Advanced Grant Proposal Writing

Getting Started
Course Overview

Do you know the best way to present information in a grant proposal? In this course, an experienced
grantwriter will show you how to research and write winning proposals that get funded. Learn what to
do--and, more importantly what not to do--on every part of your proposal. Gain a full understanding of the
criteria funders use to determine whether your grant proposal gets funded or rejected. You'll become
expert at ferreting out corporate, foundation, and government grantmakers, and you'll know how to tailor
your responses to information found in the peer review criteria. You'll also discover a number of significant
finishing touches that can give your project the edge over others. You'll know the best type of paper to
use, which buzzwords to include, which fonts work best, and which types of graphics and formatting
techniques will make your proposal more competitive.

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

In this lesson, you'll learn the different types of grant proposal formats for corporations, foundations, and
state and federal government agencies. This lesson is important because you'll discover who reviews
your proposals at each type of funder, what format the proposal review staff expect to receive, and how
and why decisions to fund or reject grant proposals are made.

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

This lesson will teach you how to carefully research the funding agencies so you can match your grant
funding needs to their interests. You’ll learn how to find and use Internet research sites to identify multiple
funders for grant proposal projects. And you'll learn how to spot the funder/project matches that result in a
90 percent or higher funding success rate.

Lesson 3: Write the History and Major Accomplishments Sections

In this lesson, we'll focus on how to prepare the first section of the grant proposal narrative-the research
and major accomplishments section. You’ll learn how to sift through organizational documents and write
useful information that will answer the dozens of questions that grant reviewers ask when reading your
narrative. Most importantly, you'll learn how to avoid the mistakes that can cause your grant proposal to
lose points during the initial stages of the funder’s review process.

Lesson 4: Write the Current Programs and Activities Section

This lesson will teach you how to develop a current programs and activities section narrative template.
You’ll also learn where to find the type of information a grant reviewer needs in this section of your grant
proposal. And you'll learn how to stay on your toes to answer all of the questions that funders ask when
they read this section of your grant proposals.

Lesson 5: Write the Target Population Served Section

In this lesson, you will learn how to write accurate and magnetizing copy for the target population served
section of your grant proposals. You’ll also learn how to conduct extensive research on your target
population and how to order, organize, and write the information for this critical section of your grant
proposals.

Lesson 6: Write the Partnerships Section

This lesson will teach you how to find the most current information on your organization’s partners in the
community, region, and nation. You’ll also learn how to identify potential partners when your organization
has few or no partners. Most importantly, you'll learn how to organize and present your partnership
information in an appealing format for funders.

Lesson 7: Write the Needs Statement Section

In this lesson, you'll learn how to understand the needs statement section from the funder’s viewpoint.
You'll also learn the type of information to collect on the target population and your organization in order to
glean language for this section.

Lesson 8: Write the Program Design Section

This is perhaps the most important of all our lessons. You are halfway through the main writing sections
for your grant proposal narrative and gaining more confidence in your skills. This lesson will teach you
how to show the funder that you have a well-thought-out plan for spending grant monies. You'll learn how
to look at the program design section from the funder’s viewpoint, how to collect the right information, and
how to spot poorly written narrative in this section.

Lesson 9: Write the Management Plan Section

In this lesson, you will learn to understand the thinking patterns of grant funders when they read the
management plan section. You’ll also learn how to avoid the most common types of errors made by other
grant writers when writing this section, and how to cull the right information from your program staff or
administrators.

Lesson 10: Write the Evaluation Section

This lesson will teach you how to look at the evaluation plan section from the funder's perspective. You'll
also learn how to steer clear of the age-old errors that other grant writers make when planning and writing
this section. From learning where to find the information needed to write an award-winning evaluation
plan to learning the common terms that funders look for in this section, Lesson 10 hits the target.

Lesson 11: Develop the Budget Section

At this point, you're nearing the finish line for Advanced Proposal Writing. In this lesson, you will learn the
standard definitions you need to know when it comes to planning your budget line items. We'll also look at
examples of award-winning budget sections on the Internet. Most importantly, this lesson will teach you
how to recover with the funder when you make a glaring budget error.

Lesson 12: Apply Finishing Touches and Conduct Follow-up Tasks

Our last lesson will teach you how to view your entire proposal package from the funder's viewpoint. You’ll
also learn how to use words that work, some final formatting techniques, and how to prepare the
supporting documentation for your grant proposal-the attachments. This final lesson will also teach you
the ins and outs of signatories, copies, and how to mail your grant proposal the right way. Lastly, you'll
learn how to follow up on all outstanding items, such as verification of proposal delivery and checking
back with funders. Finally, I'll show you the next step to take when your proposal is either funded or
rejected.

NAVIGATING THROUGH THE COURSE

Welcome to your course!

Feel free to take a look around the classroom before you begin. You’ll find just about everything you need
to take this course in the Learning Path. To find the Learning Path, click the menu icon in the upper left
corner of your screen. Learning Path is the first option in the drop-down menu:

When you land on the Learning Path page, you’ll find a Pretest, the course lessons, and a Final. You’ll
also see a Resources module that includes recommended books.
Each lesson includes the following components:

● Lesson Content
● FAQs
● Assignment
● Quiz
● Supplementary Material
● Discussion Area

You can also use the menu in the upper left corner of your screen to access the Discussion Areas for
each lesson.

Want to see an overview of the entire course content? Click the Syllabus link from the Getting Started
module. There you'll find a short description of each lesson in the course.

Questions? You can always reach out to your instructor in the Discussion Area! In fact, why don't you stop
by the Lesson 1 Discussion Area now to introduce yourself?

Accessing Lessons

Each lesson in this course will be released over six weeks. Until a lesson is released, you'll see a lock in
the center of the card for the lesson on the Learning Path. To view the date when it will be released,
simply hover over the card and the date and time will be visible, as you can see here:

Tracking Your Progress

The Learning Path uses color-coding to help you track your progress. As you work on a lesson, the
module will turn light red. Don't worry! This isn't an indicator of your performance. Instead, it marks your
progress. Once you a complete a module, it will turn green and the circle icon will be completely filled in.
In addition, this classroom is built around interactive discussion areas that permit you to ask and answer
questions related to the lessons that make up this course. We find that the interactions in the discussion
area are richer and more rewarding when all students are progressing through the course at the same
pace, as in an on-campus course.

In order to be marked 100%, you must at least click on each and every component in each lesson. YOU
DO NOT NEED TO POST IN EVERY DISCUSSION AREA TO HAVE YOUR STATUS BE MARKED
100%.

Note

The Status Bar may not update immediately. Sometimes you may need to log out of the site and re-log in
for the Status Bar to mark you complete. If you have any issues with the progress status, please click the
Student Support link at the bottom of any page for assistance from the ed2go student support team.

Posting in the Discussion Area

This course can be highly interactive, but the level of that interactivity is controlled by you. It's going to be
up to you to ask questions when you get stuck. Each lesson has a designated discussion area to post
questions about your lessons.

Your discussion area questions will serve as a challenge for your fellow students. Someone is bound to
have an answer for you. Likewise, you should be able to find questions in the discussion area that you
can answer. The discussion area will be open to you and your classmates 24 hours a day and 7 days a
week. Please try to visit the discussion area two or more times a week while the course is in session, and
don't be afraid to participate!

Some notes on how to navigate the Discussion Area:

1. Discussion threads can get long. Use the Peer Submissions Search tool to find relevant posts.

2. Is there a post you want to follow? Use the bookmark feature, which allows you to save the post
and access it quickly using the Bookmark filter next time you visit the discussion area.

3. Did you post something mistakenly? Use the Contact link at the top-right of the page to contact
Student Support for help.

Note

If you leave the discussion area without submitting a post, it will be lost. If you're submitting a long post,
you may consider writing it in a word processing document first and then copy and paste it all at once
when you're ready.

Submitting Assignments

The assignments are designed to ensure that you are understanding and retaining the information being
taught in the lessons. The assignments are not graded, but if you post the assignment in the discussion
area, you can gain feedback for your assignments. If you would like to submit an assignment for a specific
lesson and that lesson's discussion area is already closed, you can post in the next available discussion
area.

Note

Students enrolled in this course to obtain graduate credit or other continuing education units may have
required assignments or projects.

Submitting the Final Exam

To complete this course, you will need to pass the final exam on the first attempt. The final exam will test
you on the main objectives of each lesson, so if you review the quizzes and achieve 100% on each of
those, you're fully prepared for the final exam.

After the final exam is successfully completed, most schools will provide you with immediate access to
your online Certificate or Letter of Completion from within the My Classroom area. If the school provides
an online certificate through our system, you can return to the My Classroom page at any time in the
future and access a copy of the certificate or a Grade Report under the heading titled “Previous Courses”
after the classroom closes.

If you do not pass the final exam on the first attempt, you will not be able to obtain a Certificate of
Completion. If you experience any technical issues during the exam or have any other questions while
taking the lessons, please click the Student Support link at the bottom of any page for assistance from the
ed2go student support team.

91.7
Correct
11 correct out of 12 questions
​ 1
​ Which of the following is the most technical type of grant proposal to write?
​ A
​ Letter proposals.
​
​ B
​ Regional grantmaker's format.
​
​ C
​ Government grant applications.
​ Government grant applications are the most difficult to write.
​
​ D
​ Online corporate sponsorship request.
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best describes the specific information you will collect on funding
sources?
​ A
​ Prospectus.
​ A prospectus is a document that forecasts the future of something. The correct answer is:
Profile.
​
​ B
​ Roster.
​
​ C
​ Grant management.
​
​ D
​ Profile.
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following best describes the purpose of the History and Major Accomplishments
sections?
​ A
​ To fulfill the funder's concerns about the applicant organization's capability as a potential
grantee.
​ The purpose of the History and Major Accomplishments sections are to fulfill the funder's
concerns about the applicant organization's capability as a potential grantee.
​
​ B
​ To show the funder that the applicant organization is legitimate.
 ​
​ C
​ To tell the funder the applicant organization has roots in the community it serves.
​
​ D
​ To list every accomplishment of the applicant organization.
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following statements best describes what funders look for in the Current Programs
and Activities section of a grant proposal?
​ A
​ Everything the grant applicant has ever done.
​
​ B
​ Information relevant to the grant proposal project area.
​ Funders look for information relevant to the grant proposal project in the Current
Programs and Activities section of a grant proposal.
​
​ C
​ Information on programs and activities for the past six months.
​
​ D
​ List of collaborative agreements.
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following answers best describes the types of information you write in the
Constituency or Target Population Served section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Demographics for applicant organization's staff.
​
​ B
​ Demographics for persons served.
​ Demographics for persons served must be included in the Constitiency or Target
Population Served section of the grant proposal.
​
​ C
​ Demographics for board of directors.
​
​ D
​ Demographics for the general population.
​
​
​ 6
​ Which of the following answers best describes which section of the grant proposal the grant
reviewer will find information on the applicant organization's community linkages?
​ A
 ​ History and Major Accomplishments section.
​
​ B
​ Needs Statement section.
​
​ C
​ Partnerships section.
​ Yes, this is the section.
​
​ D
​ Program Design section.
​
​
​ 7
​ Which of the following answers best describes the type of information you write in the Needs
Statement section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Information on the data collection tools.
​
​ B
​ Information on in-kind contributions.
​
​ C
​ Information on the problem the grant applicant is seeking to solve.
​ You write information in the problem the grant applicant is seeking to solve in the Needs
Statement section of the grant proposal.
​
​ D
​ Information on FTEs.
​
​
​ 8
​ Which of the following answers best describes the type of information you write in the Program
Design section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Project's plans.
​ You write information on the project's plans in the Program Design section of the grant
proposal.
​
​ B
​ Project's cost.
​
​ C
​ Project's personnel.
​
​ D
​ Project's history.
​
​
​ 9
​ Which of the following answers is the type of information you write in the Management Plan
section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Demographics of the target population.
​
​ B
​ Key personnel, project accountability, and organizational capacity.
​ In the Management Plan, you write about key personnel, project accountability, and
organizational capacity.
​
​ C
​ Project timelines.
​
​ D
​ Ethnicity of project staff.
​
​
​ 10
​ Which of the following answers best describes the types of information you write in the Evaluation
Plan section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Detailed information about how the project's goals will be measured.
​
​ B
​ Detailed information about how the project's timeline will be measured.
​
​ C
​ Detailed information about how the project's costs will be allocated.
​
​ D
​ Detailed information about how the project's objectives will be measured.
​ You write detailed information about how the project's objectives will be measured in the
Evaluation Plan section of the grant proposal.
​
​
​ 11
​ Which of the following answers best describes the types of information you write in the Budget
section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Applicant organization budget for next fiscal year.
​
​ B
​ Applicant organization budget for current fiscal year.
​
​ C
​ Applicant organization budget for past fiscal year.
 ​
​ D
​ Applicant organization budget for proposed project.
​ You write information on the applicant organization's budget for the proposed project in
the Budget section of the grant proposal.
​
​
​ 12
​ Which of the following answers is a proposal attachment?
​ A
​ Applicant agency background.
​
​ B
​ Project timeline.
​
​ C
​ Documentation to support the proposal narrative.
​ Documentation to support the proposal narrative is a proposal attachment.
​
​ D
​ Cover letters.
​
​
End of Pretest
Next Up
Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats
Chapter 1: Introduction
activity

​ Student Support

© 2023 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction
Welcome to my course. My name is Dr. Beverly Browning (Dr. Bev), and I’m very excited about teaching
Advanced Proposal Writing online. I’ve been teaching others how to research and write winning proposals
for nearly two decades. I am an international grant-writing consultant with published grant-related books.
I’ve always felt that it’s important to teach and reach out to others interested in learning more about the
growing field of proposal writing.

Do you love to find elusive information? Do you love to solve a puzzle? Do you love to write? If someone
tells you no, do you keep looking for a way to get what you want? If you answered yes to these questions,
then you have what it takes to succeed in Advanced Proposal Writing.

In my course, I’ll teach you the most common proposal formats. You will also learn how to determine what
funders want to see in proposals for money or product donations. I’ll show you how to match funders with
projects. In addition, you will learn to write the major sections of a winning proposal. Surprisingly enough,
the same sections you find in a proposal requesting funding from foundations, corporations, and
government agencies are also found in business proposals. So, if you are writing contract bid proposals,
my course is a great guide for winning more bids. You will benefit from my years of experience, and I will
teach you how to increase your proposal funding success rate.

So, for whichever reason you enrolled in my course—to win more grant awards or to write business
proposals for yourself or others—I will teach you how to be one of the best proposal writers ever!

My objective in lesson 1 is to familiarize you with the types of proposal or grant application formats. I will
show you the three main types of proposals that you will write to potential funding sources.

Again, I offer you a warm welcome to my course and to lesson 1. You and I are going to take an exciting
journey together. And guess what? Along the way, you’ll gain the confidence and knowledge needed to
become a better proposal writer.

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

Chapter 2: Letter Proposals for Businesses and Foundations

Letter Proposals for Businesses and Foundations

I want to get you started with one of the easiest yet underused writing formats, the letter proposal. You
write two- to three-page corporate letter requests to send to small businesses, corporate giving programs
at large businesses, and small foundations (foundations without staff). In comparison to a five-page full
proposal, the letter proposal is a mini-proposal, just briefer, more concise, and with fewer attachments.

Who reviews your letter proposal? A trustee of the board of directors, a corporate giving manager or a
community relations director, or a foundation program officer is the targeted reader for this type of
request.

What do the reviewers look for in a successful request? Businesses and foundations want to know how
your request meets their area of interest or why you chose them as the recipient of your corporate letter
request. You will need to do your homework both on the Internet and at the local library. If you target the
XYZ Corporation, you will need to state in your letter how their mission or corporate philosophy is similar
to your own organization's mission. If you approach a company that makes a piece of equipment that your
organization critically needs, you will have to convince them that they make the best product to solve your
problem.

Plan for Success

This type of letter proposal is most successful when you keep the amount requested under $25,000. The
letter works when you ask for a direct grant (monetary award with no strings attached) or a product
donation.

Twelve Easy Steps for Quick Results

Your letter proposal must contain 12 steps in order to capture your reader’s attention.

Step 1:

Current date.

Step 2:

Opening address.

Obtain the correct name of the contact person, title, and full mailing address. Call the
company’s switchboard or use their Web site. If the contact person has a name that applies
to either gender, ask if this person is a man or woman.

Step 3:

Salutation.
 Open your letter with: Dear Mr., Ms., Mrs., Miss _______.

Step 4:

Introductory sentences.

Write three bulleted sentences that are compelling and grab the attention of your reader.

● For Marie, life on the streets means eating from garbage cans in dark and
dangerous city alleys.
● For Joey, who has been homeless for five years, the probability of finding a job and
a safe place to sleep are nonexistent.
● Our town has 2,000 persons living on the streets, under overpasses, and in public
parks; yet money allocated to ABC County for the homeless will only allow agencies
like ours to serve one-tenth of this high-needs population.

See how these three sentences provide personal glimpses of individuals that foundation and
corporate contributions can help? The last sentence is intended to put the reader into a
state of disbelief. Use this approach to begin all corporate letter proposals.

Step 5:

Introduce your organization.

Provide the following information in one paragraph.

● Who you are.

● Where you are located.
● Organization’s mission.
● Information on whom your organization serves (constituency).

Step 6:

State your organization’s problem.

Write two to three paragraphs on your needs, issues, or problems that need solving.

Step 7:

Beg the issue.

 Write several sentences that emit gloom, doom, drama, and trauma about the problem
introduced in Step 6.

Step 8:

Connect funder money to your need.

Write one to two paragraphs to tell your reader how their funding organization can help
solve the problem.

Step 9:

Ask.

Tell the reader how much money or the kinds of product donations you need and what a gift
to your organization will mean to the constituency you serve, such as in the following
sentences:

A donation of $5,000 will enable Your Home Town Soup Kitchen to feed 200 more homeless
persons daily for three months. Your gift will truly be the gift of life for the elderly, lost
mid-lifers, and young families who now often go for two or three days without eating a full
and warm meal.

Step 10:

Thanks.

Write a sentence thanking the funder in advance, such as:

In closing, I want to say thank you in advance for your belief in our town’s long-forgotten
citizens.

Step 11:

Complimentary closing and signature.

Close your letter.

Write a typical closing such as: respectfully, sincerely, with hope, or with regards, and then
write the authorized signature (signed name and typed name).
Step 12:

Postscript (P.S.).

Add one final thought-provoking sentence, such as:

P.S. Your partnership will mean the difference between starvation and survival when the
winter temperature dips down into the 30s!

Attach the following documents to the corporate letter request:

● IRS 501(c)(3) letter of nonprofit determination.

● Most recent financial statement (audited, if available).
● Board of director’s roster (with affiliation).
● Informational brochure or annual report.

Save Time and Maximize Your Results

I have used this specific format for nearly 30 years. It is one of the easiest and most successful funding
request formats that I have ever used. I can write this type of request in less than 30 minutes. If you target
10 funders for a specific monetary or product need, at least three will respond within 90 to 120 days.
Whereas, a traditional fundraising letter has a success rate of less than 5 percent, the letter proposal
format that I share with you here has a 30 percent or higher return rate.

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

Chapter 3: Common Grant Application Format for Foundation Proposals

Common Grant Application Format for Foundation Proposals

You write common grant application formats—five-page proposals—to send to foundations that do not
have specific grant proposal guidelines. This format was originally created by the defunct National
Network of Grantmakers (NNG). Since this network no longer exists, the NNG grant proposal format can
be found on many other websites as a continuing reference. The NNG format includes a cover letter, a
one-page cover form, a five-page maximum proposal narrative, and mandatory attachments. The NNG
format also requires that the evaluation, organizational information, financials, and the budget be
attached. Most regional grant makers have their own formats. I give you the Web sites to find the most
commonly used formats in the supplementary materials section.
Who reviews your foundation proposals? A foundation program officer usually reviews it. However, some
larger foundations appoint review committees with members from the local community. Major foundations
(the top 100 in the United States) may have advisory board members or program staff throughout the
country participate in the proposal review process.

For what do foundation reviewers look? Program staff readers look for clear, concise (brief) bits of
information to answer a standard list of queries about your organization and the project for which you are
requesting funding in your grant application. While they rarely assign review points to each of the
narrative sections, your ability to provide complete responses to the standard information-seeking
sections is critical to getting funded.

NNG Common Grant Application Format

Here is the NNG Common Grant Application format. Remember, this format is only for grantmakers that
have not published specific grant application guidelines. On their websites, they will simply state to
submit a grant proposal (with no specific instructions). The NNG format can be used and is still widely
recognized as an acceptable format by U.S.-based foundation and corporate grantmakers. . The NNG
Common Grant Application format cannot be used to submit proposals to international funding sources.

Part I: Grant Application Cover Sheet

(format this on your word processor and save as a template)
Date of application:

Grant applicant:

Tax-exempt status:

Year organization was founded:

Address:

Telephone number:

Fax number:

Contact person and title:

Grant request:

Period grant will cover:

 Type of request (general support, start-up, technical assistance, etc.):

Total project budget:

Current organizational budget:

Starting date of fiscal year:

Summarize the organization’s mission (two to three sentences)

Summary of project or grant request (two to three sentences)

Part II: Narrative

(maximum of five pages)

1. Introduction and Background of Organization (incorporating the

following points):
1. Briefly, describe your organization's history and major
accomplishments.
2. Describe your current programs and activities.
3. Who is your constituency (be specific about demographics
such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation,
and people with disabilities)? How are they actively involved in
your work, and how do they benefit from this program or your
organization?
4. If you are a grassroots group, describe your community. If you
are a state, regional, or national organization, describe your
work with local groups, if applicable, and how other regional or
national organizations are involved.
2. Describe Your Request (incorporating the following points):
1. If other than general operating support, describe the program
for which you seek funding, why you decided to pursue this
project, and whether it is a new or ongoing part of your
organization.
2. What are the goals, objectives, and activities/strategies
involved in this request? Describe your specific
activities/strategies using a timeline over the course of this
request.
3. Describe systemic or social change you are trying to achieve.
How will this grant make a difference for the applicant
organization?

Part III. Attachments/Requirements

 1. Evaluation.
1. Briefly describe your plan for evaluating the success of the
project or your organization’s work. What questions will be
addressed? Who will be involved in evaluating this
work—staff, board, constituents, community, and consultants?
How will the evaluation results be used?
2. Organizational Structure/Administration.
1. Briefly describe how your organization works. What are the
responsibilities of board, staff, and volunteers? In addition, if a
membership organization, define criteria for membership. Are
there dues?
2. Who will be involved in carrying out the plans outlined in this
request? Include a brief paragraph summarizing the
qualifications of key individuals involved.
3. Provide a list of your board of directors with related
demographic information.
4. How is the board selected, who selects them, and how often?
5. Include an organizational chart showing decision-making
structure.
3. Finances.
1. Most recent, completed full-year organization financial
statement (expenses, revenue, and balance sheet), audited, if
available.
2. Organization’s current and annual operating budget (see
attached budget format).
3. Current project budget, other than general support (see
attached format).
4. Projected operating budget for upcoming year (see attached
format).
5. List individually other funding sources for this request. Include
amounts and whether received, committed, or
projected/pending.
6. Describe your plans for future fund-raising.
7. A copy of your IRS 501 (c)(3) letter. If you do not have 501
(c)(3) status, check with the funder to see if they are willing to
fund through your fiscal sponsor or are willing to exercise
expenditure responsibility. Additional information may be
required to do so.
8. Other.
4. Other Supporting Material.
1. Letters of support/commitment (up to three).
2. Recent newsletter articles, news articles, evaluations, or
reviews (up to three).
3. Recent annual report.
4. Video tapes.

