something that the funder asks for, don’t just leave it out! Provided that your organization and/or project otherwise match the funder’s giving criteria, use this moment as an opportunity to cultivate a relationship. Call the funder and ask, “I don’t have _______; is there something else I could substitute in its place?” Be polite and friendly, and by the end of the conversation, you’ll have an answer to your question, and you will also have had a friendly conversation with someone at the foundation, which will only help you when the time comes for your proposal to be reviewed.  

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How do I write a grant proposal cover letter?

The cover letter often is your proposal's first chance to connect your project with the reader's philanthropic mission. It goes on top of a proposal, but it is not the same as an executive summary, which states your proposal's key points. 

At minimum, your cover letter should: 

  • Request your dollar amount and introduce your project in the first sentence 
  • Describe how your project and/or organization will further the foundation's mission 
  • Reference your most recent contact with the foundation 
  • List the proposal's contents 
  • Give contact details in case the funder wants additional information 
  • Be signed by your organization's executive director 

Find examples of actual cover letters in our sample documents collection. 

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How should I cite sources in a grant proposal?

When writing a grant proposal, you should cite credible research studies, statistics, reports, data, and expert opinions that support your project's need, goals, methodology, and potential impact. 

Your goal is to make it easy for your readers to find and refer to your original source, so that they can confirm the information that you presented and judge its quality for themselves. 

A great source for finding the documentation you need is Candid's Issue Lab. We provide free access to thousands of case studies, evaluations, white papers, and issue briefs addressing some of the world’s most pressing social problems. Chances are you can find a report with statistics or other data you need. 

If the funder hasn't given specific instructions about how to cite your sources, provide the full citation in a footnote on the same page where you quoted or paraphrased the material. Aim to find and cite the original source, instead of an article that summarized the data or results. 

To know what information to include in a citation, use the style guide typically used for your field. Most nonprofits follow American Psychological Association (APA) style. Reference or citation management software can also be a useful tool to help format citations for grant proposals. 

Henry Flood, senior grant management advisor for The Grantsmanship Center in Los Angeles, further suggests that organizations should have a grants policy that requires citations in all proposals and someone to review and verify sources. 

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Five tips for grant writing success

A well-written proposal can significantly increase your chances of securing the necessary funds for your cause. Here are five grant proposal writing tips to help you craft a winning proposal: 

Five tips for grant writing success outlined in an infographic.

 

1. Diligently review and follow grant requirements

Every grant will have specific guidelines and criteria that applicants are required to meet. It’s important to thoroughly understand these before you begin writing your proposal. This allows you to tailor the proposal and demonstrate clearly to the funder how your organization meets each requirement. Although it may be tempting to save time and use a standard proposal for several different grants, this approach increases your risk of missing key requirements and potentially losing out on a grant. If you don’t include all of the information a funder requires, you’ll have a much lower chance of your proposal being seriously considered, as funders will see that you did not take the time to follow their guidelines. 

Hear a funder’s perspective on this: 

 

As an example, if a grant specifies that the project must focus on environmental sustainability, your proposal should achieve the following: 

  • Clearly outline how your project addresses environmental sustainability 
  • Provide relevant data or examples to support your approach 
  • Demonstrate how your organization's goals align with the grant's focus on this specific requirement 

Since 90% of foundations don’t have websites, finding grant information can be challenging. Candid's fundraising search tool is trusted by thousands of nonprofits for grant research and prospecting. 

 

2. Make your proposal easy to read

Funders receive many proposals and have limited time to review them, so it’s essential to be clear and concise in all of your proposal materials. An organized and straightforward proposal is more likely to leave a good impression because it’s easier for a funder to understand your work and why they should support it. Being direct about your funding ask is also a proven way to demonstrate to a funder that you value their time. Try outlining your ask upfront rather than burying it deep within the proposal. 

When possible, it’s best to limit the use of jargon or technical terms—even if this language is well-known in your cause area, it may be unfamiliar to the reviewer and make it more difficult for them to digest your proposal.  

