Strategies for Developing a Compelling Grant Proposal
The key to developing a compelling grant proposal is a thorough program planning process. The key to writing a compelling grant proposal is writing compelling project plans. In this article, I’ll show you how to build a program planning process to simplify the grant application process.
Strategy 1: Understand your Participant’s Needs and Priorities
Your program will not be successful if it doesn’t meet the needs of your target population. Be sure to use data from a needs assessment that has been approved by participants with lived experience. If the needs assessment you choose doesn’t independently verify or mention that the process includes the input of participants with lived experience, you can conduct a local focus group to vet the assessment.
Using data from the needs assessment, write a profile describing the demographic, financial, environmental, cultural, and historical experiences of the participants. Be sure to use strengths-based, person-centered language when writing about your target population.
Finally, write a problem statement. Explain why your organization exists, or more specifically, why it needs to exist. What specific problem are you solving with your project? Does your organization serve young girls? There are hundreds of organizations already serving young girls. It’s ok to choose a population that is already being served; you still need to identify what makes your project or organization unique in the space.
Strategy 2: Describe Your Theory of Change
Describe your approach to solving the problem you just stated. Write a compelling story that highlights the impact of your organization’s work. Describe your service delivery approach – home-based case management, center-based programming, mobile services, etc., and your evidence base. Evidence-based means that you rely on objective data and best practices within your industry to inform your service delivery. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to pay for an expensive curriculum (although you can certainly raise funds to do so), there are plenty of free resources available for evidence-based programs. The California Evidence Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare is an example of a directory of evidence-based programs. You can find yours with a simple Google search: Evidence-based programming for [insert your cause]. Explain how you will incorporate this evidence into your program strategy.
Strategy 3: Use Local Data
Use data and evidence to support your proposal and demonstrate the project’s potential impact. Using local data elevates your proposal by making it relatable to the reviewers (most likely local volunteers). If your program is the first of its kind in your area, use local data that supports the need for your specialized intervention. Data from the problem statement section can be used here as well.
Be clear and concise, use simple language, and avoid jargon. Make sure your proposal is easy to read and understand by a person not intimately familiar with your industry.
Strategy 4: Provide a Clear Budget
Start by creating a comprehensive master budget that is aligned with the priorities of your target population. This master budget should serve as the foundation for your project’s financial planning, ensuring that all expenses are accounted for, and the budget covers multiple years to account for growth. Once the master budget is established, it can be tailored to suit the specific guidelines and priorities of various funders to create individualized funder-aligned budgets for each proposal.
Begin by listing all aspects of your project, from staffing and operational costs to equipment and other essential resources. This will provide a clear and thorough representation of the project’s financial requirements. Incorporate the cost to achieve the goals and objectives of your project. Strive for a balanced budget that reflects the most critical needs and aspirations of the participants, employees, and the organization.
Once you’ve created your master budget, you can customize it to align with the unique guidelines and priorities of each prospective funder. This will demonstrate that your project is not only well-planned and cost-effective but also directly addresses the specific concerns and interests of the funder. Ensure that each funder-aligned budget highlights the relevant aspects of your project, showcases how the funding will be used and adheres to any restrictions or requirements specified by the funder.
Strategy 5: Create your Logic Model
Logic models are my jam! said no one ever! Despite their ability to frustrate the most patient of souls, they are useful (and required) when building your projects. The quick and dirty is that logic models are a snapshot of your participants’ journey represented by specific program elements. The core elements of a logic model are:
· Goals: a broad/general statement about the intended outcome(s) of your project and is based on the results of a client-informed needs assessment. Goals serve as a framework for all other components of the logic model.
· Objectives: The steps we need to take to achieve those goals. Objectives are concrete and precise action statements of intended outcomes that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific.
· Activities: Activities are the actions you will take to meet your objectives. What will you do with resources to meet the objectives and, ultimately, the goal(s)?
· Input/Resources: What are the resources you need to complete the activities to meet the objectives? Consider staffing needs, facility needs, insurance, licenses and permits, technology, and other equipment. A list of resources can also be used to develop a budget for the initiative.
· Outputs: Outputs are the tangible and direct results of activities. Remember that an output statement doesn’t reveal anything about quality. You will assess the quality of your outputs in your evaluation.
· Outcomes: Outcome statements express the result(s) that our initiative intends to achieve if implemented as planned. Outcomes are specific, attainable, and measurable changes that we hope will take place because of our initiative. It answers the question, “What difference did our initiative make?” We should be able to measure the desired change at an individual, group, or organizational level by measuring changes in knowledge, behavior, and/or condition.
· Indicators/ Milestones: Indicators tell us when/if changes have occurred. When we develop our objectives, we need to ask ourselves the following questions.
- How will we know when we have achieved our objectives?
- What indicators will we look for to measure the progress and success of our initiative?
- Are data to measure our progress and/or success readily available or do we need to develop new measures, e.g., surveys, focus groups, etc….?
Strategy 6: Create a Master Program Guide
The Master Program Guide serves as a detailed roadmap for your organization’s programming. Each section represents a clear and concise picture of how the program operates and where it aligns strategically with the overall mission and vision of the agency. This document helps you identify alignment between the agency’s goals and the funder’s initiatives, ultimately increasing the likelihood of securing essential financial support. Additionally, the master program guide aids in streamlining internal communication within the organization, ensuring that all team members have a consistent understanding of the programs and their respective roles in executing them. Finally, each section of the master program guide corresponds to the information you need to respond to funding announcements, saving you time during the application process.
Grant Writing Tips and Best Practices
To summarize, here are some best practices to consider:
Tip 1: Plan Ahead
Plan ahead and allocate enough time and resources to build a comprehensive and compelling project plan.
Tip 2: Use Data and Evidence
Use data and evidence to support your project and demonstrate the project’s potential impact. Be sure to update your data regularly and use local data to make your project relatable.
Tip 3: Tailor Your Proposal
Tailor your proposal to fit the funder’s priorities and requirements, not your program. This is one strategy for avoiding mission creep. Avoid the temptation of trying to make your program fit a funding opportunity by writing your program overview in advance.
Tip 4: Create an application system.
Applying for grants is a time-consuming process that requires strict attention to detail. It helps to have a system that includes easily accessible, frequently used content, a checklist system for relevant requirements, and a review system to check the overall quality of the application. Creating a compelling proposal is the first step toward building that system.
In the next article, we will talk about how to create a universal checklist and review system that is unique to your organization.
If you want to learn more about the grant writing process and creating a system, schedule a session with me here.