Check with the funder to see if these items are accepted.

 Easy To Use With Multiple Foundations

Once you type your responses, you can always customize your grant application cover page
for a specific foundation funder. Unless a foundation has its own specific grant application
form (check their Web site first), I use the NNG grant application format. When you get used
to using this format, you will be able to write a grant application from start to finish in three
days or less.

Regional Association of Grantmakers

Regional Associations of Grantmakers (RAGS) are nonprofit membership associations of

private and community foundations, corporations, individuals, and others committed to
strengthening philanthropy in the geographic areas in which they operate within the United
States. Each RAG serves a geographic area that may be a metropolitan area, a state, or
even a region of several states, with smaller, less formal funder networks in many cities as
well. RAGS have their own grant application forms, and formats will differ from region to
region. If you don’t see a RAG for your state, then use the NNG format. The RAG Web site
is in the supplementary materials section.

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

Government Grant Applications

Government grant monies are awarded at three levels: local, state, and federal. All three levels have
multiple funding agencies or administrative divisions. Each division will have its own grant
announcements, application kits or packages, and individual grant review criteria. There is no one-stop
proposal submission Web site or process. You must write to one agency at a time, meeting their review
criteria and deadline.

The Scoop on Peer Reviewers

The peer review process is a rigid and structured written analysis of the grant application's weaknesses
and strengths. Peer reviewers are laypeople who are experts in the grant competition's focus field. In
most cases, government agencies pay peer reviewers to review competitive grant applications. Not
everyone qualifies to be a peer reviewer. At the federal level, you can watch Federal Register
announcements for "Calls for Peer Reviewers." At the state and local level, call each grant-making
agency or department and ask how you can be added to the list of peer reviewers.
One way to improve your proposal-writing skills and increase your funding success rate (number of
proposal successes versus proposal failures in a one-year time frame) is to sign up to be a peer reviewer.
This is an experience that gives you an insider's look at what constitutes a fundable proposal.

You will find that often just adhering to the grant application's guidelines is not enough to justify a grant
award. The easiest agency for which to peer review is the U.S. Department of Justice. I have been
reviewing federal grant applications for nearly two decades. My funding success rate increased from 50
percent to 85 percent for grant applications submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Fear of Failing

Most grant writers shy away from writing government grant applications. Why? Government applications
require hours of research and days of writing and rewriting. Government grant applications can take from
40 to 100 hours to research and write. Another reason these types of applications are at the bottom of the
list for favorite proposal-writing projects is that government grant applications require a lot of technical
writing. Your entire application must be based on proven research and successful models implemented by
other organizations similar to your own organization. I will show you how to remove any preconceived
writing barriers that you may have when it comes to writing government grant applications.

Level One: Local Government Requests

● Government Consortium. A city, county, or regional consortium of government

agencies is often a recipient of federal grant monies. These local grant recipients
are often pass-through agencies. That is, they receive federal grant awards for the
sole purpose of subgranting to local nonprofit organizations or smaller units of
government. For example, in some states there are intermediate school districts.
● Middlemen. They are the middlemen between the state agency and local school
districts. The intermediate school districts will apply for state or federal grant
monies. When awarded, they often develop a local grant competition to re-award
smaller grants to their member agencies (local school districts). Another example is
a city neighborhood development agency. The city applies for Federal Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. When awarded, they develop a
subgranting process to award competitive CDBG funds to local nonprofit
organizations.
● Local Government Application Mirrors State or Federal. Local government grant
applications often mirror the federal or state granting agency's original grant
application. This means you will likely have as many forms to fill out for local
government grant applications as you would for state-level or federal-level grant
applications.
Who Reviews and for What Do They Look? Who reviews these grant requests? Local
government requests are usually reviewed by grant advisory committees composed of local
citizens who make funding recommendations to the body of government.

For what do these reviewer's look? They look for grant applications that ask for the least
amount of money and propose to deliver the most services. In other words, more bang for
the public buck! Unfortunately, at the local level, politics and favoritism can cause a great
grant application to be rejected and a poor one to be funded.

Level Two: State Government Requests

A state government agency announces a competitive grant competition when it receives

monies from the federal government. The state agency writes a grant application along with
other competing states. The state agency wins a grant award.

The agency then has a competitive competition of its own. The grant requirements are filled
with legalese language and can inhibit even the best of proposal writers. Though not easy,
the competition at the state level is not nearly as great as at the federal level. Therefore, you
decide to submit a state government grant application for the grant.

Who reviews your state government funding requests? The granting state agency selects
experts and peers from throughout the state to travel to the state capitol and review grant
applications.

Level Three: Federal Government Requests

You decide to write federal competitive grant applications in response to announcements for
specific programs. Federal grant applications are, by far, the most difficult type of grant
proposal to write, even for veteran proposal writers. However, they are manageable if you
carefully read and follow the grant announcement on the grants.gov website.

Sure, you'll have to fill out almost a dozen forms and comply with rules, but you can win
awards at the federal level. Federal grants represent the highest level of competition you will
ever encounter in your grant-seeking career.

Who reviews your federal government funding requests? The granting federal agency
selects experts and peers from throughout the United States, including the territories, to
travel to Washington, DC, or a regional location and review grant applications.
Government Peer Review Process

Adherence to Guidelines

For what do government reviewers look? Peer reviewers look for your adherence to the grant application
guidelines. If the guidelines call for a maximum of 25 double-spaced pages typed in a font no smaller than
10 point, your application can be eliminated for failing to meet the criteria.

Level One

Reviewers examine your grant application on two levels. On the first level, your application
is reviewed for technical compliancy. This means, are all of the forms signed? Did you
adhere to the formatting requirements? Have you included the mandatory attachments? Did
you clip or staple your application? Did you include the required number of review copies? If
you fail on the first level, your grant application is automatically rejected for funding. It does
not progress to the second level of peer review.

Level Two

At the second level, each section of the application narrative is rated for strengths and
weaknesses. If your total application is worth 100 points and you lose several points in each
narrative section, it is likely you will not be funded.

Standard Sections of a Government Grant Application

● Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424—Federal applications only. State government
agencies will have their own standard cover forms)
● Program Summary and Abstract
● Table of Contents
● Program Narrative
● Budget (Form SF 424A-Federal applications only. State government agencies will have their own
standard budget forms) and brief Budget Narrative
● Assurances—Non-Construction or Construction Programs (Form SF 424B—Federal applications
only)
● Certification regarding lobbying; debarment, suspension and other responsibility matters; and
drug-free workplace requirements (Federal and state government agencies will each have their
own forms)
● Certification regarding debarment, suspension, ineligibility, and voluntary exclusion-lower tier
covered transactions (federal applications only)
● Disclosure of lobbying activities (Form SF LLL—Federal applications only)
● Appendices
In the supplementary materials section, I give you some Web sites with examples of these forms. You will
be able to download and print these forms for future reference.

Note: Some federal agencies will give different numbers to the forms listed above; however,
they are the same standard forms from agency to agency.

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered that there are more things to learn and practice as you master the basics of
proposal writing. You learned there are three formats that funders accept for proposal review.

You learned how to format letter proposals, foundation proposals, and the importance of adhering to the
guidelines for government grant applications. You learned the differences between these three types of
proposals. You reviewed some basic narrative section requirements that apply to all types of funders. You
discovered that the letter proposal is the easiest writing format to request grant monies and product
donations under $25,000.

You also learned that the Common Grant Application format is accepted by some foundations that do not
have their own application form. You discovered who reviews your proposals at corporations, foundations,
and government agencies. Finally, you discovered what is considered by each type of reviewer when
making a decision to fund or reject a proposal for funding.

In our next lesson, you'll discover how to research and match funding sources with your proposal project
ideas. You'll also find out the best Web sites for finding current grant announcements on a daily basis.

Also, come introduce yourself in the Discussion Area. You get to it by clicking discussion at the top or
bottom of any page in this classroom and then selecting the Discussion Area for Lesson 1.

Next Steps
To finish the lesson, you'll need to complete the steps outlined below. Simply click "Next Up" at the bottom
of the page to access the next activity. Or, if you wish to skip around, click the Book Icon in the top-right
corner. There you'll find links to all the activities in this lesson. Here are your remaining activities:

● Check out the FAQs. Since learning something new usually raises questions, every lesson in
this course comes with an FAQs section.
● Browse the Supplementary Material section. Here you'll find links to helpful online resources
relating to the lesson.
● Do the assignment. Get some hands-on practice applying what you've just learned.
● Take the quiz. Reinforce what you learned with a short five-question quiz.
● Participate in the Discussion Area. Ask questions about anything that came up in the lesson,
and share your insights. This is where we'll create a learning community.

Additional Resources

In addition, there are some additional resources you may find helpful throughout the course. Access these
resources by clicking the link for Resources listed after Lesson 12. There you'll find:

● Recommended books and resources. This is a list of books and other resources that you can
consult to extend your learning.

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

Lesson 1 FAQs
Activity complete
Undo
Next Up
Lesson 1 Assignment
 I took a basic grant-writing course, but I still feel skeptical about actually writing my first proposal for
funding. When will I get over this fear of failing?

A: After you complete Advanced Proposal Writing, you will have the extra confidence you need to
research, write, and submit proposals for funding. Once you have mastered the letter proposal and the
common grant applications for foundations, you will be ready to tackle your first government grant
application.

Lesson 1: Types of Proposal Formats

Lesson 1 Assignment

Inventory your proposal-writing skills.

1. Start by writing down any classes you have taken.

2. List them by year and title, if you can remember.
3. For each one, what did you learn to do and how did you apply your learning?
4. Today, what are your proposal-writing strengths and weaknesses?
5. Where do you want your skills to be at the end of this course?

​ Which of the following best defines a letter proposal?

​ A
​ Technical funding request
​
​ B
​ Five or more pages in length
​
​ C
​ Mini-proposal
​ Yes, a letter proposal is a mini-proposal. It is brief, concise, and has fewer attachments
than a full proposal format.
​
​ D
​ Accepted by government agencies
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following is truest of a letter proposal?
​ A
​ Special format
​ Yes, a letter proposal has a special 12-part format. The three-bulleted sentence opening
makes the letter proposal appear unique and magnetizing to the reader.
​
​ B
​ Requires no attachments
 ​
​ C
​ Considered a standard fund-raising letter
​
​ D
​ Takes several days to write
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following best defines a NNG Common Grant Application format?
​ A
​ Developed by government agencies
​
​ B
​ Specific narrative format
​ Yes, the NNG Common Grant Application has a specific narrative format. The narrative is
limited to five pages in length.
​
​ C
​ Accepted by international funding sources
​
​ D
​ Cannot be used to approach multiple foundation funders
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the follow best applies to government grant applications?
​ A
​ Each level of government (federal, state, and local) has their own specific grant
application development/writing requirements.
​ Yes, you may write government grant applications to local, state, and federal agencies.
​
​ B
​ Agency-wide submission on one Web site
​
​ C
​ Reviewed by paid government personnel only
​
​ D
​ Can be researched and written in several hours
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following is true of the peer review process?
​ A
​ Anyone can be a peer reviewer.
​
​ B
 ​ Peer reviewers are only used at the federal level.
​
​ C
​ The peer review process does not help your grant-writing skills.
​
​ D
​ The process provides detailed insight to the proposal's strengths and weaknesses.
​ Yes, the peer review process is a rigid and structured written analysis of the proposal's
strengths and weaknesses.
​

Lesson 1 Supplementary Material

Catalog of Federal and Domestic Assistance

http://njms.rutgers.edu/research/orsp/DevelopingAndWritingGrantProposals.htm

This link gives you the general grant writing expectations of the federal grantmaking agencies.
Remember, each of the 26 federal grantmaking agencies has its own specific grant application format for
each competitive funding opportunity.

Grants.gov: For Applicants

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html

Grant applicants can check their eligibility; get registered; apply for grants; track grant applications; Adobe
compatibility;applicant training, applicant FAQs, and manage subscriptions (free email alerts).

GrantSpace by Candid
https://grantspace.org/resources/knowledge-base/letters-of-inquiry/

When funders ask for a letter of inquiry (LOI), they want a few pages that will make them excited about
giving you a grant. Some foundations will then invite you to send a full proposal. But for many
foundations, an LOI is enough to make a decision. That means a great LOI might win you funding for your
project.
Guidelines for a Letter of Intent
https://www.umass.edu/cfr/grant-writing/guidelines-letter-intent

This page contains guidelines for writing a letter of intent to apply for funding from a grantmaker.

Nonprofit Concept Paper Example

http://dmped.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dmped/publication/attachments/tots_for_trees_concept_pa
per%5B1%5D.pdf

This concept paper example is provided by Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic
Development, dc.gov. Many grantmakers (private and public sectors) often request a short Concept
Paper be submitted first and then if they're interested in your project idea, you'll receive a request to
submit a full grant proposal.

Grants Sample Letter of Inquiry

http://www.npguides.org/guide/inquiry_letter.htm

Here you'll find elements of a Letter of Inquiry; Resources; Sample Letter of Inquiry. What Should Be
Included in a Letter of Inquiry?

Letter of Inquiry: Charactercounts.org

https://charactercounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The_Letter_of_Inquiry.pdf

This Web site provides a PDF file example of a letter of inquiry. A letter of inquiry is submitted to a
foundation funder to inquire about their interest in receiving a full grant proposal from a potential grant
applicant.

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction

I know you’re wondering how to find grant monies for your nonprofit projects or programs. I will show you
how to use the Internet resources to identify potential funding sources. I believe that many grant
proposals are rejected for funding consideration because the funder and the project or program were not
matched correctly.

Are you thinking that you already know everything there is to know about how to find a funding source for
your specific grant needs? Are you overwhelmed with the prospect of having to find hundreds of
thousands of dollars?

My objective for lesson 2 is to help you look in the right places for potential grant monies. This is the first
step to advancing your proposal-writing skills. I’ll help you learn how to search free access gateways on
the Internet. I’ll walk you through the questions to ask yourself before selecting any funder to receive your
grant proposal. Finally, I’ll go over how to create hard copy funder files for each of your projects and tell
you why this is so important.

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Chapter 2: Find Funding Sources

Find Funding Sources

As a successful grant writer, you will want to develop your own stash of favorite Web sites and
grant-related publications for finding funding sources. Even if you do not plan to approach a specific
funder now, you will still want to explore and take notes on future funding possibilities for your project or
program.

Federal Grant Funding

The federal government, state government agencies, large foundations, and corporations all have Web
sites with links to grant funding announcements, former grantees, grant application guidelines, and even
grant application forms. What do all of these types of public access Web sites have in common? There is
no charge to access each site’s information.
Grants.gov. Grants.gov is a one-stop Internet gateway where you will find federal grant funding
opportunities. I give you their Web site in the Supplementary Material section. This free access Web site
gives you links to the following grant topic areas:

● Agriculture
● Business and Commerce
● Community Development
● Consumer Protection
● Cultural Affairs
● Disaster Prevention and Relief
● Education
● Employment, Labor, and Training
● Energy
● Environmental Quality
● Food and Nutrition
● Health
● Housing
● Information and Statistics
● Law, Justice, and Legal Services
● Natural Resources
● Regional Development
● Science and Technology
● Social Services and Income Security
● Transportation

State Grant Funding

Every state agency has an Internet gateway that gives you access to all branches of state government.
Since few states have a one-stop grant announcement Web site or information center, you will need to
look at each state agency on an individual basis.

USA.gov is a joint government Web site that gives you free access to state and federal government
agencies. I give you their Web site in the Supplementary Material section. When you want to find out what
grant funds are available in your state, click Government Agencies and Elected Officials. Then click on
State, Local, and Tribal Governments. Next, select State Governments and click the drop-down menu,
and select your state. Type the word grant into the Advanced Search box and click Search.
USA.gov is full of nice surprises because it doubles as a research site to help you with your grant-writing
information needs. When you view the USA.gov Web site, you will find the following links:

● All Topics and Services

● Government Agencies and Elected Officials
● Benefits, Grants, Loans
● Housing
● Jobs and Unemployment
● Money And Taxes
● Travel and Immigration

The Foundation Center's Free Services

When you want to browse through the Foundation Center's Web site, click Finding Funding. Scroll down
to view your options. If you know the name of a specific funder, you can type the name in the Grantmaker
Name text box under the Foundation Directory Quick Start section on this webpage. You will also
need to know the state where the foundation is located to view free access information. Note, the Zip
Code information does not need to be entered to generate a quick start search.

If you visit Funding Information Network sites (see their Web site for locations near you), make sure to
look for your funding sources using the following quick and easy funding directories:

● The Foundation Directory Online (electronic searchable format)

● Guide to Funding for International and Foreign Programs (book)
● The Celebrity Foundation Directory (book)

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Chapter 3: Profile and Match Funding Sources

Profile and Match Funding Sources

While you are a beginner in the field of grant writing, you may be asking yourself, "How do I profile a
funding source?" A profile is specific information collected on funding sources. I will give you some
guidelines to help you weigh the ins and outs of whether or not a funding source is a match for your
project or program.
Federal Grant Profile Tips

When you find an announcement for a federal grant funding opportunity, look at multiple areas before you
make the decision to apply for funding.

Purpose. Does the purpose of the federal act fit your project like a glove? If yes, then proceed with your
profile of this grant announcement. If no, keep in mind that federal legislation does not bend or flex to
meet your needs. It is just the opposite—you will have to change your project design to meet the federal
act.

Eligible applicant. Is the organization for which you are writing the grant application an eligible
applicant? If yes, then proceed with your profile of this grant announcement. If not, can you find a partner
agency in the community that can act as your fiscal agent? If you are unable to find an eligible partner
agency, then look for another federal grant competition.

Absolute priority. Does your organization or location meet the absolute priority? The absolute priority is
a mandatory condition that all grant applications must meet in order to be considered for a grant award.
Sometimes the absolute priority is geographic, meaning only specific states are eligible to apply for the
money. For example, some federal grantmaking agencies give special preferences to areas of the United
States designated as Colonias. A colonias consists of peri-urban subdivisions of substandard housing
lacking in basic services such as potable water, electricity, paved roads, proper drainage, and waste
management. If your organization qualifies under the absolute priority, then proceed with your profile of
this grant announcement. If not, you will need to continue your research of federal grant opportunities.

Availability of funds. Look for the number of grants to be awarded and the amount of money available.
Remember, this is federal money. Eligible applicants from 50 states, the District of Columbia (usually
referred to as the 51st state by the federal government), and seven territories will be competing for the
total number of grants to be awarded. If there are 10 or fewer grant awards, don't even bother to apply.
Between politics and geographic distribution preferences, your chances will be slim when it comes to
winning a grant award from this type of restricted grant competition. If there are more than 10 grant
awards, then proceed with your profile of this grant announcement.

Deadline. Can you meet the grant application due date deadline? If yes, then proceed with your profile of
this grant announcement. If no, remember to do your homework to find out if these same federal monies
will be released again in the next fiscal year.
Match requirements. Are there any matching funds requirements? If yes, will your organization be able
to commit cash or in-kind contributions to meet the matching fund requirements? If yes, then proceed with
your profile of this grant announcement.

Use of funds. Does the use of funds align with your proposed funding expenditures? If yes, then proceed
with your profile of this grant announcement. If no, then you will need to look for another federal funding
competition.

Application content. Can you meet the requirements for the application guidelines? Take a special look
at the length of the application (number of pages required), the type of information you will need to
research and compile, and any preapproval sign-offs needed from your state coordinating agency. If you
can meet all of the requirements and conditions, then you are ready to start researching the sections of
your grant application. If not, you need to look for another federal funding competition.

When you decide to apply for federal funding, you want to have more pros than cons after weighing all of
the odds.

State Grant Profile Tips

State government grant monies are allocated geographically over the duration of the act that created the
funding line item in a state agency's budget. You will not have as much competition in a state grant award
process as you will in the federal grant arena. Your odds will be high for winning a state grant award, but
you will still need to profile the grant announcement carefully. Here are the things to look for in a state
grant announcement:

● Purpose. Does the purpose of the legislative act fit your project like a glove? If yes, then proceed
with your profile of this grant announcement. If no, keep in mind that legislation does not bend or
flex to meet your needs. It is just the opposite—you will have to change your project design to
meet the legislative act.

● Background. This section tells you information on the who (grantor), why (intent for monies), and
where (geographic area eligible) for the funding available.

● Total funds available. When a state grant announcement tells you the total funds available, it will
usually not say how many grants will be awarded. Here, you will want to look at a couple of
factors before deciding to proceed with a grant application:

1. History of funding. Over the past three years, in which counties were the agencies that
received grant awards located? You can usually find this information on the state
agency's Web site. Did an agency in your county receive an award? For more than one
 year? If you find that other agencies in your county have received this money historically,
then you may want to partner with them for this grant competition or simply not apply.

2. Political sponsorship. If this is a new legislative act, which state legislators sponsored
the bill in the House and the Senate? Realistically, you must examine any political strings
already attached to the grant awards. I tell you simple and straight, money follows
politics. If your local state legislator was one of the bill's sponsors, then you will want to
make a telephone call to their office to inquire further about the grant monies.

● Eligible applicants. Ask the same question that you did in the Federal Grant Tips section for
checking your eligibility to apply for grant funds.

● Priority funding categories. Ask the same question that you did in the Federal Absolute Priority
section.

● Eligible program activities. Ask the same question that you did in the Federal Use of Funds
section.

● Match requirement. Ask the same question that you did in the Federal Matching Funds section.

● Deadline. Ask the same questions that you did in the Federal Deadline section.

Foundation Grant Profile Tips

I want to share with you a series of questions that I ask myself before I select a foundation to receive my
grant proposals. The answers to these questions can be found on the foundation's Web site or on the
Foundation Center's Online Directory. It is important to ask the questions in the order that I give to you.

1. Is my project located within the funder's geographic focus? If yes, keep going; no, stop.

2. Is my organization or project still eligible after reading the funder's limitations (What the funder will
not fund)? If yes, keep going; if no, stop!

3. When I read the purpose and activities, program areas and fields of interest, do I see descriptions
that are exact matches for my project area? If yes, keep going; no, stop.

4. When I look for application information, is the funder accepting proposals? If yes, keep going; no,
stop. Many foundations do not accept unsolicited proposals.

5. Does the amount of money for which I will ask fall between the low and the high for the funder's
grant-making range? If yes, keep going; no, stop.

All yes's mean that you have found a perfect match between a potential foundation funding source and
your project.
Corporate Grant Profile Tips

If the corporation has a corporate foundation, then pull up their profile online or use one of your library's
Foundation Directory resources. If the corporation has no foundation, you will still be able to submit a
corporate letter request to them once you are sure that they are a perfect match for your project.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are the headquarters or subsidiary locations located in my state, in or near my county (within a
100-mile radius)? If yes, keep going; no, stop.

2. Have I thoroughly researched this company? Do I know their net income for the last fiscal year
(profit or loss)? Do I know the name of the CEO or CFO (recipient of your letter proposal)? If yes,
keep going; no, stop.

3. If my request will be mailed outside of the project area's county, can I find a way to establish a
connection between the corporation's employees or products and the project's location? If yes,
keep going; no, stop.