Overall, you should aim for your proposal to connect the dots for the person reviewing it; each of your proposal elements should work together to clearly communicate why your organization is the best candidate for this funding. 

 

3. Back up your approach with evidence

Including relevant data and evidence strengthens your claims and can make your proposal more convincing to potential funders. You can use statistics and case studies from secondary sources or even testimonials from individuals impacted by your organization's work, if you have access to them. 

For instance, if applying for a grant to fund an after-school tutoring program, you could cite statistics on the achievement gap between students from low-income families and their peers. Additionally, you could include data showing how tutoring programs have improved test scores and grades for participating students. Quotes from parents describing how the program has benefited their children would further bolster your case. Concrete numbers, such as the percentage of students who increased their reading levels or the average GPA increase among participants, make a powerful argument for the program's impact. 

 

4. Be strategic with storytelling

A well-written grant proposal will capture the funder’s attention and stand out in a positive way. One proven strategy for doing this is to tell a compelling story that conveys the impact of your organization and the significance of your cause.  

 

Imagine you are writing a grant proposal for a project striving to expand children’s literacy among underserved communities. Instead of simply stating the statistics about literacy rates, you might share the real-life story of a child who discovered the joy of reading through your organization’s work or through a similar program. The story should use descriptive language, evoke emotions, and illustrate the positive outcomes of your proposed initiative. 

You could also tell the story of how and why your organization was founded. The goal is to make your grant proposal engaging and memorable, but this is also an opportunity to organically demonstrate to the funder that you understand their work and why they may be interested in supporting your mission.

 

5. Thoroughly review and edit

Don’t skip this crucial step—no matter how tempting it might be to do so for the sake of time. Before submitting your proposal, carefully review all materials and then have it reviewed by a colleague. Having someone else review the proposal is helpful for catching any mistakes you missed and for getting a fresh perspective. Consider making a checklist to ensure your proposal is ready to be submitted: 

  • Does the proposal clearly meet all grant guidelines and requirements? 
  • Is the proposal clear and concise? 
  • Is the proposal backed up with data and other evidence? 
  • Does the proposal use storytelling to help make the case? 
  • Has the proposal been thoroughly reviewed for spelling, important information, attachments, links, etc.? 

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Sample grant proposals

Samples of actual proposals and cover letters are usually hard to find because the donor and applicant may be very protective of these documents. Also, they usually are very specific to the project, organization, and funder. 

However, our sample documents collection contains a number of proposals, cover letters, letters of inquiry, and proposal budgets that were actually funded. Each proposal includes a critique by the decision-maker who awarded the grant. 

You also might check if anyone in your professional networks would be willing to share sample proposals and cover letters.

 

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Sample Cover Letters & Proposals
Nonprofit Guides

Nonprofit Guides has a sample proposal cover letter, letter of inquiry, proposal, budget, and other items that may be of use to grantseekers.

Templates, Worksheets, Guides, and Sample Documents
Nonprofit Works Inc.

Contains downloadable templates, worksheets, and sample documents for planning, budgets, fund development, communications, and board training.

Sample Grant Proposal
Kurzweil Educational Systems 

Each section includes a brief description of its purpose and what to include.

How to Write an Effective Grant Proposal Cover Letter
LiveAbout

Lists attributes and tips to write good cover letters. Includes sample cover letter.

Grant Proposals (or Give me the money!)
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This handout will help you write and revise grant proposals for research funding in all academic disciplines (sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts). Targeted primarily to graduate students and faculty, but also helpful to undergraduates who are seeking funding for research (e.g. for a senior thesis). Includes sample budget and project timeline.

Purdue OWL: Grant Writing
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University

This resource provides guidelines for grant writing in general and in the scientific disciplines. Note that the specific requirements of funding agencies vary significantly, and should always be consulted carefully before a grant proposal is begun.

APA Style
American Psychological Association

See "Reference Examples" section to learn how to cite common types of sources.