4. Can I get my own executive director or president to sign the letter proposal? If yes, keep going;
no, stop. Occasionally, the corporate business that you plan to approach for funding can be
controversial. Imagine if you were writing a grant proposal for a school-based alcohol prevention
program, and one of the corporations that brewed alcohol had grant monies available. Your
employer or school board may not want to accept money from one of the businesses contributing
to the problem of teen drinking.

Lower Your Odds for Rejection

The more you research funding sources, choose perfect matches, and eliminate others, the more
successful you will be in winning grant awards on a regular basis. The golden rule for profiling and
matching funding sources is to research every possibility and ask the relevant questions for each type of
funder.

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Chapter 4: Manage Funding Source Information

Manage Funding Source Information

When you start to collect profiles on potential funding sources for your project or program, you will need to
develop a funder tracking system. There are two ways to organize and track funders. The first way is file
folder management; the second, database management.
Before I research or compile information on my potential funders, I review all information on the project or
program in need of funding (type of project or program, geographic location, constituents who will be
served with grant monies, and the project's total budget). Then, I start the funding search (Internet or
libraries that are a part of the Foundation Center's Funding Information Network).

Let me give you an example of the steps I take when I am researching funding sources, retrieving the
findings, and managing the information so that I will not miss any funder deadlines.

Digital or Electronic File Folder Management

1. I prefer to store all of my research findings on potential funders in electronic folders. I currently
use sites like dropbox.com or onehub.com or onedrive.com to create client files and funding
research folders. In the name of the funder’s file, I add the due date. For example: Cushman
Foundation – Due Date May 1 Annually.
2. Remember to add all funding source information (Foundation Center profile, funder Web site
information including grant guidelines, application forms [if applicable] , list of previous grantees,
and funder mission statement).
3. Contact the funding source if there is no Web site and the Foundation Center profile indicates that
the funder has its own grant application form. I will usually e-mail or call the funding source to
request a link for or to have them email their most recent grant application guidelines and forms.
4. Sort all of the information in relevant order and insert in the designated file folder.
5. Since I work on multiple projects at one time for several nonprofit organizations, I use a desktop
sorting file (mine has six ample slots to hold lots of folders). Each slot has a cardboard tag with
the name of the current month and each month following. This helps me to have a visual fix on
the number of projects due in any one month with just a glance.

Database Management

You or your nonprofit organization may be interested in grant-tracking software. There are several types
of software available for trial use. You can also look in nonprofit publications for software reviews to help
you make a purchase decision.

The following nonprofit publication has published software reviews. First, look for their Web site; second,
check their archive for reviews.

● TechSoup

There are several very good brands of grant-tracking software on the market. Prices start at $20 and up,
depending on your needs. Some of the standard software features include prospect and donor tracking;
gift processing; contracts, correspondence, and forms; data analysis and reports; and task scheduling.
Most of the software that I reviewed has the ability to give you date alerts for grant application due dates
and grant management report dates.

You will have many pros and cons to consider when you make the decision to set up a grant-tracking
system. These considerations include cost, reliability, frequency of use, accuracy, time, and personal
preference.
Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects
Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered the different ways to find and match funders with projects. You learned how to find
state and federal grant announcements. You also learned how to use online and library resources to find
potential funding sources.

You learned how to profile and match funding sources to your specific project or program needs. You
learned the different profile categories for each type of funder and what to look for when choosing or
eliminating a funder. You discovered that there is an information review order to help you profile
foundations faster.

You also learned how to lower your odds for rejection by applying the golden rule. You discovered new
ways to manage your funding source information. Finally, you reviewed the features available from
commercial software programs designed to track grants.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the first section of your grant proposal,
History and Major Accomplishments. You’ll also find out how to upgrade and downgrade your information
for the private sector and public sector funders.

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Lesson 2 FAQs

Q: Can I send an unsolicited proposal to a funding source that states “no applications accepted” if I know
someone on their board of trustees?
A: Yes, but first call the trustee to see if you can send them the proposal directly. Your proposal has a
much better chance of acceptance by the entire board of trustees if it is presented by one of their
members.
Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Lesson 2 Assignment

Identify five new funding sources for your project or program. These must be sources you have not used
previously.

​ Which of the following best defines Grants.gov?

​ A
​ Federal grant technical assistance center
​
​ B
​ Federal library with all grant-related publications
​
​ C
​ Compendium of state agencies that award grant applications
​
​ D
​ One-stop Internet gateway to find federal grant funding announcements
​ The Grants.gov Web site is a one-stop Internet gateway for federal grant funding
announcements.
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following organizations hosts the Web site with links to U.S. foundations?
​ A
​ NonProfit Times
​
​ B
​ Foundation Center
​ The Foundation Center will give you access to a large database of private foundation
funders.
​
​ C
​ Council on Foundations
​
​ D
​ Association of Small Foundations
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following best defines absolute priority?
​ A
​ Conditions that are mandatory in order to receive a grant award
 ​ The absolute priority is a mandatory condition that all grant applications must meet in
order to be considered for a grant award.
​
​ B
​ Conditions set by federal agency program staff
​
​ C
​ Rules for funds that will be committed by the grant applicant
​
​ D
​ Guidelines for fiscal management of all federal grant awards
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following best defines the type of software needed to monitor donors?
​ A
​ Grant management software
​
​ B
​ E-Grant management software
​
​ C
​ Grant-tracking software
​ Grant-tracking software is designed to monitor project and donor tracking, along with
other data management tasks.
​
​ D
​ GrantSeeker Pro software
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following is an important step in electronic file folder management?
​ A
​ Scan all contents.
​
​ B
​ Secure files from the view of coworkers.
​
​ C
​ Sort in alphabetical order by funder name.
​
​ D
​ Include the grant application's due date in the name of the file.
​ An important step in digital or electronic file folder management is to add the grant
application's due date at the end of the file name.
​
​
Next Up
Lesson 2 Supplementary Material
activity

​ Student Support

© 2023 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Lesson 2: Match Funders With Projects

Lesson 2 Supplementary Material

Federal Grant Funding Announcements

https://www.grants.gov/

This Web site is the master directory for Federal grant information. You will find links from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to the U.S. Department of Transportation. There is also a section on the left
side of the home page that leads to the E-Grants section pilot.

USA.gov
https://www.usa.gov/

This federal Web site is the gateway for all government agencies that make grant awards.

Candid Learning
https://learning.candid.org/

This site easy-to-use self-service tools and resources to help nonprofits worldwide become more viable
grant applicants and build strong, sustainable organizations.

TechSoup
https://www.techsoup.org/
This Web site provides hardware and software technology resource information for nonprofits.

Candid
https://candid.org/

In 2019, the Foundation Center and GuideStar joined forces to become a new organization known as
Candid. Their motto is, "We connect people who want to change the world with the resources they need
to do it." Here are some of the things this website will help you do: find funding, explore issues, improve
your nonprofit, improve your foundation, tell your story, use their data, and stay up to date.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation:https://www.wkkf.org/

Annie E. Casey Foundation:https://www.aecf.org/

Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation:https://dmjf.org/

Nord Family Foundation:https://www.nordff.org/

Wilson Foundation:https://wilsonfdn.org/

Lesson 3: Write the History and Major Accomplishments Sections

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

If you are feeling overwhelmed at this point, relax, this is normal. You are reacting to a tremendous
learning curve of new information. This next section will help you give the grant reviewers an inside
glimpse of your organization’s history and major accomplishments.

First, you'll understand how to prepare this section of your grant proposal to meet and exceed the dozens
of questions that grant reviewers ask when they read what you have written. I’ll also show you how to
avoid the mistakes that can cause your grant proposal to lose points during the funder’s review process.

You'll learn how to look for the right information and how to recognize when you have a problem in writing
your organization’s History section. I’ll also give you an example of how to order and present your
information in this section of your grant proposal.
Lastly, you'll learn how to glean relevant information and write an award-winning Major Accomplishments
section. I’ll also show you examples of well-written paragraphs to help get you started in gaining the grant
reviewer’s interest in your organization.

My objective for lesson 3 is to show you how to research and write the History and Major
Accomplishments sections in your grant proposal narrative.

Lesson 3: Write the History and Major Accomplishments Sections

Chapter 2: From the Grant Funder’s Viewpoint

From the Grant Funder’s Viewpoint

Imagine that you are a program officer for a grant funder. Day after day, you receive stacks of unsolicited
proposals in the mail. Most of the requests for grant funds that you review are written the same. The
writer either begins by telling the reader the problem or else they begin by telling the reader how they will
solve the problem.

Avoid this critical proposal-writing error: Typically, a program officer or grant reviewer
does not want to read about the problem or how it will be solved in the first section of the
grant application. Why? First and foremost, the funder is interested in the background and
history of the grant applicant. Second, unless you set the stage with this introductory
capability section of the grant application narrative, you will be writing on shaky ground.

Imagine meeting someone in person for the first time. Will you tell them your name and something about
yourself, or will you ask them for $10,000 to help you solve a problem? Not many people will keep
standing there acting happy to meet you if you start out by talking about your problems first.

When you begin to write a grant request, courtesy counts! It is important to go through this routine
on-paper introduction. This required and desired order of proposal writing allows the reader to take a
virtual trip into your organization, the community, and to understand your role with the end users or
stakeholders (those receiving services from the applicant organization).

● History: What does the funder seek in this section?

● Funders will read your grant proposal along with hundreds of others. How can your organization
stand apart from the crowd or the competition? You will need to write relevant and accurate
information. By doing this, you will fulfill the funder’s curiosity about the organization requesting
grant monies.
The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:
1. When was your organization founded?
 2. Who founded the organization?
3. Where was it founded (city, county, and state)?
4. Why was it started (purpose then)?
5. What services does it provide now (purpose now), and who benefits from the services?
6. What is your mission statement, and how do you fulfill it today?
7. Have you provided the critical information to prove your organization's capability of
managing a grant award?
● The History section provides information about who, what, and where types of questions that
funders will have about the applicant organization.History: Why does the funder need to see
this information?
● The funder’s proposal review staff is asking themselves the following questions about the
applicant organization:
Experience. Is the grant applicant a new organization or a well-established organization?
Sometimes funders are hesitant to grant monies to a new organization with no track record for
managing grant funds.
Reputation. Who founded the applicant organization? Am I familiar with this person? Has anyone
on our board of trustees heard of the founder? Do we have positive or negative information on
this person or persons?
Funders are curious about the founder or founders. They will often research the founder’s
background, looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Few funders will take a chance on
organizations with a questionable founder, dead or alive.
Location. Is the applicant organization located in our geographic priority area?
Funders want grant applicants to do their homework well. You will need to make sure that you
only write grant proposals to funders that include the applicant organization’s service area or
location in their area of geographic priority for grant funding.
Value association. Does the applicant organization’s mission align with the funder's values or
mission?
Funders look for like minds when it comes to awarding grants. If your funder was founded to
service the aging population, and your mission includes wording to provide services to the aging,
you have made a smart value association.
Services and benefits. Does the grant applicant provide services that the funder has previously
supported in its grant awards? Does the grant applicant serve a population that the funder has a
special interest in?
These questions by the funder confirm the importance of how you must research and match
funders with projects.
Focus and Purpose
Does the grant applicant continue to fulfill its original mission, or has it changed its focus since the
organization was founded?
Avoid a Red Flag
Most funders do not want to see continual shifts in the grant applicant’s service focus. Continual
shifts are a sign of leaderless organizations and confused boards of directors. However, if the
shifts were brought on by evaluation feedback from previously funded grant proposals, you must
tell the funder in this section about the feedback and the shifts in population or service
focus.Accomplishments: What does the funder need to know in this section?
● In the Accomplishments section, funders need to know that the grant applicant has been setting
goals and reaching them, whether the organization is new or experienced in their service area.
How can your organization show that it has experiences and successes? You will need to write
relevant and accurate information. By doing this, you will fulfill the funder’s curiosity about the
 grant applicant’s organizational credentials.
The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:
1. If the applicant organization is new, what strides has the board of directors made since
applying for IRS nonprofit status?
2. If the applicant organization is experienced, what strategic planning goals were
developed, and how many of the goals have been reached?
3. Has the applicant organization received any awards or recognitions from governmental
units or other community organizations?
4. Have any of the applicant organization’s clients or patients achieved notable success
because of programs or services provided by the applicant organization?
5. Has the applicant organization completed any planning goals?
6. Has the applicant organization completed any program implementation goals?
7. Have any programs provided by the applicant organization been adopted as models by
other similar organizations?
8. Has the organization previously received grant awards and managed them efficiently and
effectively?
● Remember, you will want to focus on the accomplishments that are relevant to the area of your
grant request. For example, if you are writing a grant application for a school district and you want
to request funds for a new academic program, you will not want to list sports achievements under
accomplishments.
The Accomplishments section is your chance to show the funder the applicant organization's past
successes.Accomplishments: Why does the funder need to see this information?
● The funder’s proposal review staff is asking themselves the following questions about the
applicant organization:
1. Are the achievements relevant to the proposal’s purpose?
2. Does the application organization know how to set goals and reach them?
3. Are the achievements in alignment with the organization’s mission?
4. Are the accomplishments relevant to the purpose of the grant request? Note: The grant
reader will skim through the rest of your grant proposal to see if the accomplishments
listed have relevance to the program design.

Write to the Funder’s Guidelines

Remember, not all types of funding sources will need to see the same amount of information. Foundations
and corporations may only want one-half to one page of information for this section. State and federal
government funding agencies may ask for two to three pages of information on the applicant
organization’s history and accomplishments.
Chapter 3: History: Collect and Write the Right Information

History: Collect and Write the Right Information

Where will you find information to help you write the applicant organization’s history? You will start by
looking through old files. What types of documents will you seek?

Collect the right information.

 1. Look for hard or electronic copies of all grant applications.
2. Look for old annual reports.
3. Look for old board of directors meeting minutes.
4. Search the archives of the local online newspaper.
5. Ask long-serving volunteers.
6. Ask long-serving board members.

Write the right information.

After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of the grant
applicant’s history. Next, you will take what you have gleaned and organize it into appealing paragraphs
for the funder.

Here is an example of how to order and present your information:

History of the ABC Organization

The community is surrounded by several mountain ranges, and it is located in an area of the country
where the winters are hard, cold, and often brutal for persons sleeping in alleys, under bridges, and on
downtown air vents. Many persons, including children, are picked up by the local police and transported
to the local emergency room with frostbite and dehydration. Two small children died after a
record-breaking snowfall in 1994.

Three Blytheville residents who recognized the need for an emergency homeless shelter in Carter
County, South Dakota, founded The Family Place in 1995. Three local business owners, Mary Jones,
Sara Smith, and Dale Miller, approached the Blytheville mayor with their problem and proposed a
solution.

Thus, The Family Place was opened in October 1995 in a storefront in downtown Blytheville. The Family
Place started with one family and has grown to serve over 350 homeless families annually. Today, it
provides up to 45 days of emergency shelter, three meals per day, counseling, substance abuse support,
housing referrals, a clothing closet, and a soup kitchen. The entire Carter County community benefits
from the services offered at The Family Place. Businesses no longer worry about vagrants or petty theft
by transients; families without a home no longer have to worry about their safety or eight months of
inclement weather.

The Family Place’s mission is to care, share, and serve all homeless families in Carter County with dignity
and respect. Our organization fulfills its mission by remaining open 24 hours per day, seven days per
week. The Family Place turns no family away. When there is an overflow situation, three local churches
open their doors, throw up emergency cots, and pick up warm meals from local restaurants for hungry,
cold, and tired families.
Chapter 4: Accomplishments: Collect and Write the Right Information

Accomplishments: Collect and Write the Right Information

Where will you find information to help you write the applicant organization’s Accomplishments section?
You will start by looking through old files.

● Collect the right information.

What types of documents will you look for?
1. Year-end reports presented by the administrative staff to the board of directors (these
may list the year’s accomplishments of the applicant organization).
2. Original and succeeding copies of the applicant organization’s long-range strategic plan.
You will look for any signs that previous goals set were attained and the level of
attainment.
3. Look around on the walls of the applicant organization for framed certificates,
recognitions, and news articles, and make a copy of each document.
4. Search the archives of the local online newspaper.
5. Ask long-serving volunteers.
6. Ask long-serving board members.
7. Check the files for any letters from former clients or patients. You will look for indications
of success that is the result of receiving services from the applicant organization.
8. Conduct an Internet search to see what information shows up on the applicant
organization. Are there other organizations citing program service delivery models that
were started by the applicant organization?
9. Huddle with your financial team members to get a list of previous grants awarded (name
of the funder, the project or program funded, length of the grant award, and the amount
awarded).
● After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of the
grant applicant’s accomplishments. Next, you will take what you have gleaned and organize it into
appealing paragraphs for the funder.
● Write the right information.
Here is an example of how to order and present your information:

Since 2005, The Family Place has completed the following service goals:

● Created the first emergency homeless shelter in Carter County, South Dakota.
● Provided a safe and secure temporary shelter program for homeless families.
● Developed an aggressive case management plan to address the needs of all family
members in need of essential lifesaving services.
● Established ongoing partnerships with local downtown businesses, a regional food
bank, a countywide housing development authority, and the Carter County Board of
Commissioners.
 ● Developed ongoing dialog with the City of Blytheville that resulted in an annual line
item budget of $100,000 to support shelter services.

The Family Place has been recognized by the South Dakota HOME Program for its ability to
find affordable housing alternatives for low-income families.

In 2015, Governor Sue Johnson created an annual Family Place Day, which resulted in
statewide donations collected by Featherstone National Bank branches in 49 counties. This
effort resulted in $75,000 per year in corporate and individual contributions.

Today, ninety percent of families served annually leave The Family Place with job training
skills, a small down payment for their first home, and one year’s worth of public
transportation tokens. Testimonial letters from families show that, without The Family Place,
they would never realize the dream of homeownership or a steady, good paying job. Many
families have returned to The Family Place to volunteer their time in the soup kitchen or
clothing bank.

Most recently, the board of directors held a weekend retreat at Lookout Mountain. While
there, they were able to develop a new long-range strategic plan to take The Family Place
well into the next decade.

The Family Place has become a statewide model for maximizing rural resources and
government partnerships. Twelve new South Dakota emergency shelters have opened,
using The Family Place start-up guide.

Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered how to research and write the History and Major Accomplishments sections of your
grant proposal. You learned how to ask the right questions of your coworkers and supervisors in order to
retrieve information for your organization’s archives.

You learned how to prepare this section of the grant proposal to meet and exceed the expectations of
grant reviewers. You also learned how to avoid mistakes in the History and Major Accomplishments
sections that result in your grant proposal being rejected for funding consideration.

You discovered the importance of presenting relevant and accurate information in a concise format.
Finally, you learned how to complete this section of your grant proposal with an eye-catching list of your
organization’s major accomplishments.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the Current Programs and Activities section
of your grant proposal.
Lesson 3 FAQs

Q: Can I attach a video on the organization's history and accomplishments?

A: It is not a good idea to attach any videos, or audiotapes for funders. Such attachments are considered
cumbersome and will likely not be viewed or played by grant review program staff. Any relevant
information must be written in the History and Accomplishments sections of the grant proposal.
Lesson 3 Assignment

Lesson 3 Quiz

​ Which of the following best defines a critical proposal-writing error?

​ A
​ Writing the introductory information in the first section of the proposal narrative
​
​ B
​ Writing the history information in the first section of the proposal narrative
​
​ C
​ Writing the accomplishments information in the first section of the proposal narrative
​
​ D
​ Writing the problem statement information in the first section of the proposal narrative
​ Writing the problem statement information in the first section of the proposal narrative is a
critical proposal-writing error.
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following best defines why you write the most relevant and accurate information
about the applicant organization?
​ A
​ To support any information the funder may find on its own about the organization
​
​ B
​ To fulfill the funder's concerns about the applicant organization's capability as a potential
grantee.
​ You write the most relevant and accurate information to fulfill the funder's concerns about
the applicant organization's capability as a potential grantee.
​
 ​ C
​ To show the funder that the grant writer is qualified to submit a grant proposal
​
​ D
​ To help the funder understand the urgency of the grant request
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following best defines one of the questions for which the funder seeks an answer in
the History section of the grant proposal narrative?
​ A
​ Why was the applicant organization started?
​ The funder wants to know why the applicant organization was started.
​
​ B
​ What are the project's measurable objectives?
​
​ C
​ Does the applicant organization have a nonprofit status?
​
​ D
​ Who are the applicant organization's key personnel?
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following best defines a red flag in the History section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Lack of experience
​
​ B
​ Religious affiliation
​
​ C
​ Continual shifts in focus
​ Continual shifts in the organization's focus are a sign of leaderless organizations and
confused boards of directors.
​
​ D
​ No project timeline
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following best defines the purpose of the Accomplishments section?
​ A
​ Shows the funder the applicant organization's mission and purpose
​
​ B
​ Shows the funder the applicant organization's plan for third-party evaluation
 ​
​ C
​ Shows the funder the applicant organization's ability to assign qualified staff to grant
funded projects
​
​ D
​ Shows the funder the applicant organization's past successes
​ The Accomplishments section of the grant proposal shows the funder the applicant
organization's past successes.
​
​
Next Up
Lesson 3 Supplementary Material
activity

​ Student Support

© 2023 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Lesson 3 Supplementary Material

Grants for Teachers

http://teach.com/what/teachers-change-lives/grants-for-teachers/

Great teachers are always looking for new ways to expand their instruction and engage their students.
Innovative teaching is important --but it can be expensive. Luckily, there are a wide variety of sources
available for teachers who want to help their students.

The Grantsmanship Center

http://www.tgci.com

This nonprofit Web site is a national resource center that provides training for writing proposals.
Examples of Successful Funding Requests

http://charity.lovetoknow.com/Main_Page

LoveToKnow Charity is your go-to resource, whether you are a nonprofit event organizer or administrator
or on the front lines as a volunteer or donor. Need to raise funds for your organization? You can
customize one of our sample letters to make asking for money easy. In addition, we have an endless
supply of ideas for your next event.

Links to Examples of Grant Proposals – Varying Types of Examples

http://guides.library.ucsb.edu/content.php?pid=61909&sid=455330

This Web site belongs to the Library of Santa Barbara. The site's owner has created links to excellent
grant proposal examples. This link provides you with a detailed grant proposal narrative. Pay close
attention to the narrative response for the Organizational History section of the grant proposal example.

Lesson 4: Write the Current Programs and Activities Section

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

You are ready to begin the next section of your grant proposal, the Current Programs and Activities
section. The approach to researching and writing this section of your grant proposal is to develop a
template that you can update as new programs are started and old programs are phased out. This will
help you save time when you write future grant proposals.

First, you'll understand where to find the type of information a grant reviewer needs in this section of your
grant proposal. I’ll also show you how to stay on your toes when it comes to understanding all of the
questions that funders ask when they read this section in your grant proposal.
You'll learn how to put on your detective’s hat and look for documents that you will need to fully research
and write the Current Programs and Activities section. I’ll also give you some tips on how to recognize a
red flag in your information search and discovery process.

Lastly, you'll learn how to order, organize, and present your findings in a competitively written proposal
narrative. I’ll also show you examples of award-winning Current Programs and Activities sections.

My objective for lesson 4 is to show you how to research and write the Current Programs and Activities
section in your grant proposal narrative.
Chapter 2: From the Grant Funder’s Viewpoint

From the Grant Funder’s Viewpoint

Potential funding sources have a genuine interest in the applicant organization. Foundation and corporate
program officers, as well as government peer grant reviewers, are trained to look for organizational
strengths. In the Current Programs and Activities section of the grant proposal, organizational strengths
are presented in appealing and short information-packed paragraphs that capture the current picture of
the applicant organization’s operations.

Avoid this critical proposal-writing error: A grant review person does not want to read
about every program or activity the applicant organization has ever implemented or
completed. The funder is only interested in reading about what the applicant organization is
doing today. Why? They are looking for what the applicant organization’s staff does on a
day-to-day basis.

Most importantly, the grant reviewer is looking for operational information that is relevant to the grant
project’s area. Remember, you are still setting the stage for the information that is yet to be written and
read. Don’t stray or be prolific in this section or you will be writing on shaky ground.

● Current Programs and Activities: What is sought by the funder in this section?
● Funders will read your grant proposal along with hundreds of others. How can your organization
stand apart from the crowd or competition? You will need to write relevant and accurate
information. By doing this, you will fulfill the funder’s curiosity about the organization requesting
grant monies.
The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:
1. What are the applicant organization’s current programs and activities?
 2. Is the applicant organization providing programs and activities that serve constituencies
that we have an interest in assisting?
3. Do the programs and activities show growth from when they first started until now?
4. Are any of the programs or activities duplicating services already available in the target
community for the population served?
5. Are any of the programs and activities grant-funded? If so, by whom, and what is the
level of funding support?
6. Are any of the programs based on national models that have already been proven
successful?
7. Is the number of constituents served clear?
8. Does the applicant organization partner with other local, regional, or state agencies to
provide coordinated programs or shared activities?
● The Current Programs and Activities section provides information about what the applicant
organization is doing now. This section shows how the applicant organization is using its existing
general operating funds. A well-written Current Programs and Activities section gives the funder
an inside look at how the applicant organization extends itself into the community.Current
Programs and Activities: Why does the funder need to see this information?
● The funder’s proposal review staff is asking themselves the following questions about the
applicant organization:
1. Applicant organization capacity. Does the applicant organization have too many
programs going at the same time? Do the programs appear to be running smoothly? If
the applicant organization only has one primary program, do I have sufficient detail in
order to determine the qualitative aspects of the program?
2. Stability. Does the grant applicant operate programs that have spanned over one year or
more?
3. Sometimes, funders are hesitant to grant monies to organizations that start new
programs and then suspend them when the funding stops or interest declines.Similar
target populations. Does the grant applicant serve the same constituents in whom the
funder has an interest?
4. If the funder indicates that they provide grants for youth services, and the applicant
organization is proposing a new program for the elderly, the funder is likely going to
decide to issue a standard form rejection letter without reading any further.
However, if the grant applicant is showing that most of its programs serve youth, the
funder is likely going to continue to read the remainder of the grant proposal.Ability to
 maintain and improve existing programs. Does the grant applicant present a written
track record for creating, maintaining, and improving its programs?

The funder does not want to see the applicant organization start a program, and then suddenly, after six
months, stop the program. This is a sign of the applicant organization’s inability to sustain grant-funded
programs.

Avoid a Red Flag

● Do not list programs and activities that are not current.

● Do not list programs and activities that were not successful.
● Do not list programs and activities that have no relevance to the grant proposal request area.
● Do not list programs and activities that have never been evaluated for constituent impact.
● Do not list programs and activities that resulted in negative news coverage.

Write to the Funder’s Guidelines

Remember, not all types of funding sources will need to see the same amount of information. Foundations
and corporations may only want one-half to one page of information for this section. State and federal
government agencies may ask for two to three pages of information on the grant applicant’s current
programs and activities.
Chapter 3: Current Programs and Activities: Collect The Right Information

Current Programs and Activities: Collect The Right Information

Where will you find information to help you write about the applicant organization’s current programs and
activities? You will start by looking through old files. What type of documents will you look for?

● Collect the Right Information

1. Look at the most current annual report.
2. Ask for the updated strategic plan.
3. Look at the most current organizational brochures.
4. Look at recently submitted grant proposals.
5. Look at press releases for the past year.
6. Talk to program managers and request a one-page fact sheet on their program(s).
7. Meet with the chief administrator and take lots of notes.
 8. Ask for evaluation reports for current programs.

Warning Signs for the Grant Writer

● You will know you are in trouble when everything you ask for is outdated.
● You will know you are in trouble when the strategic plan has not been updated to reflect where
the applicant organization is today and the plans for the future.
● You will know you are in trouble if none of the applicant organization’s current programs have
ever been evaluated.
● You will know you are in trouble when the only news articles are about the applicant
organization’s management problems or constituent complaints.

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization with obvious
management problems? Well, from a visionary’s perspective, I believe that if the applicant organization
has not mishandled previous grant monies and has truly tried to fulfill their role in the community, then
they deserve to be considered for grant funding again. Your job is to ask the right questions and collect
the right information in order to portray the organization as experienced and credible on paper.
Chapter 4: Current Programs and Activities: Write The Right Information

Current Programs and Activities: Write The Right Information

After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of the grant
applicant's current programs and activities. Next, you will take what you have gleaned and organize it into
appealing and short information-packed paragraphs for the funder.

Here is an example of how to order, organize, and present your information when the applicant
organization has only one primary program about which to write. The extensive detail on the one program
is necessary in order to convince funders that the organization has depth and understanding in their only
area of operational expertise.

Current Programs and Activities

One of the Knowledge Adventures on The World Guardians Web site is Peace In Space.
The Knowledge Adventure was strategically developed by a multitalented project design
team composed of a former ambassador to NATO; international television script writers and
online producers; character and visual designers; educational consultants; distance learning
advisors; environmental, atmospheric and climate, and outer space advisors; and mediation
and conflict resolution practitioners. The team has developed the Peace In Space
Knowledge Adventures for use in formal and informal education settings and targeted it for
upper elementary and middle school students.

The lesson plan on the International Space Station contains relevant science content, gives
attention to gender equity and cultural diversity, and involves the collaborative efforts of the
following external partners:

● Satellite Event Enterprises, Inc. (California)

● Lochnau, Inc. (New York)
● TEAMS Distance Learning Network (California)
● Los Angeles Unified School District—Thomas Starr King Middle School (California)
● United Nations Office for Outer Space (New York)
● Fever Information Design Ltd. (United Kingdom)
● The Orbital Mechanics Educational Network (England)
● Bredenbury Primary School (England)
● Instructional Technology Unit, London Borough of Redbridge (England)
● Helsinki City Education Department (Finland)
● Coolderry Central School (Ireland)
● Roundwood Country School (Ireland)
● IDEA Center, Tel-Aviv University (Israel)
● European Commission (Europe)

The Peace In Space Knowledge Adventure was designed to introduce conflict resolution
skills and Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) education to fifth- through eighth-grade students
and their teachers around the world. Peace In Space was created to teach students that
outer space belongs to everyone (one of the United Nations' five Global Commons, 2018)
and that the peaceful use of outer space can lead the way for the people of the world to see
how peaceful coexistence can be achieved.

The principal investigator has taken one initiative of NASA, the international space station,
and created a unique and innovative Online Education and Outreach Project based upon it.
Peace In Space focuses on environmental and conflict resolution issues endangering one of
the Global Commons—space. This international educational project integrates international
 negotiation role playing about space conservation into art, health, history/social studies and
language arts, mathematics, and science learning applications to teach students about the
Global Commons and the responsibility of humankind as it relates to outer space.

The Peace In Space Knowledge Adventure contains:

● Lesson plans for the Third United Nations Conference on Exploration and Peace.
● Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE), included with the cooperation of the United
Nations Office of Outer Space.
● 3-D model design and lesson plans for the Mars Rover and Space Station 2020.
● Student netlinks and space station models.
● International Space Station lesson plan.
● Deep space facts and figures.
● Space Trash Adventure.

In the International Space Station lesson plan of the Peace In Space Knowledge Adventure,
14 well-developed sessions over two to four weeks direct teachers and students through 23
interdisciplinary goals that are outcome-based. Experienced teachers from Los Angeles
Unified School District developed the lessons. The concepts and skills development are
based on the national standards for each curricular area and are addressed using the
scientific framework, which includes hypothesizing, analyzing, synthesizing, drawing
conclusions, and evaluating.

Thus far, only one lesson plan and teacher activities area of the Peace In Space Knowledge
Adventure has been developed and published online. This lesson plan was created to
enable fifth- through eighth-grade students to research the possibility of sustaining life in
outer space.

Students address the following questions: What essentials would be necessary for
maintaining the space station? What would it look like and why? How would food be
supplied and replenished? What health factors might need to be addressed? How would
they fuel the space station and various other instruments? How would families live? Would
there be schools? What kinds of recreation would there be? What rooms would there need
to be, and how would they escape in case of an emergency?

Here is an example of how to order, organize, and present your information when the applicant
organization has several programs about which to write. Each paragraph gives an overview of a program
and its activities. You will note that the programs are described in chronological order based on the year
the program was founded.

Current Programs and Activities

● Job Advocation. Still in operation, the OASIS Job Advocation Program was
founded in 2010. Annually, it provides services for more than 500 hard-to-place
individuals who are receiving TANF. The program is designed to improve
employment opportunities for those with practical workplace skills, locate and create
meaningful and appropriate work assignments, increase employment opportunities
for work experience participants, and provide post-employment support for job
retention. The target age range for services is 16 through senior citizen.
● Parent Education and Training. OASIS has been working with at-risk youth (ages
newborn to 17) and their parents since 2011, providing advocacy, counseling, and
informational seminars. In 2015, OASIS was selected to develop a Parent Educator
Workshop Program for Smith County aimed at delinquency prevention. In 2018, the
New York State Division for Youth contracted with OASIS to provide parenting
education and training to parents of youth in their Re-entry and After-Care
Programs in an effort to strengthen the family unit and reduce the recidivism rate of
youth. Last year, OASIS worked with 156 parents in the Bronx, Brooklyn,
Manhattan, Queens, and Richmond Hill.
● Residential Services for Boys. Project 56 was started by OASIS in 2012. It is a
residential alternative program providing long-term group foster care for boys, ages
10 to 17. The program is designed to provide supervision; care; individual, group,
and family counseling; tutorial services; and employment readiness training for
residents. Guided group sessions provide opportunities for more than 200 boys
annually to discuss and reinforce responsible behavior at home, in school, and in
the community.
● Residential Services for Girls. Since 2013, OASIS has operated an alternative
educational program for girls ages 10 to 16 that are remanded to Non-Secure
Detention Group Care by the Smith County and Wesson County family courts, as
well as by other family courts in New York State. This full-day educational program
provides assessment and individual prescriptions and offers grade-level academic
 subjects, physical education, and vocational and career orientation in an
on-grounds school. Last year, more than 200 girls were remanded to this facility.
● PINS. In 2014, OASIS started Project 357, a certified New York State Detention
Facility providing non-secure care for girls ages 10 to 16 who are Persons in Need
of Supervision (PINS). Remanded by the family court or emergency placed by a
peace officer, adolescent status offenders are provided 24-hour awake care in a
group home setting. OASIS-certified and trained counseling and social work staff
provide individual and group counseling and link more than 300 residents annually
with needed community resources.
● SAMP. Since 2015, the Socio-Academic Modification Program (SAMP) has been
annually providing over 400 students residing in the Smith County Juvenile
Detention Center with a full-day alternative educational program. Following testing
and assessment, individual educational prescriptions are designed and discussed
with each student. Their involvement in the planning and goal-setting process is
encouraged.
● CLIENTS. In 2016, in response to the Smith County Youth Board's Employment
Initiative, OASIS started Community Leadership in Employment Needs Training and
Services (CLIENTS), an employment readiness program for youth ages 14 to 20
that continues to operate today. The CLIENTS Program addressed the employment
readiness and training needs of youths who are delinquents, economically
disadvantaged, court involved, high school dropouts, or unemployed high school
graduates. The program was designed to coordinate, utilize, and expand resources
in target communities where there are high numbers of at-risk youth. Students
received in-class training in job search, employability, and school and job retention
skills, as well as counseling, tutorials, workshops, field visits, and student
recognition. Last year, 600 students were served.
● APSP. OASIS started the Adolescent Parent Services Program (APSP) in 1984. It
provides at-risk pregnant and parenting adolescents with a coordinating structure,
support services, and an individualized case management system. Youth under 21
years of age who are parents or about to become parents and lack adequate family
support or who are involved in the juvenile/criminal justice system are targeted for
the program. Family life skills training, counseling, education liaison and assistance,
job seeking skills, employment referrals, health care, and transportation and
accompaniment to and from community-based services are provided. Over 90
percent of the participants in this program reside in Otisville and are currently
 enrolled or have been enrolled recently at Otisville High School. Last year, 200
youth were served.
● Youth Empowerment. The "Worst to First"/Learn and Serve America Program
started in 2017. OASIS serves as the primary community-based partner
collaborating with Otisville High School's service learning program. The program
was designed to provide youth empowerment through meaningful community
service experiences. The program was so successful at the high school that
Otisville Public Schools recently expanded it to all of the district's schools. Last year,
a total of 600 students were enrolled.
● Special Populations. OASIS' HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention Program started
in 2017. It is open to all community residents, although it targets high-risk
African-American and Latino communities throughout Long Island. Guided by an
advisory council, the program consists of a Youth Peer Educator initiative (for ages
13 to 19), an Adult Peer Education initiative, individual and family counseling, and
outreach activities. An average of 100 students are served annually.
● BFS. OASIS is a founding member of Building For Success (BFS), which started in
2018. BFS is a 26-member collaborative partnership comprised of health,
education, public service, business, and community-based organizations. Its
purpose is to foster a healthy, enriched, safe, and secure environment for Smith
County children-at-risk and their families—the majority of whom meet the
TANF-eligibility requirements and are recipients. BFS programs include the JUMP
Mentoring Program, the Otisville Schools After-School Program, the Conference
Learning Center, Dual-Language Parenting Skills Training, a clothing exchange, and
the BFS job bank.

Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered how to research and write the Current Programs and Activities section of your grant
proposal. You learned how to use an approach that allows you to use this information over and over, only
making changes as programs phase in or out of your organization.

You learned how to prepare this section of your proposal to answer all of the grant reviewer’s questions
about your organization’s current operations. You also learned the importance of not providing information
that might raise a red flag or cause a funder to reject your grant proposal.
You discovered that the order in which your information is written can stimulate a grant reviewer’s interest
in your organization.

Finally, you learned how your Current Programs and Activities section should be formatted, based on the
examples that I shared with you at the end of this lesson.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the Target Population Served section of
your grant proposal.
Lesson 4 FAQs

Q: When I am writing the Current Programs and Activities section of the grant proposal, how will I know
when to stop writing?

A: Some funders have a page limitation for the grant proposal’s narrative section. In that case, you will
need to allocate one-half page to respond to each area of the narrative. In the event this happens, you
can list the most successful and relevant programs in one to two sentences and refer the reader to a
more detailed program list in the attachments to the grant proposal.
Lesson 4 Assignment

Identify your own sources of information for writing the Current Programs and Activities section of the
grant proposal.

Lesson 4 Quiz

Correct

5 correct out of 5 questions

​ 1
​ Which of the following answers best defines the type of strengths written about in the Current
Programs and Activities section of a grant proposal?
​ A
​ Board
​
​ B
​ Staff
​
​ C
​ Organizational
 ​ You write about the organization's strengths in the Current Programs and Activities
section.
​
​ D
​ Fiscal
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best defines the type of information the grant reviewer looks for in
the Current Programs and Activities section?
​ A
​ Constituency served
​
​ B
​ Operational
​ The grant reviewer looks for program operation information in the Current Programs and
Activities section.
​
​ C
​ Organizational goals
​
​ D
​ Nonprofit status
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following answers best defines why a funder would think the applicant organization
is unable to sustain grant-funded programs?
​ A
​ History of short program duration
​ A funder will think the applicant organization is unable to sustain grant-funded programs if
the proposal reveals a history of short program durations.
​
​ B
​ High staff turnover rate
 ​
​ C
​ Lack of grant management experience
​
​ D
​ History of board members suddenly resigning
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following answers best defines the types of documents you will need to collect to
write the Current Programs and Activities section?
​ A
​ Staff resumes
​
​ B
​ Financial reports
​
​ C
​ Memorandums of understanding
​
​ D
​ Organizational brochures
​ You need organizational brochures to help you write the Current Programs and Activities
section.
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following statements best defines how to format the most appealing Current
Programs and Activities section?
​ A
​ Tables
​
​ B
​ Maps
​
 ​ C
​ Short, information-packed paragraphs
​ The most appealing format for the Current Programs and Activities section is to use
short, information-packed paragraphs.
​
​ D
​ Bold font type
​
​
Lesson 4 Supplementary Material

The Columbus Foundation

http://columbusfoundation.org/grants/columbus-foundation/

On this Web page, you'll see the Nonprofit Center information. You'll be able to read their grant-making
priorities and to see the difference types of submission requirements.

The Ford Foundation Electronic Grant Application Checklist

https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-ppsimages-na05y/pdf/ford_grant_application_checklist.pdf

The Ford Foundation Electronic Grant Application Checklist. In order to help us review your proposal and
complete our grant file, it is necessary for.

Lesson 5: Write the Target Population Served Section

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

Congratulations! You are almost halfway through my Advanced Proposal Writing course. You are also
halfway through your soon-to-be award-winning grant proposal. This next section, Target Population
Served or Constituency Served, gives funders the information they need when trying to determine why
you are approaching their organization for funding.

First, you'll understand how to use concise terms when you describe your organization's target
population. I’ll also show you how to brainstorm through the possible questions that grant reviewers will
ask when reading and rating your grant proposal.

You'll learn how to conduct extensive research on your target population. I’ll also give you some tips on
where to find current demographics for this section in your grant proposal.

Lastly, you'll learn how to order, organize, and write the information in your Target Population section.
You’ll see the difference between the ordinary section and the extraordinary section.

My objective for lesson 5 is to show you how to research and write the Target Population Served section
in your grant proposal.
Chapter 2: From the Grant Funder’s Viewpoint

From the Grant Funder’s Viewpoint

Potential funding sources are genuinely interested in the applicant organization. Foundation and
corporate program officers, as well as government peer grant reviewers, are trained to look for
information detailing the applicant organization’s overall operations including the target population(s)
served by the organization.

Constituency or Target Population Served

In the Constituency or Target Population Served section of the grant proposal, information or
demographics about the constituency or target population are presented briefly and include detailed
bullets, tables, charts, or small paragraphs. As a grant writer, you will want to give potential funders a
close look at the population that will likely be served and impacted by the applicant organization’s
grant-funded programs and services.

Avoid this critical proposal-writing error: Avoid generalities. I mean you should not write
your sentences or present your information about the applicant organization’s constituency
in broad, general terms. Never write, "The Children’s Place serves hundreds of children
annually."

Instead, write this sentence as follows:

 "The Children’s Place serves over 700 children each year. Of this total target population,
age groups and numbers of the children served are detailed in Table 5.1."

Table 5.1. The Children's Place Service Detail

Age Group Number of Children Served

200 infants and toddlers received preventative

Birth - 3
health care services.
years old

3 - 5 years 150 preschoolers received early intervention services for physical and educational
old development.

6 - 12 years 200 pre-teens received health care services and substance abuse prevention
old counseling.

13 - 17 150 teenagers received abstinence counseling, substance abuse prevention counseling,

years old anger management training, and peer pressure

coping skills.
Can you see the difference in the first sentence and the table above? You must give the funder ages,
numbers, types of services received, and so forth about the target population.

● Constituency or Target Population Served: What does the funder look for in this section?
● Funders will read your grant proposal along with hundreds of others. How can your organization
stand apart from the crowd or competition? You need to write relevant and accurate information.
By doing this, you fulfill the funder’s curiosity about the organization requesting grant monies.
The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:
1. Who is the applicant organization’s target population (another term for constituency)?
2. Is there more than one target population served?
3. Is this target population the primary beneficiary of the applicant organization’s mission,
goals, and strategic plan?
4. What is the ethnic breakdown for the applicant organization’s service levels?
5. What is the age range for individuals served?
6. What is the economic status of the individuals served?
7. What are the education levels of individuals served?
8. Has the grant applicant included all relevant information about the target population in
relationship to the grant proposal request area?
9. Has the target population been included in the planning for the grant proposal?
10. Are the target population's characteristics represented on the applicant organization’s
board?
● Constituency or Target Population Served: Why does the funder need to see this
information?
● The funder’s proposal review staff asks the following questions about the applicant organization:
1. Similar populations served. Does the grant applicant serve a target population that fits
our eligible projects criteria?
2. Sometimes, a funder’s printed guidelines may state that they target youth in their grant
awards. However, unless you do your homework and ask for their most recent annual
report, you may not discover that the funder only awards grants to organizations that
serve a specific population (for example, infants from birth to three-year-old
children!Emerging target population. Does the grant applicant serve a group that we
plan to serve in the future?
If this is the case, your grant application may not be funded this year. However, your application may be
kept for the next program funding year, or you may be asked to resubmit the application the next year. If
luck prevails, your grant application will be among the first funded in the next competitive funding round.

Avoid a Red Flag

When you write this section, it is important to use statistics that are current. The rule of thumb is to not
use demographics that are more than five years old. Using old information about your target population
will set off a red flag to the funder. It will appear that you have not done your homework on the people that
the applicant organization currently serves.

The following is a list of fatal errors that you will want to avoid:

● Generalizing information on individuals served by the applicant organization.

● Failing to break minority populations down to federally recognized subgroups.
● Failing to conduct Internet research on all aspects of the target population, which can result in
misquotes on behavioral trends.
● Forgetting to use graphics to present the information clearly and uncluttered to the grant reader.

Remember, when a funder specifically targets a group of people—for example, the elderly—they already
have done their homework on the elderly. Most funding sources don’t arbitrarily decide to fund youth, the
elderly, or the homeless. They select a target population because they have conducted extensive
research on who and what is most in need of their grant support. If you fail to do your homework, the
funder will know immediately. This error on your part could result in your grant application not being
recommended for funding support.

Write to the Funder’s Guidelines

Remember, not all types of funding sources will need to see the same amount of information. Foundations
and corporations may only want one-half to one page of information for this section. State and federal
government agencies may ask for two to three pages of information on the constituency or target
population served.

Chapter 3: Constituency or Target Population Served: Collect the Right Information.

Constituency or Target Population Served: Collect the Right Information.

Where will you find information to help you write about the applicant organization’s constituency or target
population served? You will start by looking through old files. What type of documents will you look for?

Collect the Right Information.

1. Look for current U.S. Census information.

2. Request the most current county economic development research reports. You may need multiple
books if the project or program will serve individuals from more than one county.
3. Research state-level data on the target population. Check with the Department of Public Health,
Family Independence Agency or Department of Economic Security, Department of Commerce,
and Department of Labor for current information.
4. Conduct research on the Internet by using a search engine to find recent electronic and print
publications. Remember, you are looking for trends on behavior, health, education, and so forth.

Warning Signs For The Grant Writer

● You will know you are in trouble when everything you ask for is outdated.
● You will know you are in trouble when the strategic plan has not been updated by the applicant
organization to reflect why they are targeting a specific segment of the general population.
● You will know you are in trouble if the applicant organization’s target population has never been
surveyed for services needed.
● You will know you are in trouble if the front-line staff has no line of communication to the applicant
organization’s administration. In other words, those at the top are making decisions on what the
grant application will request without polling the staff that hear and see the day-to-day needs of
the target population.
● You will know you are in trouble if no members of the target population are represented on the
applicant organization’s board of directors. To the funder, boards without constituent
representation are operating in a vacuum.
● You will know you are in trouble if members of the target population are not included in the
applicant organization’s stakeholders’ evaluation process. The funder expects to see target
population inclusion at every level of the applicant organization’s decision-making and planning
activities.

The Grant Writer Must Become a Visionary

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization that is not in touch
with its constituency? Well, from a visionary’s perspective, I believe that sometimes an organization can
become too bureaucratic. That is, they are so focused on administrative issues that they forget to
examine how and why decisions are made for their end users. These end users are their customers,
clients, or patients.

A Nonprofit Organization is Like a Business

In every other aspect of business, customers, clients, and patients are asked to provide written feedback
on the services received. At that same time, characteristics of each person or subgroup are collected for
research, evaluation, and funding purposes. Yes, there are still some organizations that have missed the
in-touch boat.

Your Role When This Happens

Your job as a grant writer is to find out the most accurate information about the constituency served or
target population. Often, your findings will be of great importance to the applicant organization. It will open
their eyes to the weaknesses in their own data collection process. By now, you have probably figured out
that a grant writer is much more than the writer of the grant proposal.

A grant writer is a researcher, a facilitator, a thought provoker, and a visionary.

Chapter 4: Constituency or Target Population Served: Write the Right Information

Constituency or Target Population Served: Write the Right Information

After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of the grant
applicant’s constituency or target population served. Next, you will take what you have gleaned and
organize it into a clear but appealing format for the funder.

Here is my first example of how to organize and present your information:

Target Population Demographics for the Carroll County Safe Schools/Healthy Schools Grant
Application

Carroll County Latchkey Youth

Families are spread across almost 500 contiguous country miles. Total population for Carroll County is
51,321 persons; 25 percent are under 18 years of age. The ISD services almost 8,000 Pre-K through
12th-grade students. Seventy-five percent end their school day at home alone (because their parent or
caregiver is working), hanging out on neighborhood streets, or in other unsupervised homes with other
latchkey youth. Observations and feedback from students and school staff show that many Carroll County
youth make the wrong choices because they are seeking attention from peers and parents (Carroll
County Council on Children, 2018).

Carroll County Families See Themselves at Risk

A 2018 survey conducted on Southwest Manitoba (including Carroll County) children, youth, and families
showed that 52 percent of the 975 families surveyed felt that problems with school crime and violence,
adolescent drug use, health care, and mental health issues were not being addressed very well by local
communities. Today, the most recent school climate surveys for the four Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
show that over half of high school freshmen feel at risk of crime and violence. They use drugs regularly,
risk their health without concern for sexually transmitted diseases, and live in households where their
behavior is ignored or goes unnoticed (Families At-Risk Survey, 2018).

High Domestic Violence Rates in Carroll County

Domestic violence rates are among the highest in the state. One out of five women is a victim of in-home
violence. Students witness varying levels of violence at home. The frustration, coupled with weak parental
role models, spills over into the school setting (Carroll County Prosecutor’s Office, 2018).

Alcohol and Other Drug Usage Problems in Carroll County

According to a survey by Healthy Carroll (2018), the top problem facing middle school students (sixth and
seventh graders) in Carroll County is drug abuse. For high school students (eighth through 12th graders),
the top two problems are drug abuse and alcohol abuse; 28 percent of the students have used alcohol in
the past 30 days, 55 percent have used alcohol on three or more occasions, and 16 percent have been a
passenger in a car with someone who had been drinking alcohol.

Mental Health Problems in Carroll County

In 2017/2018, the county’s mental health services provider treated 280 children with mental illness and
198 children with developmental disabilities. The counseling staffs of the four LEAs report that it is
commonplace for problem children to live in households where one or more of the caregivers is mentally
ill and has not sought treatment. Although mental health treatment statistics increase by 10 percent or
more annually, there are still families who, because of income barriers, ignorance about mental health
treatment availability, or fear of discovery, are falling through the service gaps (Carroll County Mental
Health Annual Report, 2018).
Early Childhood Problems in Carroll County

In Carroll County, 2,745 people age 25 and over have less than a ninth grade education, and another
6,083 lack a high school diploma. Families with limited education and parenting skills critically need
community-based early childhood resources for themselves and their children that are located close to
where they live and work. In a county where the average family size is larger than the norm of 2.5, the
continuum of psychosocial and emotional development services for expectant mothers, young children,
and older siblings does not reach far enough geographically (Priority Children Report, 2018).

Academic Indicators for Carroll County

Another problem for the four rural LEAs is that none has been able to offer extended day and extended
year academic programming. According to recent standardized testing assessment data, 45 percent of
the county’s students are two years behind their Manitoba peers academically, beginning as early as
second grade. The students most in need of after-school and summer activities do not qualify for special
education, which possibly explains their lack of academic success, behavioral problems, poor attendance,
low self-esteem, or other psychosocial or emotional disorders.

Here is my second example of how to organize and present your information:

The St. John Community Hospital and Health Care Center serves the following constituency
(additional demographics are attached):

● Total population for Peterson County: 30,035 (U.S. Census, 2016)

● Percent dependent on St. John’s for health care: 100 percent (Needs Assessment, 2018)
● Admissions in 2017: 578 (Annual Report, 2018)
● Outpatient visits in 2017: 8,617 (Annual Report, 2018)
● Elderly population: 11.4 percent (U.S. Census, 2016)
● Residents in fair or poor health: 8.9 percent (Willey State Department of Public Health,
2018)
● Population growth since 2010: +1,524 (U.S. Census, 2016)

Residents living at or below the poverty level: 35 percent (Willey State Agency on Aging, 2018)

In addition, 70 percent of St. John’s acute admissions are Medicare patients.

Chapter 5: Summary
Summary

Today you discovered how to research and write the Constituency or Target Population Served section of
your grant proposal. You learned how closely grant reviewer’s look at this section and the types of
questions they ask themselves about your target population or constituency.

You learned the importance of writing concise sentences when describing your target population.
You also learned how to avoid the types of writing mistakes that can lead to a rejected grant proposal.

You discovered how to use your organization’s own information, as well as how to use the Internet when
pulling together a current picture of your target population’s demographics.

Finally, you learned what an award-winning Target Population section should look like, including the
formatting.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the Partnerships or Collaborations section
of your grant proposal.
Lesson 5 FAQs

Q: Did you ever work on a project where you could not find any recent information on the applicant
organization’s target population?

A: No, I haven't. If you want to become a successful grant writer, you must hone and practice your
detective skills. Call all state agencies that provide any type of services to members of the target
population. Also, call the local chamber of commerce, county economic development office and city
planner. In addition, conduct several online searches using a search engine.
Lesson 5 Assignment

Identify Web sites and print materials you will use to write the Constituency or Target Population Served
section of your grant proposal.

5 correct out of 5 questions

​ 1
​ Which of the following answers best defines a critical proposal-writing error to avoid in the
Constituency or Target Population Served section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Avoid using bullets.
​
 ​ B
​ Avoid using tables.
​
​ C
​ Avoid using small paragraphs.
​
​ D
​ Avoid using generalities.
​ Avoid writing about the constituency in broad, general terms.
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best defines what the funder looks for in every section of the grant
proposal narrative?
​ A
​ Relevant and accurate information
​ A funder's curiosity is fulfilled when you write relevant and accurate information in every
section of the grant proposal.
​
​ B
​ The need for grant funds
​
​ C
​ Correct formatting
​
​ D
​ Amount of grant funding requested
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following answers best defines a red flag to avoid in the Constituency or Target
Population Served section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Outdated organization chart
​
 ​ B
​ Outdated audit report
​
​ C
​ Outdated statistics
​ Using statistics more than five years old will raise a red flag with potential funders.
​
​ D
​ Outdated needs assessment
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following best defines a type of error made in the Constituency or Target Population
Served section of the grant proposal that can cause a grant proposal to not be recommended for
funding support?
​ A
​ Failing to include constituent education levels
​
​ B
​ Failing to conduct relevant extensive research on the target population
​ Failing to conduct extensive research on the target population that is relevant to the
funder's area of interest can result in the grant proposal not being recommended for
funding.
​
​ C
​ Failing to include economic status information on the target population
​
​ D
​ Failing to include ethnic groups information
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following answers best defines a warning sign for the grant writer during the
research process for the Target Population Served section of the grant proposal?
​ A
 ​ Applicant organization only has current statistics for review.
​
​ B
​ Applicant organization's history reveals a series of negative trends.
​
​ C
​ Applicant organization's board of directors includes no members representing the target
population.
​ Funds look for diverse boards of directors that include members of the target population
in the decision-making process.
​
​ D
​ Applicant organization's staff has no members of the target population.
​
​
Next Up
Lesson 5 Supplementary Material
activity
Lesson 5 Supplementary Material

U.S. Census QuickFacts

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/

QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of
5,000 or more in the United States.

NationMaster

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_per_liv_in_rur_are-people-percentage-living-rural-areas
This Web site belongs to NationMaster. If you're looking for statistics for an international NGO
(nongovernmental organization), then this is the Web site for you! There are links to every country's
demographics (vital statistics) and more. This is an international grant writer's pot of gold.

The Census of Agriculture

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/

The Web site belongs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are tons of links to updated agriculture
census demographics.

Home Town Locator

http://www.hometownlocator.com/

This Web site belongs to Home Town Locator. There are links for every state and a drop-down window
where you can search by City, County, ZIP Code or Area Code. At the top of any state's search page,
there are also taps for maps and Census data.

Explore Census Data

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/

This website belongs to the U.S. Census Bureau. You can conduct basic and advanced searches by
clicking on specific search window links.

Great Schools
http://www.greatschools.net/

This Web site belongs to Great Schools. Starting on the home page, you can search for school districts
and individual schools in your state and community. You'll discover that once you click on a state (see the
drop-down window), and enter a zip code, the search results will show all of the schools and school
districts in or near that zip code. The final clicking through for your selection results in a comprehensive
report that includes the number of students enrolled, economic status, and state standardized testing
results for core academic areas.

International Federation of Surveyors

http://www.fig.net/partners/regional_and_cultural.asp

This website has a tab for Members. Once you click the tab, it will open up a scroll down listing of this
Federation's members. You will see several types of members. It is just one of the many types of
examples for grant seeking organizations to review and adopt best practices for identifying their own
collaborative partners for inclusion in grant proposals and applications.

Lesson 6: Write the Partnerships Section

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

You are at the halfway point in writing your grant proposal narrative. Don’t lose steam now; it’s time to
focus on the next section of your grant proposal, the Partnerships section.

First, you'll understand how to fine-tune your writing to meet and exceed the grant reviewer’s expectations
when they read this section of your grant proposal. I’ll also show you a set of questions that you can use
to brainstorm before you actually write this section in order to understand what funders seek in a
Partnerships section.

You'll learn how to find the most current information on your organization’s partners in the community,
region, and nation. I’ll also show you your role when your organization has few or no partners.
Lastly, you'll learn how to organize and present your partnership information into an appealing format for
funders. I’ll also share some advice from funders when it comes to developing and writing about your
organization’s partnerships.

My objective for lesson 6 is to show you how to research and write the Partnerships section in your grant
proposal narrative.
Chapter 2: From the Grant Funder's Viewpoint

From the Grant Funder's Viewpoint

Potential Funders Are Interested in You

Potential funding sources are genuinely interested in the applicant organization. Foundation and
corporate program officers as well as government peer grant reviewers are trained to look for information
detailing the applicant organization's linkages to other organizations.

In the Partnerships section of your grant proposal, you must list your organization's local, regional, and
national partners and describe their roles. When I say "roles," I mean what each partner does to aid or
enhance your organization's program operations. Your partners can be either existing or new partners
invited to participate in a new grant proposal project. As a grant writer, you will want to give potential
funders an overview of the partners.

Avoid this critical proposal writing error: Avoid generalities. I mean you should not write
sentences or present information about your organization's partners in broad, general terms.
Never write: "The Brookside Zoo has over a dozen community partners."

Instead, write this sentence as follows:

"The Brookside Zoo has worked with 12 Brooks County nonprofit organizations to host
annual fundraising events. Last year, one special event was held each month with a
different partner. These partners will continue to work with the zoo in future years. All
partners, including the zoo, benefit from these joint revenue-sharing events."

Do you see the difference in the first sentence and the brief paragraph above?

● Partnerships: What does the funder seek in this section?

● Funders will read your grant proposal along with hundreds of others. How can your organization
stand apart from the crowd or competition? You need to write relevant and accurate information.
 By doing this, you fulfill the funder's curiosity about the organization requesting grant monies.
The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:
○ Who are your partners?
○ Do the partners represent a broad sector of the applicant organization's target
population?
○ Are your partners' roles included in the overview?
○ What is the level of each partner's commitment; is its contribution monetary or in-kind?
○ Are the partners that you list past partners, current partners, or proposed partners for the
grant proposal project?
○ Did all of your partners involved in the grant proposal project write letters of commitment
or memorandums of understanding (MOU), and have you included these documents in
your grant proposal attachments?
● Partnerships: Why does the funder need to see this information?
● The funder's proposal review staff asks the following questions about the applicant organization.
Impact of Collaborative Efforts
Does the grant applicant partner with other organizations to deliver cost-effective programs or
services to the proposed target population?
For the past decade, funders emphasized the need to demonstrate cooperation and collaboration
between multiple nonprofit organizations. Why? Because when there are several social and
human service organizations working collectively to provide common programs or services, the
impact is high and the cost per participant is low. This is the ideal equation for winning grant
awards: high impact and low cost per participant served.
Signs That Applicant Organizations Have Moved Beyond Territorial Issues
Has the grant applicant made an effort to be a contributing partner in the local, regional, or state
nonprofit community?
For too long, nonprofit organizations have let territorial boundaries, politics, and pride stand in the
way. They let these obstacles prevent them from reaching out to other nonprofit organizations to
operate joint programs. The key term or word of the decade is consortium. According to the
dictionary, consortium means an agreement combination or group (as of companies) formed to
undertake an enterprise beyond the resources of any one member.
Avoid a Red Flag
The most critical red flag will occur if you do not have any partners to list in the Partnerships
section. Grant proposal suicide occurs when the grant applicant has been operating isolated in a
vacuum. This fatal error can occur when either the grant applicant is too large or is a small,
grassroots nonprofit organization.
 Too Large
Large nonprofits believe that they have all of the answers, will get all of the money, and therefore,
fail to look for opportunities to include or enable other smaller nonprofit organizations' potential
partners.
Too Small
Small grassroots nonprofit organizations tend to operate on a shoestring without a lot of formality.
One person tends to make most of the decisions, and the fear of not surviving consumes each
workday. These types of organizations do not have time to look for community partners or attend
public meetings at other nonprofit agencies. They tend to miss out on grant-funding opportunities,
because they fail to join the local, regional, or state information loop.
The following is a list of fatal errors that you will want to avoid:
○ Do not list nonexistent partners (some funders may call one or more of your partners to
ask about your proposed programs or services); don't get caught in a lie (this means no
grant award).
○ Do not create an impressive list of partners and then fail to include their letter of support
or MOU in the attachments.
○ Do not skip the Partnership section because the applicant organization does not have
any partners.
○ Do not stretch the role of each partner. State exactly what they do, no more and no less.

Write to the Funder's Guidelines

Remember, not all types of funding sources will need to see the same amount of information. Foundations
and corporations may only want one-half to one page of information for this section. State and federal
government agencies may ask for two to three pages of information in the Partnerships section.

Chapter 3: Partnerships: Collect the Right Information

Partnerships: Collect the Right Information

Where will you find information to help you write about your organization’s partnerships? Start by looking
through old files. For what type of documents will you look?

Collect the Right Information

1. Ask for copies of old grant applications, successful and unsuccessful. Look in the Partnerships
section and in the attachments for a letter of support or commitment or a MOU.
 2. Ask for copies of board of director meeting minutes (often activities with partners are included in
these types of documents).
3. Ask for program brochures (often partners are listed with the actual program information).

Warning Signs for the Grant Writer

● You know you are in trouble when everything is missing from the grant applicant’s files.
● You know you are in trouble if the director of your organization states, "What do we need partners
for?"

The Grant Writer Must Become a Visionary

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization that operates in a
vacuum? Well, from a visionary’s perspective, I believe that sometimes an organization can become too
narrowly focused. That is, they are so focused on getting every available grant dollar and not sharing it
with other nonprofit organizations that they fail to understand what the funder needs to see in order to
approve a grant award.

Your Role When This Happens

As a grant writer, you can call this to the attention of the nonprofit decision makers. You can keep them
updated on the need to form new partnerships along with the pros and cons for having partners in a grant
proposal. In some instances, you may have to find community partners for the applicant organization. You
may also have to set up the partnership meetings and facilitate, giving your partners an overview of the
grant application requirements.

By now, you have probably figured out that a grant writer is much more than the writer of the grant
proposal. Again, as stated in earlier lessons, a grant writer is a researcher, a facilitator, a thought
provoker, and a visionary.
Chapter 4: Partnerships: Write the Right Information

Partnerships: Write the Right Information

After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind about your
partners. Next, you must take what you have gleaned and organize it into a clear but appealing format for
the funder.

Here is an example of how to organize and present your information:

Partnerships

The Brookside Zoo works with a dozen local, regional, state, and national nonprofit
organizations to fulfill its mission. Our partners are profiled below.

Local Government Agencies

1. Brookside School District

2. January – December (monthly)
City school district plans annual field trips to the zoo for 16,000 elementary-age
schoolchildren. The board of education annually allocates $100,000 toward these
field trips.Brooks County Head Start
3. Family First Day
January
County agency coordinated Family First Day at the zoo. All families of children
enrolled in the Head Start Program were given passes for this daylong fund-raising
event.
Twenty percent of all monies received for food and souvenirs were jointly shared
(50/50) by the zoo and Head Start. Each agency raised $10,000 toward general
operation costs. This will be an annual event.City of Brookside
4. City Employees Day at the Zoo
February
City agency pays for passes for its 3,500 employees and their family members. In
addition, the City of Brookside maintains a $100,000 allocation in its Special
Projects budget annually for the Brookside Zoo.Brooks County Children’s Home
5. Angels at the Zoo Day
March
County-operated children’s home works with the zoo to find corporate sponsors to
underwrite expenses for entry fees, refreshments, and souvenirs for 500 children
ages 4 to 17 annually. Value of contribution: $35,000.Brooks County Sheriff’s
Department

Spring Cleaning Day at the Zoo

April
County agency uses inmates assigned to work release program to clean the zoo’s public
areas. Over 100 inmates are supervised in this annual spring housekeeping day. Value of
labor: $50,000.

Local Nonprofit Organizations

6. Volunteer Center

January – December (monthly)

Local United Way agency trains and refers youth and adult volunteers to the zoo. These
volunteers work in all areas of zoo operations under the supervision of zoo staff. Over 400
volunteers are referred annually. Value of labor: $135,000.

Regional Organizations

7. Florida Power and Light

8. Employee Day at the Zoo
May
This company provides utility services to 14 southern Florida counties. It employs
1,025 workers in the region. The company pays for family zoo passes ($85 for a
family of four) annually. In addition, Florida Power and Light contributes $50,000
toward facility upgrades annually through their foundation.Southern Florida Bell

Employee Day at the Zoo

June
This company provides telecommunications services to 17 southern Florida counties. It
employs 657 workers in the region. The company pays for exclusive access to the
Brookside Zoo. The zoo must close to the public for this event. The BellSouth Corporate
Philanthropy Division pays the zoo $150,000 annually to cover all entry fees for workers and
their families.
In addition, the company hires a private caterer to set up picnic stands around the zoo
where employees and their family members may stop and eat free of charge. Also, a local
photographer is on hand to snap family photos. All proceeds from these $10-per-family
pictures are shared 50/50 between the photographer and the zoo.

State Organizations
 9. Florida Nonprofit Association
10. Training and Technical Assistance
Ongoing
This organization provides ongoing training in all areas of nonprofit management.
Workshops are held in the state capital and regionally for board members and
administrators of Florida nonprofit organizations. Fees to attend these professional
development sessions are minimal. As a founding member, the Brookside Zoo
helps plan training programs.Governor’s Commission on Tourism
11. Marketing and Promotion
Ongoing
The Commission has helped bring the Brookside Zoo to a national recognition level.
The zoo’s Web site link is on the home page for the Florida State Bureau of
Tourism. In addition, the Commission recommended the zoo for inclusion in the
state centennial Come to Florida booklet. This booklet was mailed to over one
million households outside of Florida.Florida Council for the Arts

Direct Grant Support

Ongoing
This state arts council helped the zoo develop an Animal Artists program in 2017. The
$25,000 annual grant funds the cost of canvas, water-based paints, matting, frames, and
glass for what has grown into a standing-room-only event at the zoo. Patrons pay $5 each
to see a volunteer zoo worker coach elephants and monkeys to paint with their feet or arms.
This abstract animal art has captured the attention of art lovers from around the world. The
demand for animal art exceeds the supply. Paintings sell at the zoo’s souvenir shop and via
e-commerce on the zoo’s Web site.
Paintings range from $100 to $5,000, depending on the size and quality. This revenue helps
the zoo continue to upgrade its professional staff and animal holding areas. Annual
revenues from paint sales average $250,000.

National Organizations

12. U.S. Zoological Society

Technical Assistance
Ongoing
 This national organization is membership-based. Its sole purpose is to help zoos around the
country develop needs assessments and strategic plans for how the identified needs will be
met. Value of contribution: $25,000 annually.

Expert Advice

I want to share some advice from grant funders when it comes to partnerships.

● State Grantor
● Collaborative efforts (Digital Best Practices from the Washington State Library): In Washington
State, few organizations beyond the largest libraries or museums will be able to fund digital
projects independently.
The cost of digital projects in time, staff resources, and purchase of equipment is likely to be
burdensome for all but the largest, most well-funded organizations. For decentralized projects led
by local organizations, the benefits of collaboration and partnerships become attractive because
of the opportunity to utilize expertise beyond the local level.Federal Grantor
● Maximizing resources (Office of National Drug Control Policy): Operation Weed and Seed is a
multi-agency strategy that "weeds out" violent crime, gang activity, drug use, and drug trafficking
in targeted neighborhoods and then "seeds" the target area by restoring these neighborhoods
through social and economic revitalization.
The Weed and Seed strategy recognizes the importance of linking and integrating federal, state,
and local law enforcement and criminal justice efforts with federal, state, and local social services
and private-sector and community efforts to maximize the impact of existing programs and
resources.Foundation Grantor

Partnerships (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation): The foundation favors preventive approaches and
collaborative endeavors with government, philanthropic, and not-for-profit partners. Priority is given to
grants that leverage additional support and serve as a catalyst for long-term, systemic change.

Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered how to research and write the Partnerships section of a grant proposal. You
learned how to research, organize, and present this section for all types of grant reviewers.
You learned to fine-tune your writing to meet and exceed the grant reviewer’s expectations. You also
learned to quickly transfer your mind to that of the funders when you write this section in your grant
proposal.

You discovered what to do when your organization has not established strong partnerships in the
community, region, or nation.

Finally, you learned to write an award-winning Partnerships section in a format that encourages grant
reviewers to read more.

In lesson 7, you’ll discover how to research and write the Needs Statement section in your grant proposal.
Lesson 6 FAQs

Q: What if I work for an organization that absolutely refuses to work with community partners in
grant-seeking?

A: Your role as a grant writer is to show your organization’s administration the benefits of planning and
implementing programs with community partners. Make sure to include some feedback from local,
regional and state funding sources about why grants are rejected when the applicant organization fails to
collaborate in grant proposals.
Lesson 6 Assignment

Identify where you will find information to help you write the Partnerships section of your grant proposal.

Lesson 6 Supplementary Material

Creating and Maintaining Partnerships

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/creating-and-maintaining-partnerships

This toolkit provides guidance for creating a partnership among different organizations to address a
common goal.

Find Youth Info

http://youth.gov/

This website provides Federally-developed interactive tools and other resources to help youth-serving
organizations and community partnerships. It is designed to benefit Federal agencies, youth service
providers, and the youth-serving community.

Anschutz Family Foundation

http://anschutzfamilyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MOU-toolkit-MAIN.pdf

This PDF file was created by a family foundation. It is a great collabration toolkit.

Sample MOU Between NSP Grantee and Land Bank Authority

https://www.onecpd.info/resource/733/sample-mou-between-nsp-grantee-and-land-bank-authority/

This website has a great example of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Read the roles of the
grantee and their partner organization.

Lesson 7: Write the Needs Statement Section

Introduction

By now, you are anxious to start writing the next section of your grant proposal. The next section is the
Needs Statement section. This is the section where you appeal your critical need for funding. In this
section, you focus on the needs of the end recipients of the grant funding. I will guide you through this
section by showing you how to find, organize, and write the most appealing information for the Needs
Statement section.
First, you'll understand the Needs Statement section from the funder’s viewpoint. I’ll also show you how to
avoid the most critical proposal-writing errors made in the Needs Statement section.

You'll learn the type of information to collect on the target population and your organization in order to
glean language for the Needs Statement section.

Lastly, you'll learn how to write the right information for funders and I'll give you some examples of
award-winning language in a Needs Statement section.

My objective for lesson 7 is to take you one step further in writing a winning grant proposal.
Chapter 2: What Does the Funder Expect in the Needs Statement Section?

What Does the Funder Expect in the Needs Statement Section?

When a funder starts to read the Needs Statement narrative section, they expect to learn about the urgent
needs of your target population; not about the needs of your organization (like finances, staffing, and
capital infrastructure). This section continues to build a solid information base for your grant proposal
narrative. Therefore, you write to capture and keep the funder's attention.

In the Needs Statement section of the grant proposal, you present detailed information on the problem
your organization seeks to solve. This is why this section is labeled by funders as the Needs Statement or
the Problem Statement.

Critical Writing Errors to Avoid: Avoid generalities. I mean you should not write your
sentences or present information about the applicant organization's partners in broad,
general terms. Never say: "The North Ventura Community Hospital is in critical need of
grant funding to purchase a van to transport senior citizens."

Instead, write this sentence as follows:

"Over 100 elderly residents ages 55 and over, who live on fixed incomes at or below the
federal poverty level and are too old to drive or do not own a car, have no way to come to
North Ventura Community Hospital's Senior Day Care Program. Last year, two elderly
residents were hit and killed by oncoming traffic when they tried to wheel themselves to the
center by traveling down the middle of Main Street in their wheelchairs. Five other elderly
residents were assaulted at varying times over the past 12 months while waiting for the city
bus on local neighborhood corners. The hospital is in desperate need of a 15-passenger,
 handicapped-equipped van to safely transport the elderly from their front door to the front
door of the care center.

Can you see the difference in the first sentence and the brief paragraph above? In chapter 4, I give you
an example of how to write a magnetic and complete Needs Statement section.

● Needs Statement: What is sought by the funder in this section?

Your grant proposal must stand out above the competition. You do this by writing relevant and
accurate information for the funder to read. In other words, you present information to answer all
of the funder's questions about the need for grant funding.
The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:
1. What problems, needs, or issues does this grant proposal address?
2. Who is the target population? Who are your subgroups within the target population (these
should be presented by age range, ethnicity, economic status, and other social
indicators)?
3. Is the target population one that the grant applicant already serves or has programs in
place to serve?
4. Is this a new target population?
5. Does the applicant organization present sufficient factual information about the target
population's circumstances (why they need help)?
6. Have we funded grants to solve this type of problem?
7. Is our board of trustees still interested in the grant proposal's target population?
8. Is the problem too large to solve with a single-year grant award?
● Needs Statement: Why does the funder need to see this information?
The funder's proposal review staff is asked the following questions about the applicant
organization:
Extent of problem or need. Does the applicant organization provide a complete picture of the
scope of the problem?
The Needs Statement section should be a concise yet convincing overview of the needs the
applicant organization wants to address with the project. Describe briefly the overall context—this
will help the grant reviewer get a more complete picture of the scope of the problem. When
outlining the actual problem or needs, use relevant facts, examples from the community, or
statistics to underpin your statement, but make sure all data is correct.

Why Grant Proposals Get Rejected

The most critical red flag will occur if the grant applicant uses no statistics or actual numbers of individuals
or agencies in need.

The following is a list of fatal errors that you will want to avoid:

● Do not present the needs or problems in generic terms.

● Do not use statistics or demographics over 5 years old.
● Do not introduce subgroups of populations without providing relevant demographics for each
subgroup.
● Do not reveal the solution to the problem in the Needs Statement section.
● Do not paint a rosy picture!

Always Write to the Funder's Guidelines

Remember, every funder has its own guidelines. Obtain the guidelines early, highlight unique
requirements, and always write to meet the funder's guidelines for grant proposals.

Chapter 3: Collect the Right Information

Collect the Right Information

It is important to retrieve current and accurate information on the applicant organization and the target
population.

Where will you find information to help you write the applicant organization’s Needs Statement section?
You will start by looking through old files. What type of documents will you look for?

Ask for These Documents

1. Ask for copies of recent needs assessments. (Look for information about the organization's
unfunded priorities and about the target population.)
2. Ask for copies of board of director meeting minutes (Look for board priorities for programs and
services that are included in these types of documents).
3. Ask for copies of program evaluations. (Look for feedback from the target population to identify
gaps in programs and services.)

Look for These Warning Signs

 ● You know you are in trouble when everything is missing from the grant applicant’s files.
● You know you are in trouble if the director of the applicant organization states, "I founded this
organization, I know what this community needs, why do I need feedback from our clients?"
● You know you are in trouble if anyone at the applicant organization states, "We always get a grant
award from that funder, why do you need new information for the Needs Statement section. Just
copy what we did in last year’s grant proposal!"

You Must Become a Visionary

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization that appears to be
chasing grants without a justifiable need? Well, from a visionary’s perspective, every nonprofit
organization lives and dies based on the volume of their incoming revenues. In some nonprofits, grant
monies are the main event. Often, administration and staff are consumed in crisis management. Because
of this frenzy to keep the doors open and to extinguish operating fires, they fail to collect critically needed
information on constituent needs.

Your Role When This Happens

Your role as a grant writer is to calm administration and staff down and to convey the funder’s viewpoint
when it comes to establishing a genuine need to be met or problem to be solved. By now, you have
probably figured out that a grant writer is much more than the writer of the grant proposal. The grant writer
is the person who carefully extracts the information needed by funders from program administration and
staff. In some cases, you will have direct contact with members of the target population. Remember, your
written Needs Statement section will never identify specific persons, but instead, it will identify a
population.
Chapter 4: Write the Right Information

Write the Right Information

After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of the grant
applicant’s specific need or problem. Next, you will take what you have gleaned and organize it into a
clear but appealing format for the funder.

Here is the first example (short and concise) of how to organize and present your information:
 Needs Statement

Currently, BAHC owns an over-the-hill cargo (yes, for hauling boxes, not people) van. Our
van, which our seniors have nicknamed Barely, has no lift for the wheelchair-bound. Instead
of waiting for the van, disabled seniors are on a waiting list for Loving Touch transportation.

● Use gloom, doom, drama, and trauma to convey the picture.

The van has no working heater in the winter, nor does it have a working air conditioning unit in the
summer. The van, which logged more than 15,000 Wisconsin miles in 2017, has over 90,000 on
its odometer. (The program served 1,297 clients in 2016 and 911 in 2017.)

● Use attachments to show pictures.

Photographs of its deteriorating state are attached. Missing from the photos are the disgruntled
seniors and frustrated staff!
The hospital has the only certified adult day care program in a 50-mile radius of Burnsville. The
gentle elders rely on the van to transport them free-of-charge every day to and from the Senior
Day Care Program at BAHC.
● Get personal—it’s your only chance!

We cannot provide 400 miles per week in coverage because we cannot pick up people in
wheelchairs. And you thought this was the new millennium!

Here is a second example (long and detailed) of how to organize and present your information:

Statement of the Problem

The Reflection County Regional Fire Authority (RCRFA) is a new fire department that is
being built from the ground up. This request seeks funds for our first fire vehicle, a
pumper/tanker with 1,000-gallon water capacity. This essential vehicle will protect a heavily
populated area encompassing 72 square miles. Expanded this year, the Authority's direct
service area consists of Easton Township (pop. 2,341) residents and Westerville Township
(pop. 4,162) residents.

Service Area Continues to Grow

These two rural communities experienced such enormous growth that they created the new
fire authority to meet the needs of their respective communities. Currently, these two
townships contract for fire services with an outside provider who is ill equipped to meet the
increasing demands by new residents for service.

Westerville’s Needs

The desirability of Westerville Charter Township and its proximity to Leslie (Massachusetts’
state capital) has led to fast-paced growth. Over the last 10 years, Westerville experienced
a growth in population of 11.9 percent. This sharp growth has created a need for further
services. The projected population increase for Westerville for 2018 through 2020 is 21
percent.

Stretching Our Limits

Several new residential and industrial developments planned for Westerville Township will
increase the need for services even before RCRFA is fully operational. The first is a 365-unit
subdivision called Lakeside Preserve (now under construction) that will increase the
population by 912 over the next five years. The second, Rosewood Hills, will bring in 438
more residents to live in 175 units over the next three years. The population of these two
new subdivisions will equal 25 percent of Westerville’s current population.

Demand for Services Exceeds Our Current Resources

In addition to these developments, other residential properties are being planned that will
bring an additional 1,000 persons to the RCRFA service area. Our proximity to Leslie and
the General Motors Corporation facility has led to a large increase in industrial development
activity in our two townships. There are now three major commercial developments
underway. These auto-supplier plants will bring 360 workers into the area daily and give the
Authority an additional 720,000 square feet of building space that will need
protection—equivalent to 16.5 acres under one roof.

Easton Township’s Needs

Easton Township, our second first-response coverage area, is experiencing the same
growth spurt. Its population has increased by 8.5 percent over the last decade. A large-scale
600-unit manufactured housing development will soon bring 1,680 new people into the
township, increasing the population by 72 percent. Easton Township has not escaped the
eyes of industrial developers either. Nearly every available mile along the township’s main
highway corridor is earmarked for some type of industrial facility.

Resident’s Expectations

The RCRFA was formed to save lives and save money. Residents of Easton and Westerville
Townships want fire protection services that are closer to their homes and businesses and
aren’t as costly as those contracted from a neighboring fire department. Unfortunately, our
Authority is not operational because we don’t have any fire-fighting vehicles. Without
regional funding support, we will not have the funds to purchase our first truck until 2021.
This wait could be disastrous for people living in the communities for which the Authority
was formed to serve.

Fire Service Needs

This project impacts a small rural world that needs its own fire services provided by its own
volunteer firefighters (26 are already ready and willing to answer the call for help). The basic
fire-fighting vehicle we will purchase will be used, at a minimum, 300 times annually—just in
the Authority area. In addition, we will use it to respond to calls for mutual aid in two other
communities with over 1,500 residents.

Financial Constraints

We are a new fire authority. The only funds earmarked for our operation are contributions
from each of the partner townships, both small, both rural. Neither township has reserves
established for fire apparatus purchases.

We need nearly $1.6 million dollars to purchase land, a building, equipment, and to hire one
full-time fire chief. Maintenance, turnout gear, insurance, telephone service, utilities, fuel,
accounting and legal fees, office and other supplies, and survey permits must all be paid.

However, none of these items or a fire chief is needed without the most critical tool to fight a
fire—a pumper/tanker truck. Why can’t we purchase a used truck? Because the cost for
continual maintenance and the possibility of frequent breakdowns in Massachusetts’
inclement weather necessitate a new truck with a long warranty, and a long-life span.

We aren’t taking a "Band-Aid" approach to equipping the Authority; we are taking a

proactive, lifesaving, quick-response, cost-effective-over-the-long-run approach.

Target Population and Demands for Local Fire Services

● Easton Township: 2,341 residents (direct response area)

● Westerville Township: 4,162 residents (direct response area)
● David Township: 1,200 residents (mutual aid agreement to provide fire coverage)
● City of Grand Lodge: 350 residents (mutual aid agreement to provide fire coverage)
● Business and industry throughout our area need fire suppression and hazardous
materials removal support.
● Capital City Airport runways are in our immediate response area.
● Seventy-two square miles in Clara County and a small portion of Island County
need local fire service coverage.
● Reduced response time is needed to lessen probability of death by fire and extent
of property damage in service area (with contracted fire services. Residents wait up
to 30 minutes for a fire team to reach the scene).

Community Risk Analysis

A community risk analysis showed the Authority just how vulnerable it is to a disaster. Our
present contracted fire protection is grossly inadequate when the following volatile factors
are considered:

The intersection of two major interstates (I-45 and I-57) and Grand Lodge Highway is the
scene of a high call volume of accidents and fires. More people moving into the Authority
area means more traffic at this rescue point, as well as along the roadways.

A regional gasoline transfer station is located on the main state thoroughfare running
through Westerville Township. Residential neighborhoods are nearby. Another regional
pipeline is presently under development in the area and will run through Westerville
Township.
Several industrial developments are under construction along the Grand Lodge corridor. The
Authority’s new fire station and new and only pumper/tanker will be within two miles of this
high-risk-for-fire development area.

A number of gasoline stations, retail facilities, industrial plants, and warehouses line Grand
Lodge Avenue through Westerville and Easton Townships.

The Capital City Airport is partially located in Westerville Township. The takeoff and landing
path for this airport, heavily used by the public and state government agencies, is over
Westerville Township.

Numerous risks include high incidences of chimney, barn, grass, and silo fires.

A regional landfill producing heavy truck traffic is in the Authority’s service area.
Natural gas pipelines, mobile home parks, two major rivers, and pockets of intense
residential and industrial development in two townships that were once rural and isolated
farmland increase the need for on-call rescue services.

Communities to the south, including David Township (cut off by a river) and Grand Lodge
(cut off by railroad tracks), will benefit from the Authority’s northern location—north of their
own fire service units and the obstacles (river and tracks) separating them from their first
response units during a disaster.

The Value of Life

In total, four communities (two first response and two mutual aid) will benefit from timely
responses and extrications, or rescues, from local rivers, burning structures, and vehicles. In
the past 19 months, Westerville Township has lost three older homes to fires.

In the first, an elderly woman died during the 23 minutes it took for the contracted fire
service provider to respond.

In the second, a home was lost in the 20 minutes it took for responders to arrive.

The third fire took the lives of two children when the house burned to the ground in 18
minutes.

No firefighters were on the scene until it was too late. If RCRFA had its own pumper/tanker
fire vehicle, it could have responded within six minutes to all three locations. We don’t know
 if lives would have been saved, but at least we would have had the critical fire-fighting
apparatus to try.

Expert Advice

I want to share some advice from grant funders when it comes to writing a compelling Needs Statement
section.

● Government Grantor
Needs statements (National Center for Educational Statistics): Okay, you've defined and
prioritized a set of functional needs. You've also given thought to security and ethical standards.
Your next step involves translating these needs into a statement of what your problem solution
should do. Now, try to produce a Needs Statement document that is thorough and
self-explanatory so your funder will have no trouble seeing what you've done and how you've
reached your conclusions. The section of the grant proposal should be written using feedback
from program-level staff. The more staff that participate in discussions on the problem, the more
they will "buy-in" to the new grant-funded programs, and "buy-in" is critical.
● Foundation Grantor
Needs statement (LinuxFund): This is where you describe the missing gaps in your project,
whether it be funding or resources. If you are applying for a grant, that usually means you need
funding, but tell us why you need money and what you plan to do with any funds that you might
receive.

Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you learned how to research and write the Needs Statement section of your grant proposal. You
learned what the funder needs to know in this section. You also learned how to avoid critical writing
errors. Using my examples of a good Needs Statement section and a bad Needs Statement section, you
learned how to meet and exceed the funder’s expectations.
You also learned how to address all of the questions a funder will be likely to ask when they are reading
your Needs Statement section. You discovered why funders need to see the type of information
presented in the Needs Statement section. You learned why grant proposals get rejected and the
importance of writing to the funder’s guidelines.

You learned how to collect the right information to prepare your Needs Statement section and what
documents to ask your organization for in the research stage. You also learned how to look for warning
signs. You discovered that as a grant writer, you must become a visionary and take that role when there is
a break in the information link.

Finally, you learned how to write the right information, including how to use words that convey a dire
picture for the funder.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the Program Design section of your grant
proposal.
Lesson 7 FAQs

In some of the online electronic applications, the Needs Statement section is limited to only a few
sentences. How can I write the kind of information that will convey the need in such a short space?

A: First, check to see if the funder has a regular hard copy grant application process. If not, you will need
to first write the Needs Statement section in a word-processing program. Then, highlight the strongest
sentences (statistics and needs assessment results). Copy and paste the sentences that you highlight.
This should work and still convey the problem statement in online electronic applications.
Lesson 7 Assignment

Identify where you will find information to help you write the Needs Statement section of your grant
proposal.

5 correct out of 5 questions

​ 1
​ Which of the following answers best defines a critical proposal-writing error to avoid in the Needs
Statement section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Avoid specifics
​
 ​ B
​ Avoid using names and circumstances of the target population
​
​ C
​ Avoid generalities
​ Avoid generalities when you write the problem statement.
​
​ D
​ Avoid using extensive detail
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best defines what the funder looks for in the Needs Statement
section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Needs of the target population
​ Funders look for information that tells them the needs of the target population.
​
​ B
​ Needs of the applicant organization
​
​ C
​ Needs of the partner organizations
​
​ D
​ Needs of the program staff
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following answers best defines a red flag to avoid in the Needs Statement section of
the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Members of the target population over 5 years old
​
​ B
 ​ Over five problems
​
​ C
​ Statistics under 5 years old
​
​ D
​ Statistics over 5 years old
​ Write using current statistics or demographics.
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following answers best defines a type of error made in the Problem Statement
section of the grant proposal that can cause a grant not to be recommended for funding support?
​ A
​ Painting a grim picture
​
​ B
​ Painting a rosy picture
​ Do not paint a rosy picture when you write the Needs Statement section.
​
​ C
​ Giving age parameters
​
​ D
​ Introducing subgroups of populations with demographics.
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following answers best defines a warning sign for the grant writer when gathering
information for the Problem Statement section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Too much client feedback
​
​ B
​ Outdated client feedback
 ​
​ C
​ No documentation of client feedback
​ No documentation of client feedback is a warning sign to the grant writer.
​
​ D
​ Poorly written client feedback reports
​
​
Next Up
Lesson 7 Supplementary Material
activity

Lesson 7 Supplementary Material

NWFS Office of Industry and Trade

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/funding-and-financial-services/how-build-your-proposals

This government Web site gives you detailed instructions on how to compile your government grant
applications.

Kurzweil Educational Systems

http://www.kurzweiledu.com/files/proof_resources_grant1.pdf

This PDF file was created by Kurzweil Educational Systems. It's a great example of a full grant proposal.
Look closely at the Statement of Need. It's only one paragraph; however, it's succinct and very
compelling.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT): Sponsored Research Services

http://www.rit.edu/research/srs/proposalprep/write_proposal.html

This Web site belongs to RIT. Scroll down under Writing a Successful Proposal to find the link to writing a
Statement of Need.

Developing a Capital Improvements Program

https://www.natcapsolutions.org/LASER/LASER_Guide-to-Capital-Improvements.pdf

This document shows you the components for building a capital improvement project.

Lesson 8: Write the Program Design Section

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

You are halfway through the main writing sections for your grant proposal narrative. Slowly but surely, you
are gaining more confidence in your skills. The next section is the Program Design section. In this section,
you focus on showing the funder that you have a well-thought-out plan for spending grant monies. I will
guide you through this section.
First, you'll see how to look at the Program Design section from the funder’s viewpoint. I’ll also show you
how to spot a poorly written Program Design section.

You'll learn the type of information to gather on your organization in order to build the framework for the
Program Design section with clarity and accuracy.

Lastly, you'll learn how to write the required sections in a comprehensive Program Design section.

My objective for lesson 8 is to help you write the most important section in a winning grant proposal.
Chapter 2: Under the Funder’s Microscope

Under the Funder’s Microscope

In the Program Design section of the grant proposal, you begin with a one-sentence purpose statement.
This is followed by detailed information on the project’s goals, objectives, and timelines. You end with the
sustainability statement. This section is referred to as the Program Design, or Plan of Action or
Methodology.

Proposal review staff at the funding source is trained to look for award-winning Program Design sections
in all incoming grant proposals. This means that your Program Design section must be written with
winning ingredients. From the opening purpose statement to the measurable objectives to the timeline,
everything must connect in a logical order.

Do not make this fatal error: Avoid confusing goals with objectives. Many funders release
grant application guidelines with incorrect instructions on how to write the goals and
objectives. This can be confusing for the grant writer. Before you start to write your goals
and objectives, look up the definitions of these terms:

Goal: The end toward which effort is directed.

Objective: The steps or benchmarks to reach the Goal.

A frequent mistake made by many grant writers is writing in generic terms. This section of the grant
proposal is a road map. It leads the funder from the purpose statement to the goals to the measurable
objectives to the timeline for project activities.

This is an example of a poorly written Program Design section:

 The purpose of the Old Mill Restoration Project grant request is to secure $250,000 to
restore a local historic landmark. The goal of the project is to give our community a museum
and outdoor historic area.

The project’s objectives are to provide all residents with a glimpse back in time. Another
objective is to advertise the Mill’s grand opening statewide. Finally, we hope to break even
on this project by the end of Year 1.

What’s wrong with this fated paragraph?

1. It is too short.
2. It glaringly asks for money in the first sentence!
3. It is too vague.
4. It is personally evasive (I mean it uses "our" and "we" in the wrong section of the grant proposal.
5. The objectives are not written in quantitative terms.
6. The timeline is too generic.

Get Ready for Scrutiny by the Funder

Funders will go over the Program Design section of your grant proposal with a fine-tooth comb, reading
every word and checking every line. Since there are so many parts to the whole that make up the
Program Design section, I will show you how the proposal review staff breaks down each part of your
Program Design section narrative.

Experienced grant reviewers will scrutinize your grant proposal by asking themselves these questions:

1. Is the purpose of the grant proposal clear? (Do I know how our investment will be spent, and is it
stated in one sentence?)
2. Do the goals provide the needed solution for the problem or needs presented by the grant
applicant? (Is there a connection between the problem and the solution?)
3. Are the goals realistic? (Are there too many goals for a one-year program design?)
4. Do the grant applicant’s goals mirror our own goals for the target population? (Has this applicant
done their homework on our foundation or corporate giving interests?)
 5. Is there at least one measurable (aka Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound
- SMART) objective for each goal? (Is this a strong program design?)
6. Are the objectives measurable? (Is this applicant an experienced proposal writer?)
7. Did the grant applicant include more than one type of objective? (Does this applicant understand
the various types of measurable objectives?)
8. Did the grant applicant include a logic model and does the logic model connect the dots between
the resources (inputs), strategies, outputs, and outcomes?
9. Is the timeline realistic, and does it fall into our funding cycle? (Did this applicant do their
homework in regards to our deadlines and funding announcement dates?)
10. Can the grant applicant continue the grant-funded activities after the grant period ends? (Is the
applicant going to be able to fund this somewhere else besides our organization once our monies
run out?)

Funders look very closely at your grant proposal in this section.

The funder’s proposal review staff is asking themselves the following questions about the applicant
organization:

● Does the applicant organization know how to implement a grant-funded program?

● The primary issue in the design and implementation of grant-funded programs is how to efficiently
deliver program benefits to targeted groups in a way that is efficient. Efficiency refers to economic
incentives, fiscal, administrative, and political costs.
All of these issues arise when attempts are made to deliver programs to beneficiaries without
having thoroughly planned the solution based on beneficiary feedback. Funders want to make
sure that the Program Design section includes language to cover all of these concerns.Does the
applicant organization list the activities necessary to carry out the program design?

Process objectives and activities are one in the same. Ninety percent of grant writers miss the boat when
it comes to knowing how to write the three types of objectives (SMART, Process, and Impact). Funders
look for these types of errors when reviewing a grant proposal. Eighty-five percent of grants are not
funded because the goals and objectives are written incorrectly and they do not lead to a solution for the
problem.

Avoid creating a red flag in this section.

The most critical red flag will occur if the grant applicant writes a weak Program Design section.

The following is a list of fatal errors to avoid:

● Forgetting to start this section out with a purpose statement.

● Failing to write clear goals and SMART objectives.
● Failing to incorporate nationally-recognized best practices into your implementation strategies.
● Failing to include all grant-funded activities and the timelines for implementing them.
● Underestimating the review weight for this section of the grant proposal. The Program Design, or
Plan of Action, or Methodology section usually carries the heaviest weight in the entire grant
proposal. Missing review points in this section can be cause for a grant to be rejected for funding.

Follow the Funder’s Guidelines

Remember, not all types of funding sources will need to see the same amount of information. Foundations
and corporations may only want to see one to two pages of information for this section. State and federal
government agencies may ask for five to eight pages of information in the Program Design section.
Chapter 3: Assemble the Right Information Before You Write

Assemble the Right Information Before You Write

Before you start to write the Program Design section, you will need to gather existing information on your
organization. You will start by sitting down with program staff and asking a series of questions. These
questions form your research for the program design narrative's development.

What types of questions will you ask?

1. Ask for performance outcomes on current programs. (This gives you the organization’s track
record.)
2. Ask for realistic target population service numbers. (This gives you total persons served by each
of the organization’s programs.)
3. Ask for input on writing the project goals. (This gives you insight on staff expectations for any new
programs.)
4. Ask for input on writing the project's three types of objectives. (This gives you staff expectations
on how much they can do in one program year.)
5. Ask for input on writing the project timelines. (This tells you how long it will take staff to
accomplish the project’s objectives.)
 6. Ask how the grant-funded activities will be sustained when the funding period ends. (This tells
you if there is any money in reserve to continue grant-funded programs.)

These Are Your Warning Signs

● You know you are in trouble when staff gives you a one-sentence idea for the Program Design
section.
● You know you are in trouble if the director of your organization states, "Write whatever you want
to. We will just do whatever you say we will when the money comes in."
● You know you are in trouble if anyone at your organization states, "We need more staff and we
want to pay them better, but we don’t want to have to do any more work … so no new programs
or services, okay?"

Your Role Includes Being a Visionary

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization that appears to be
lazy or reluctant when it comes to sitting down to plan a Program Design section for the grant proposal?
You will receive this type of response often. Many a grant writer has designed entire programs for their
organization when no one stepped up to bat to provide internal ideas.

Action To Take When This Happens

As a visionary, your role is to search the Internet for model programs, ones that have been tried and
proven and that are similar to the type of program the grant applicant needs funded. Choose from the
best and present your findings to the administration or staff. If everyone is too busy or still seems "out to
lunch," then proceed with designing the strongest program possible for the target population.

How will this scenario end? The grant will likely be funded. Others will have to live happily ever after with
your dreams and visions. At least you will feel fulfilled and will know that participants are benefiting from a
well-researched program design model.
Chapter 4: Give the Funder a Well-Planned Road Map

Give the Funder a Well-Planned Road Map

As I stated earlier in Lesson 8, the Program Design section carries the most weight in the peer grant
review process. Therefore, I want to take you through each step of writing the purpose statement: global
goals, measurable objectives, and realistic timelines.

How to Write a Purpose Statement

The purpose statement is a one-sentence statement that tells the funder why you are writing a grant
proposal to them.

For example: "The purpose of this grant proposal is to seek your funding support to purchase a new
pumper/tanker truck for the Reflection County Regional Fire Authority's service area."

Get to the point; write succinctly. This is the opening sentence in the Program Design, or Plan of Action or
Methodology, section of the grant proposal.

How to Write a Goal Statement

You begin by rewriting your needs statement as an outcome. Remember the need by the Regional Fire
Authority. This was the needs statement:

The Reflection County Regional Fire Authority (RCRFA) is a new fire department that is
being built from the ground up. This request seeks funds for our first fire vehicle—a
pumper/tanker with 1,000-gallon water capacity. This essential vehicle will protect a heavily
populated area encompassing 72 square miles. The Authority comprises Easton Township
(pop. 2,341) and Westerville Township (pop. 4,162).

Here is the goal statement for the Authority. It is concise:

Goal: Provide local fire services to the residents of the Authority's coverage area.

This goal reflects the end toward which the Authority's efforts are directed. It is not convoluted or
never-ending. When the grant monies are gone, in the end, the Authority will be able to provide local fire
services to the residents of their coverage area. A good goal should be easy to write and easy to
understand for the grant reviewer.
How to Write the Measurable Objectives

Here are the objectives for the Authority:

SMART Objective: By the end of Year 1, reduce call response time by 50% or more in direct
service areas of Eagle and Watertown Townships as demonstrated by the number of
incoming calls, the time for incoming calls, the time it takes to assemble first responders and
exit the station, travel time logs, and arrival time records.

Process objective (aka activities): Purchase 1,000-gallon capacity water pumper/tanker fire
truck.

Impact Objectives (aka benefits to your target population):

1. Residents will benefit from fewer property losses from fire.

2. The community will benefit from fewer losses of lives.
3. Mutual aid partners will benefit from quicker assist response times.

Primer on Writing Great Objectives

Process Objectives

Process objectives are those everyday tasks that propel the mission of a program. Another term for a
process objective is activity. Activities or process objectives are measured by inputs or resources.

Here are two examples:

Process Objective 1 - Provide a series of 10 to 14 classes over two months for young
males 10 to 14 years old that focus on self-responsibility, sexual responsibility, family
communication, and developing positive life options.

Process Objective 2 - Train parents of young males in family communication techniques,

human sexual information, and teaching self-responsibility.

Process objectives logically lead to SMART objectives. Remember not to include percentages in your
process objectives. Simple numbers of services or individuals or activities are the only types of
information that potential funders expect to see in your process objectives.
SMART Objectives (Source, Arizona Department of Education) Reminder: The acronym SMART
stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attachment or Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound or Timeline

A SMART objective states the results one hopes to attain by intervention activities and specifically follows
this formula (you simply fill in the blanks):

By the end of [enter your time frame here], increase (or decrease) [enter what will increase or decrease
here] for [enter who will be impacted by the increase or decrease here] by [enter a percentage
measurement here] as demonstrated by [enter how you will know that you achieved your SMART
objective].

This complete formula provides potential funders with very specific quantifiable information that shows
them potential grantees plan to demonstrate their accountability in multiple ways, if and when funded.

For example:

SMART Objective 1 - By the end of the grant funding, increase the number of highway
billboards educating the general population of Eldorado (Wyoming) about the hazards of
tobacco use by 50% or more as demonstrated by comparison of the baseline inventory of
current highway billboards related to tobacco cessation education to the number of new
billboards developed and the number of 1-800-NoSmoke incoming calls for tobacco
cessation information and assistance (including number of referrals to community agencies).

SMART Objective 2 – By the end of the grant funding, decrease the prevalence of
smoking-related cancers among the general population of Eldorado (Wyoming) by 5% or
more as demonstrated by comparison of baseline smoking-related cancers reported to the
Manassas County Department of Public Health to new incidences of smoking-related
cancers after the billboards have been installed.

Note: Your measurement must be written in a percentage—no exceptions!

Developing SMART objectives requires time, systematic thinking, and an understanding of the expected
effect of a program. Well-written SMART objectives, however, also provide important guidance for the
implementation and evaluation of an intervention.

Key questions to consider when writing an outcome objective:

● Is it specific?
 ● Who or what is expected to change or benefit?
● What or how much change or benefit is expected?
● Where will change occur?
● When will the change occur, or is a completion date specified?
● Is it observable and measurable?
● Is it achievable or reachable?
● Is it meaningful and important?

Baseline Survey Findings

In order to establish your baseline numbers, you will need to have historical data (statistics) available. If
your project or program is new and there is no baseline, you can huddle with the grant applicant
organization's staff and/or collaborating agencies to determine what level of change is realistic for the
objective's measurement.

When I am struggling to come up with a percentage number for the measurement, I will often search the
Internet for evaluation reports on similar services and programs. Typically, these reports will tell me what
was achieved and the levels of achievement. Using this approach is also the best way to set
measurements at moderate levels. It is a red flag for potential funders when the measurements are too
high or too low.

Skill and Judgment

Writing a good outcome objective takes skill and judgment. However, the time and effort spent in writing
objectives will put you far ahead in program planning and evaluation.

SMART Objective Checklist

Use this checklist to judge whether your outcome objective meets criteria.

Does your SMART objective specify:

● Who or what is expected to change or benefit?

● What change or benefit is expected?
● How much change or benefit is expected?
● Where the change will occur?
 ● When will the change occur, or what is the completion date?
● How you plan to demonstrate that the change occurred?

Impact Objectives

Impact objectives are the ultimate benefits a program hopes to achieve for the target population or the
grant's goals. They are the highest level of end-beneficiary outcomes. Impact objectives are easy to
remember. Ask yourself, "What are the benefits to the target population?" When you can answer this
question, you are ready to start writing impact objectives.

Summary of Objective Characteristics

● SMART Objectives
○ State the result one hopes to attain by intervention activities
○ Indicate a specific result by a specific time frame
○ Identify what or how much change or benefit is expected
○ Include an observable and measurable benchmark
○ Are achievable or reachable
○ Are meaningful and important
● Process Objectives
○ Describe program activities
○ Logically lead to the attainment of the SMART objectives
● Impact Objectives
○ Are the ultimate benefits of the grant funding
○ Represent highest level of beneficiary outcome
○ Project changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values, behaviors, or conditions
resulting from program or project

Implementation Strategies

This section of your program design narrative tells the funder how you will implement (roll out) the
grant-funded project or program from the first intervention to the final intervention. This is where you write
about every detail to start your project or program and to fulfill the goals and objectives (SMART, Process,
and Impact).
Timeline or Activity Tracking Chart

These are the steps to creating a realistic timeline or activity tracking chart.

Step 1: Create a table with columns and these column headers: Activities, Year 1: 1st
Quarter, 2nd Quarter, 3rd Quarter, and 4th Quarter. It is also permissible to break the
timeline down into one-month segments, Months 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Set
your word processor to show all grids in the table.

Step 2: Insert one row for each of the project's activities.

Step 3: Insert an X or a dot in the cell under the month when the activity will start.

Step 4: Insert an X or a dot in the cell under the month when the activity will end.

Step 5: Insert a solid line between the first X and the last X. If you use the line draw feature,
you can overlay the line on top of the blank cells between the X's. For graphic appeal, you
can even thicken the width of the line to make it stand out for the grant reader.

Remember, you will read each goal and objective and check your activity list to make sure you have not
left out any critically needed activities.

The activities in the Program Design section support the project staff listed in the next section of the grant
proposal, the Management Plan section.

Logic Model

The logic model is a one-page table or narrative that brings together the big picture of the resources that
you need to implement a successful grant-funded project or program, the implementation strategies, the
quantifiable indicators, and the outcomes (short-term, midterm, and long-term).

Here is an explanation of each section of the logic model (remember, it can be typed as narrative or
presented in a multi-column table):

Resources (aka Inputs) - These are the things needed to implement a successful grant-funded project or
program.

For example:
 Funding (do not type actual dollars; use a generic term like funding or financial resources)

Collaborative Partners

Volunteers and Volunteer Time (including governing body oversight)

Staff and Staff Time

Facilities

Materials and Supplies

Equipment or Technology

Strategies (aka key high-level activities)

For example:

Identify and meet with new collaborative partners.

Recruit, interview, select, and orient new staff (grant-funded).

Purchase nationally used intervention curriculum.

Prepare strategic implementation schedule for interventions.

Develop evaluation tools.

Implement project (or program).

Monitor implementation process.

Collect, analyze, and interpret evaluation data.

Report evaluation findings to stakeholders.

Implement correction actions if needed.

Project close-out

Outputs (this is the quantifiable—bean counting—language to demonstrate the results of the

strategies)
Note: Outputs can be extracted from your SMART objectives. Ask, What metrics do I need to track
to show that we achieved our SMART objectives?

For example:

# of new collaborative partners identified and engaged as advisory council members

# of staff hired with grant funding

# of curriculum packages purchased

# of participants served

# of interventions implemented

# of months to implement the grant-funded project (or program)

# of types of evaluation tools developed for data harvesting

# of evaluation findings reports to stakeholders

Note: Use the pound or number sign (#) for the outputs; do not use actual numbers! Why? You
should have included numbers for every output (also referred to as indicators) in your program
design narrative in your implementation strategies).

Outcomes (at a minimum, include short-term and long-term; midterm is optional)

Note: The terms for your outcomes will be determined by the length of the grant funding. If you
have a 12-month grant award, short-term is typically three months; midterm is typically six
months, and long-term is the full grant funding cycle of 12 months.

Short-term Outcomes (remember, these can be developed from your impact objectives)

● Improved collaborative partner involvement

● Improved staffing capacity
● Improved use of best practices knowledge
● Improved accountability tracking plan

Midterm Outcomes
 ● Improved participant competencies
● Improved wraparound services coordination
● Improved participant retention rates

Long-term Outcomes

● Improved participant behaviors

● Improved participant health outcomes

If you cannot incorporate a five-column table on one landscape page, it's okay to change the page
orientation for the logic model table as long as you revert back to portrait orientation for the text that
follows the logic model table page.

This is how your table header rows and open columns should be formatted:

Resources or Strategies Outputs Short-ter Midterm Long-ter

Inputs m Outcomes m
Outcome Outcome
s s

Keep your columns open; do not try to match the information in the first row with the rows that follow it.
This is open typing (like making a list for each column).

Sustainability Statement

Sustainability is how the grant applicant organization plans to continue the grant-funded activities after the
grant period is over.

This is an example how to write a sustainability statement:

 Upon completion of the grant funding period, the Merry Market Entrepreneurial Center will
continue to aggressively seek grant funds from local, regional, state, and national funding
sources.

Unfortunately, our board cannot pre-commit future budget years at this time. However, the
merits of this project in the Beesville community will bring statewide recognition to the new
businesses started with grant funds. It is expected that this publicity will result in interest
from new funding partners.

Program Design (aka Plan or Action or Methodology) Checklist

● Purpose statement
● Goals
● SMART objectives
● Implementation Strategies (including Process and Impact Objectives)*
● Timeline for implementing all activities
● Logic model
● Sustainability statement

*Remember: Your implementation strategies should be developed using national recognized best
practices. Funders expect to see this and a reference citation in your program design narrative.
Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you learned how to research and write the Program Design section of a grant proposal. You
learned how to cull information from reliable sources. You also learned that the Program Design section is
the most critically reviewed section in your grant proposal.

You learned how to avoid making fatal writing errors. You also read some examples of poorly written
program designs. You discovered how grant reviewers look at your Program Design section and the types
of questions they ask themselves.

You learned how to assemble the right information. You also learned how to recognize warning signs
when the director or staff is responding to your information requests.
Finally, you learned how to give the funder a well-planned road map when writing the Program Design
section of your grant proposal.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the Management Plan section of your grant
proposal.
Lesson 8 FAQs

Q: When a funder asks for measurable or SMART goals, how can I answer competitively, when goals are
not measurable based on the true definition of a goal?

A: First, call the funder for clarification of what they really want to see in the Program Design section of
the grant proposal. Second, if the funder insists on SMART goals and does not mention anything about
SMART objectives or even use the word objective, then just write the SMART objectives and label them
SMART goals.
Lesson 8 Assignment

Identify where you will find information to help you write the Program Design section of your grant
proposal.

Lesson 8 Quiz
5 correct out of 5 questions
​ 1
​ Which of the following answers best defines a critical proposal-writing error to avoid in the
Program Design section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Using benchmarks
​
​ B
​ Confusing goals with objectives
​ Many funders release grant application guidelines with incorrect instructions on how to
write the goals and objectives. This can be confusing to the grant writer.
​
​ C
​ Confusing the purpose statement with the mission statement
​
​ D
 ​ Using global goals
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best defines the definition of a goal?
​ A
​ Measurable steps to reach the SMART objectives
​
​ B
​ Benchmarks to reach the SMART objectives
​
​ C
​ The end toward which effort is directed
​ A goal is the end toward which effort is directed.
​
​ D
​ A purpose statement
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following answers best defines a red flag to avoid in the Program Design section of
the grant proposal?
​ A
​ No timeline in the SMART objectives
​ Failing to include the timeline for reaching your SMART objectives is a red flag for
funders that you avoid.
​
​ B
​ Timeline
​
​ C
​ Purpose statement
​
​ D
​ Mission statement
 ​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following answers best defines a question the funder is looking to answer in the
Program Design section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Does the grant applicant have experience in implementing similar programs?
​
​ B
​ Do I have a contact person for each partnering agency?
​
​ C
​ Do I know how the grant funds will be allocated?
​
​ D
​ Are the SMART objectives written correctly?
​ The funder is looking for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound
objectives.
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following answers best defines a warning sign for the grant writer when gathering
information for the Program Design section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ You are given a list of project goals and objectives by the program staff.
​
​ B
​ You are given one sentence for the program design by the grant applicant's
administration.
​ You will know you are in trouble when all you are given is one sentence for the program
design.
​
​ C
​ You are given current resumes for program staff to help you write the Program Design
section.
 ​
​ D
​ You are given copies of old grants rejected for funding consideration.
​
​
Next Up
Lesson 8 Supplementary Material
activity
Lesson 8 Supplementary Material

Developing a Program Design

https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/grants-2/

The University of Wisconsin - Madison Writing Center has developed a tutorial for creating each narrative
section of a grant proposal. The details for the program design narrative follow the instructions in this
lesson and can be used as a guide for developing your Lesson 8 assignment.

Developing a logic model: Teaching and training guide

https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/programdevelopment/files/2016/03/lmguidecomplete.pdf

The University of Madison Program Development of Evaluation Division of Extension provides a PDF file
that details how to create a program-specific logic model. the model provided is for a parent education
program....

How to Create a Timeline or Gantt Chart

http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelArticles/create-a-timeline.html

This Web site belongs to Vertex 42. There are some very helpful tips and extensive details on developing
timeline and Gantt charts using Excel software.
 Lesson 9: Write the Management Plan Section

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

Slowly but surely you are nearing the end of your proposal narrative. You are honing your research and
writing skills with the completion of each new section. The next narrative section is the Management Plan
or Key Personnel section. This is the section where you write your plan for managing the proposed
program or project.

First, you'll understand the thinking patterns of grant funders when they read the Management Plan or
Key Personnel section. I'll also show you how to avoid the most common types of errors made by other
grant writers when writing this section.

You'll learn how to cull the right information from your program staff or administrators. I'll also show you
how to use your findings to wow the grant reviewer.

Lastly, you'll learn how to write a winning Management Plan or Key Personnel section in your grant
proposal. I'll also show you examples of several kinds of Management Plan or Key Personnel section
narratives.

My objective for lesson 9 is to help you collect and write the most relevant information in this section of
your grant proposal.
Chapter 2: See What the Funder Sees

See What the Funder Sees

When the funder’s program review staff starts to read the Management Plan section of your proposal,
they look for the staffing plan and the big picture of how your organization will manage the grant-funded
project.

This section can be a piece of cake to pull together as long as you avoid making the kinds of
proposal-writing errors that can lead to having your idea rejected for funding consideration.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of This Section

Many grant writers make a fatal mistake when they are writing the Management Plan section. They
understaff or overstaff the project—a critical proposal-writing error. Before you can write a winning
Management Plan section, you need to evaluate your organization’s capability to properly manage a
grant-funded project.

Use your detective skills to ask a lot of questions upfront about the organization’s current staffing profile.
You use this information to develop any new positions needed to administer and manage the proposed
grant project or program.

In Search of Answers

When the funder carefully reviews and rates your Management Plan section, they are looking for answers
to some very specific questions.

The funder looks for your answers to the following questions:

1. Is the applicant organization’s staff going to have the time and expertise to be effective grant
managers? (Many funded projects fail because staffing is insufficient.)
2. Are the key personnel qualified to carry out the day-to-day activities outlined in the Program
Design section? (Many funded projects fail because the staff has no experience in the project
area.)
3. Is the project director allocating sufficient time to management tasks? (Many funded projects fail
because the project director is not around often enough to monitor the progress of the
implementation plan.)
4. If the key personnel are yet to be hired, did the applicant organization include brief job
descriptions in the narrative or indicate that full job descriptions are in the attachments to the
grant proposal? (Many funded projects fail because the grant applicant tries to fill technical
positions with existing, unqualified staff.)
5. Have key staff members managed similar programs or projects in the past? (Many funded
projects fail because inexperienced staff cannot get the project off the ground.)
6. What is the extent of their experience in working with the target population? (Many funded
projects fail because staff cannot identify with needs of the target population.)

Why the Funder Is Possessed With Seeing Masses of Information

The funder’s proposal review staff cannot recommend shaky projects to the board of trustees for funding
consideration. The funder’s investments are closely held and monitored for growth. Poor decisions
(granting money to shaky projects that are doomed to fail) lead to caution and a high level of
conservatism.

Capability

Does the applicant organization possess the capability to implement the proposed project or program?
(Will this be one of the funder’s success stories?)

The Management Plan section should reflect a well thought-out plan for staffing the project, managing the
staff, and delivering the project’s scope of activities on time.

Don’t Raise the Red Flag

The most critical red flag will occur if the grant applicant uses program staff with no relevant experience in
managing the type of project proposed for grant funding.

When the grant writer makes a fatal error in writing the Management Plan section, it can result in a series
of funding rejection notices.

The following is a list of fatal errors to avoid:

● Proposing new activities and responsibilities for applicant organization's staff when no one has
discussed the grant proposal or new tasks with them.
● Failing to allocate sufficient time for a project administrator.
● Failing to show the line of staff accountability.
● Failing to show the full-time equivalent (FTE) for each staff member assigned to the project.
Remember, a full-time person is 1.0 FTE, a half-time person is 0.5 FTE, and a quarter-time
person is 0.25 FTE.
● Failing to show educational and professional experience for project staff.
● Failing to include job descriptions for staff yet to be hired.

Give funders what they ask for—no more, no less!

Read the grant application guidelines. If possible, look at copies of grant proposals funded by the funder.
It is likely that you will find that the grant writers in the proposals that were funded followed the funder’s
writing instructions.
 Chapter 3: Information Retrieval—Someone Has To Do It

Information Retrieval—Someone Has To Do It

As the grant writer, a significant portion of your time is spent asking for information and reviewing it for
accuracy and relevancy to your current grant proposal project. By now, you know that you spend a lot of
time asking for documents that you do not already have.

In the Management Plan section of your grant proposal, you start by asking for and reviewing specific
types of documents.

What type of documents will you look for?

1. Ask for the most current organizational chart. (This gives you the administrative staffing pattern
and shows you to whom to talk about specific program information.)
2. Ask for the most current list of programs, program directors, and their subordinates. (This tells
you the types of programs your agency operates and who is assigned in each area.)
3. Ask if the applicant organization plans to hire new staff when the grant proposal is funded. (This
tells you if you will need job descriptions for staff to be hired. It also tells you that you have to
include these new positions in the Budget section of your grant proposal.)
4. Ask how the grant application will retain the grant-funded staff when funds are gone. (This tells
you if you have sustainability—an important characteristic of successfully written grant
proposals.)
5. Ask for a current one-page resume or curriculum vitae on all key personnel. (This gives you the
background information you need on all grant-funded and administrative staff. These one-page
documents can be attached to your grant proposal for funder review.)
6. Ask for help from the business manager or financial director in preparing the Management Plan or
Key Personnel section. You cannot dream up the cost to hire new staff; you need help. In some
organizations, the financials are confidential, so you need the staff that prepares the payroll and
knows the big financial picture.

Your Warning Signs

● You know you are in trouble if there is no organizational chart or if the one available has been
outdated for several years. If something as easy as updating the organizational chart has not
been done, then it is most likely that other critically needed documents are also out of date.
 ● You know you are in trouble if the director of the applicant organization states, "We’re going to
use this grant award to increase the salaries for existing employees; staff can double up and do
their new tasks." Funders view these types of grant requests (no new programs, same old staff,
and same old activities) as supplanting, not sustaining. Grant proposals that are written to
supplant do not get recommended for funding.

Your Job Is To See the Future and Write About It!

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization that appears to have
existing management problems? Well, from a visionary’s perspective, some nonprofit organizations need
feedback from an outsider.

This feedback can be from the grant writer or from an outside nonprofit management consultant. The
board of directors and top administration need to hear and see their management strengths and
weaknesses.

Things can only improve when they are recognized as problems or barriers to applying for grant funding.

Your Role in Sharpening the Vision

● Suggest a session to brainstorm for the Management Plan section. In this session, you can list
the grant proposal’s goals, objectives, activities, and timelines.
● Ask administration and program staff who will be responsible for carrying out each of the
activities. Ask for a name and title.
● Ask if any of the staff’s salaries are already funded by existing grant awards. If so, ask when the
funding started and when it will end. The last thing you want to happen is to have the same staff
person allocated over 100 percent (unallowable and illegal with most funders) to grant-funded
programs.
● Update the organizational chart on your own. You will need to include it in the grant proposal’s
attachments.
● Create a flow chart showing how the proposed project or program will be implemented. This will
help you identify staffing needs.

Chapter 4: You Can Write a Winning Management Plan Section

You Can Write a Winning Management Plan Section

After reading all of the information you collect, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of the grant
applicant’s specific need or problem.

Next, you will take what you have gleaned and organize it into a clear but appealing format for the funder.

Here is the first example (short and concise) of how to organize and present your information:

Management Plan

The Caring Foundation has no paid staff. However, it does have a 0.5 FTE, or half-time executive director,
whose salary is paid by the Management Information Group. The board of directors performs its
governing duties on a volunteer basis. The Caring Foundation pays the fair market value for services
rendered by MFI and other Web consultants.

The executive director is Donald Payson. He holds a Jurist Doctorate degree from Pauling University. Dr.
Payson’s graduate degree is in nonprofit management from the Indiana School of Nonprofit Philanthropy.
He has 20 years of experience in managing volunteers and implementing grant-funded programs.

Before cofounding the Caring Foundation, Dr. Payson was director of the Clemson United Way for 10
years. He continues to practice nonprofit law on a part-time basis for the Management Innovation Group,
where he is a partner.

Here is the second example (more detailed) of how to organize and present your information:

Key Personnel

A project director will oversee the five sites. Five part-time site managers will oversee the daily interaction
of the staff with youth or others involved in the programs. The project director will be recruited from the
local area.

Once selected, the superintendent of the San Cristina Valley Union High School, Dr. Charles Martin, or
his designee, will supervise the project director. The San Cristina Valley Union High School District will
serve as the fiscal agent and lead organization for the project.

Line of Accountability
The project director will supervise the part-time site managers. The project director and the individual site
managers will be responsible for interviewing and selecting the part-time staff for the different community
learning centers.

Current teachers, community members, volunteers, school staff, and behavioral health professionals will
be considered for CLC positions.

Troubleshooting

The project director will interact with regular school staff and oversee and troubleshoot issues that arise in
the project. They will be the liaison between the administrators, site managers, community members,
volunteers, parents, and students.

They will be responsible for the marketing strategies used in promoting the program and recruiting
students, staff, and volunteers. They will attend community meetings, so they are aware of services
offered throughout the area.

Student discipline issues will be referred to the appropriate site manager who will alert the project director
of any concerns. All students will have due process; however, the project director will make the final
determination of a student’s participation in the program.

Punishment will range from suspension for the day up to and including nonparticipation in the program.

Facilities Allocation

To accommodate a plethora of activities for students during each nine-week session, Project TEAM will
use approximately 30 classrooms, three cafeterias (with one cook per site), one bus for all children in all
sites, six libraries (one library per site and the city library), the Eloise Junior High and San Cristina Valley
Union High School gyms, and seven computer labs.

Project participants will adhere to district policies regarding facility usage. A city pool, community center,
and the multipurpose room of the local housing authority also are available for program activities.

Transportation

The project will employ buses for excursions, vans for small group transportation.

Ancillary Staff
The project will employ one maintenance staff per site (1.0 FTE), one program director (1.0 FTE), five
part-time site managers (0.5 FTE), one parent facilitator (1.0 FTE), and one evaluator (1.0 FTE).

In addition, Family Resource staff will conduct parenting workshops and parent universities at all sites,
and Perkins Hispanic Council will offer social service and prevention presentations.

Adequacy of the Management Plan

Milestones/Timelines/Personnel Responsible

● Formalizing site advisory committees – Year 1 – Project director and site managers
● Hiring program staff – Year 1 – Project director and site managers
● Convening steering committee – Year 1 – Project director and site managers
● Collecting baseline data – Year 1 – Evaluator
● Conducting participant outreach, recruitment, and referrals – Years 1 to 3 – Site managers and
community partners
● Conducting assessment and intake – Years 1 to 3 – Site managers
● Implementing programs at five sites – Years 1 to 3 – Project director and site managers
● Documenting in-kind matching funds – Years 1 to 3 – Site managers
● Continuing project evaluation – Years 1 to 3 – Evaluator
● Disseminating project findings – Years 2 to 3 – Project director and site managers
● Reassessing goals and objectives and making changes as needed – Years 2 to 3 – Steering
Committee

Variations of the Management Plan or Key Personnel Section

I want to share some variations of what is expected in the Management Plan or Key Personnel section.
Remember, the writing requirements will depend on the type of funder and their specific guidelines.

● Government Grantor

Biographical sketches (National Science Foundation)

The required format, Biographical Sketch, NSF Form 1362, is shown in Section IX, Proposal Forms Kit.
Biographical sketches are required for all senior personnel. The instructions provided on the form must be
followed.
For the personnel categories listed below, the proposal may also include information on exceptional
qualifications of the individuals that merit consideration in the evaluation of the proposal.

● Postdoctoral associates
● Other professionals
● Students (research assistants)

For equipment proposals, the following should be provided for each auxiliary user:

● Short biographical sketch;

● List of up to five publications most closely related to proposed acquisition.

Adequacy of Resources (National Science Foundation):

A model format, Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources, NSF Form 1363, is shown in Section IX,
Proposal Forms Kit. Information on NSF Form 1363 is used to assess the adequacy of the institutional
resources available to perform the effort proposed in the project description. Describe only those
resources that are applicable to the effort proposed. Follow the instructions provided on the form.

Foundation Grantor

Brief staff overview (Allstate Foundation): Write a background statement on the executive director and key
staff to be involved in the proposed project.

Follow the Bouncing Ball

Remember, not all funders will ask for this information. You most likely will see detailed management plan
requirements in government grant applications.
Chapter 5: Summary

Summary
Today you discovered how to research and write the Management Plan or Key Personnel section of a
grant proposal. You learned the importance of this section in your grant proposal.

You learned how to understand the thinking patterns of grant funders when they read the Management
Plan section. You also learned how to avoid the most common types of errors made by other grant writers
when writing this section.

You learned how to cull the right information from your program staff and administrators. You also learned
how to use your findings to wow or impress the grant reviewer.

Finally, you learned what a winning Management Plan section looks like in the examples that I shared.

In your next lesson, you’ll discover how to research and write the Evaluation section of your grant
proposal.
Lesson 9 FAQs

Q: How many review points is the Management Plan section in the typical federal grant competition?

A: The Management Plan section is usually weighted anywhere from five to 15 points of the grant
application’s total 100-point weight.
Lesson 9 Assignment

Identify where you will find information to help you write the Management Plan or Key Personnel section
of your grant proposal.

5 correct out of 5 questions

​ 1
​ Which of the following answers best defines a critical proposal-writing error to avoid in the
Management Plan section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Using volunteer work experience
​
​ B
​ Using part-time work experience
​
​ C
​ Using FTE's to show the time staff will be assigned to project activities
 ​
​ D
​ Understaffing or overstaffing a grant-funded project
​ Avoid understaffing or overstaffing a grant-funded project.
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best defines what the funder looks for in the Management Plan
section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Staff expertise
​ A funder looks for staff expertise in the Management Plan section.
​
​ B
​ Gender
​
​ C
​ Age
​
​ D
​ Extracurricular activities
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following answers best defines a red flag to avoid in the Management Plan section
of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Staff with multiple degrees
​
​ B
​ Staff with frequent job changes
​
​ C
​ Staff with no relevant project experience
​ Funder's see a red flag when you use staff with no relevant project experience.
 ​
​ D
​ Staff with relevant project experience
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following best defines a type of error made in the Management Plan section of the
grant proposal that can cause a grant proposal to not be recommended for funding support?
​ A
​ Failing to show professional development training for project staff
​
​ B
​ Failing to include job descriptions for project staff yet to be hired
​ You make a fatal error when you fail to include job descriptions for project staff yet to be
hired.
​
​ C
​ Failing to show detailed information for project support staff
​
​ D
​ Failing to show the value in in-kind FTEs
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following answers best defines a warning sign for the grant writer when gathering
information for the Management Plan section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Up-to-date organizational chart
​
​ B
​ Current resumes
​
​ C
​ List of job tasks for new project staff
​
 ​ D
​ Nonexistent or outdated organizational chart
​ Yes, it is a warning sign for the grant writer when the grant applicant's organizational
chart is nonexistent or outdated.
​
​
Next Up
Lesson 9 Supplementary Material
activity

​ Student Support

© 2023 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Lesson 9 Supplementary Material

Writing a Management Plan

http://www.brown.edu/research/writing-management-plan

This Web site belongs to Brown Research. The detailed tutorial on how to write a management plan is
clear, concise, and on target for new grant writers.

How to Calculate FTEs

https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/how-to-calculate-ftes.html

An FTE is the hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis. Many grant application budgets
request that funded positions be written in FTEs. Use this website to learn how to calculate FTEs.

How to Compose Your Grant Application's Project Management Plan

http://www.dummies.com/business/nonprofits/grants/how-to-compose-your-grant-applications-manageme
nt-plan
This is instructional material from the book Grant Writing for Dummies, which was written by your
instructor.

Lesson 10: Write the Evaluation Section

Chapter 2: Under the Funder's Magnifying Glass

Under the Funder's Magnifying Glass

As a grant writer, you can have the best Needs Statement section, the most competitive Program Design
section, and a great Management Plan section, but if you fail to write a comprehensive Evaluation Plan
section, your grant proposal could be rejected for funding consideration.

In the Evaluation Plan section of your grant proposal, you write detailed information on how the project's
objectives will be measured by your organization.

Yes, the same objectives that you develop in the Program Design section are addressed in the Evaluation
Plan section. All benchmarks must have a data collection process (qualitative or quantitative), and you
must state how the data will be collected (surveys, observations, test scores, and so forth).

Finally, you write about the frequency of the data collection, formative or summative. Don't panic. I will
give you definitions and show you how to use these terms correctly in the Evaluation Plan section.

Skimming in This Section Can Be Fatal

Failing to write a comprehensive project evaluation plan is the most critical proposal-writing error; it can
be fatal to your funding results. As a grant writer, you need to understand the evaluation process. Many
nonprofit organizations overlook this critical activity—one that is necessary for every grant-funded
program.

When you write the Evaluation Plan section, you must kick your critical-thinking skills into high gear.
Often, your organization will be clueless when you inquire about evaluation reports or ask for input on the
design of the Evaluation Plan section. In most instances, it will be your job to research and create the
Evaluation Plan section of all grant proposals.

The only exceptions are:

 1. If the administration or program staff of the applicant organization understand the evaluation
process and either help you write the plan or suggest that a third-party evaluator be contracted
under grant funding to fulfill the monitoring and evaluation activities.
2. If the applicant organization already has an in-house evaluator on salary and that individual will
write the entire evaluation plan once you share the grant proposal program design with them.

Remember, the measurable objectives in the Program Design section go hand-in-hand with the way you
structure the Evaluation Plan section. Therefore, you cannot write the Evaluation Plan section upfront.
First, you must write the Program Design section, and the applicant organization must agree on the
measurements (SMART objectives and outputs in your logic model) you have created, or they have
helped to write.

Stack Up Review Points in the Evaluation Plan Section

How can you score the highest possible review points from grant readers working to score your proposal
on behalf of funding agencies?

First, you must understand what funders expect in the Evaluation Plan Section.

Second, you must understand why funders need to see this type of information at this point in the
proposal's narrative structure.

The funder is looking for answers to the following questions:

1. How will the project's SMART objectives be evaluated? (This is the real test question; if you did
not write SMART objectives, you cannot possibly write evaluation measurements.)
2. Does the Evaluation Plan section include more than one kind of data collection tool? (Valid data
must be confirmed with myriad types of measurements.)
3. Has the grant applicant built checks and balances into the Evaluation Plan section? (Data must
be reported objectively or subjectively.)
4. Is the evaluator internal or external? (Outside evaluators are preferred by most government
funders.)
5. Does the grant applicant use a stakeholder evaluation team or a third-party evaluator approach?
(Stakeholder evaluations are preferred by most corporate and foundation funders.)
 6. How frequent will we receive evaluation reports? (Funders want to be kept abreast of project
findings on a frequent basis.)
7. How will the findings of the evaluation be disseminated to stakeholders? (Funders consider
themselves stakeholders, along with your board, end recipients, and the community-at-large.
They want to know how your grant-funded project impacted its stakeholders.)
8. How will the findings of the evaluation be shared with other similar agencies? (Funders want your
findings shared with other similar organizations.)

Why is there so much funder scrutiny for this section?

The rule of thumb in proposal preparation is to set aside 15% of the project's budget total for the
evaluation process. This is a large chunk of money, and funders have established this rule of thumb. It
means that funders place a high value on planning, implementation, and follow-up when it comes to
evaluation tasks.

Funders ask:

● How will we know that our money made a significant difference in our geographic funding area?
● How will we know that our money led to social or systemic change for the target population?

When you write this section, ask yourself if you have answered these questions.

Signs of Danger

The most critical red flag will occur if the applicant organization allows its own program staff to
self-evaluate the grant-funded program. Funders consider this a subjective evaluation. The definition of
subjective is: arising out of or identified by means of one's perception of one's own states and processes
or lacking in reality or substance.

Do Not Appear to Be Self-Serving

In other words, is a program staff director going to admit that none of the measurable objectives were met
or that the target population was not served as proposed in the grant request? It is not likely that an
individual receiving a salary or stipend from the grant monies will write a report to jeopardize future grant
awards.

The following is a list of fatal errors that you will want to avoid:
 ● Failing to write SMART objectives in the Program Design section. You will hit a block wall in the
Evaluation Plan section with nonmeasurable objectives.
● Failing to incorporate strong qualitative (extracted from throughout the program design) and
quantitative (extracted from the Outputs in your logic model) measures into the Evaluation Plan
section.
● Failing to retype the complete list of SMART objectives in the Evaluation Plan section. While this
may appear redundant, the funder needs to see the SMART objectives side by side with the data
collection tools and the type of data to be collected.
● Failing to acquire, read, and use evaluation plan handbooks to write every Evaluation Plan
section.
● Failing to ask for help when you don't know how to structure the evaluation.
● Failing to search the Internet for models of Evaluation Plan sections.
● Failing to push the grant applicant into accountability for the expenditure of grant funds by forcing
the evaluation plan questions early in the planning process.

Chapter 3: Research Is the Base for Writing a Great Evaluation Plan Section

Research Is the Base for Writing a Great Evaluation Plan Section

You must learn to look and ask for the right information to help you write winning Evaluation Plan sections
in your grant proposals. You start by collecting the right types of information.

Go for the Gold

1. Ask for copies of old and current funded grant applications. (These will lead you to evaluation
reports, which can be valuable in determining your organization's ability to effectively evaluate
grant-funded projects.)

Ask for copies of old and current evaluation reports. (These will tell you the types of evaluations that your
organization is used to conducting.)

Ask if the applicant organization has completed any recent certification criteria. For example, hospitals go
through rigorous evaluation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
Regional universities and colleges go through rigorous evaluation by North Central Accreditation. (This
will give you the evaluation findings by third-party investigators.)
Ask for copies of recent client surveys, staff surveys, program questionnaire results, and so forth. (This
will tell you if your organization solicits feedback from its stakeholders.)

Hot Spots to Avoid

● You know you are in trouble if the applicant organization has never conducted any kind of
program evaluation.

You know you are in trouble if the director fails to understand why programs should be evaluated for
effectiveness.

You know you are in trouble if no one but you knows that 10 to 15 percent of every grant proposal budget
must be allocated to a line item for evaluation.

You know you are in trouble if the director states, "We have never been audited, so why should we start
conducting evaluations now?"

You Must Grasp the Vision and Carry the Ball

You may be asking yourself, why bother to write a grant proposal for an organization that doesn't know or
care if it's succeeding or failing in its delivery of services to the community? From a visionary's
perspective, some nonprofit organizations need a rude awakening when it comes to understanding why
evaluations are needed and how funders view organizations that fail to evaluate grant-supported
programs.

Your Role When This Happens

Your role when this happens is to educate administration and program staff on the evaluation process,
why it's needed, and the types of evaluations that can be conducted.
Chapter 4: Evaluation Plan and Process Primer
Evaluation Plan and Process Primer

As a grant writer, you must be knowledgeable on terms used in the Evaluation Plan section. The terms
below are critical and must be included in all written Evaluation Plan sections. Remember, the grant writer
does not conduct the evaluation; you only write the Evaluation Plan section. Never, ever forget this!

● Evaluation: An evaluation of something is when you use tools and techniques to determine
whether the applicant organization is carrying out programs as planned and achieving the desired
results.
● Justification: There is a lot of competition for limited grant funding resources. In this "only the
best grant proposals get funded" environment, it is not enough to tell a funder, "I think this might
work." You need to make objective decisions. The evaluation process provides information to
guide decisions for the allocation of limited resources.
● Accountability: Funders expect accountability for the utilization of their resources. The grantee
is accountable for documenting what, if anything, changed because of funding.

Steps to a Successful Evaluation

1. Evaluation accountability language must be incorporated into the grant proposal's Program
Design section.
2. Goals must be realistic, and objectives must be written in SMART terms.
3. Ask yourself or the program staff questions that will help determine what to document or track.
4. Involve multiple stakeholders (everyone affected by the grant-funded program, from staff to the
target population).
5. Determine how to collect data. Who's going to collect it, how will it be analyzed, and who's going
to do it?

Facing Failure

If the evaluation shows that you did not meet your benchmarks (the measurements in your SMART
objectives), don't panic. If you evaluate frequently, you will find out you're not progressing as planned
early in the grant funding period.
Goals and objectives can be rewritten, and funders can be notified in writing of the findings and the
resulting changes to the program design. Learning what does not work is as important as learning what
works well.

Evaluation Facts

● Evaluation must be budgeted.

● Evaluation need not be complicated to be effective.
● Evaluation comes in many forms.
● Evaluation builds opportunities for enhanced communications between nonprofits and grant
makers.

Qualitative Evaluation: You collect data of greater depth on a smaller number of beneficiaries (those
who benefit from the grant-funded program or project). The qualitative indicators are best conveyed in
your logic model's Outcomes column.

Quantitative Evaluation: You collect data on a large number of beneficiaries (this is head counting and it
is best conveyed in your logic model's Outputs columns).

Formative Evaluation: You conduct an evaluation at frequent intervals throughout the life of the project
(monthly or quarterly). You can determine the intervals from your program design's timeline table.

Summative Evaluation: You conduct an evaluation at the end of the project, and the findings rely heavily
on the attaining of the project's SMART objectives (found early-on in your program design narrative) long
term outcomes (found in your logic model).

Write the Evaluation Plan Section Right

After reading all of the information you collect and your own research on how to write comprehensive
Evaluation Plan sections, you will have a graphic picture in your mind of how to monitor and measure
progress of the project's objectives.

Next, you will take what you have gleaned and organize it into a clear but appealing format for the funder.

Here is one way (short and concise) to organize and present your information:

Evaluation Plan
Project Goals and Objectives

Goal for eResource Foundation: Provide the needed external funding support for eResource Foundation
to continue its philanthropic mission in Alabama.

Quantitative objective for eResource Foundation: By the end of the grant funding, increase capacity
building training and support services by 100% for the nonprofit collaborative agencies in Jefferson
County as demonstrated by pre- and post-funding assessment of organizational strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and challenges; the number of nonprofits agreeing to move forward and begin their
MOU/MOA commitments, and the actual number of nonprofit organizations trained and receiving support
services.

Evaluation Methodology

eResource Foundation will measure project success in the following ways:

● Number of nonprofit organizations served through our yearlong training and support services
partnership.
● Qualitative impact of our collaboration with each nonprofit organization in the areas of long-range
strategic planning as it relates to fund-raising and prospect development.
● The level of fiscal soundness experienced by each nonprofit organization.
● The ability of each nonprofit organization to demonstrate present and future sustainability as it
relates to revenues.

Evaluation Team

The eResource Foundation will contract with the University of Central Alabama – Birmingham to conduct
a third-party evaluation for the grant-funded program.

Frequency of Reporting

A written interim report will be released to stakeholders at the six-month and 12-month points. In addition,
at the end of one year (from date of initial funding), eResource Foundation will release a summative
report .

Organizational Review Questions—At Start-up and Quarterly Throughout the Funding Cycle

● What needs attention immediately?

 ● What should our program try to accomplish?
● Where are we failing?
● What are the goals of the program?
● Is there agreement on the goals from all partners?
● What do stakeholders perceive they need?
● What problems are they experiencing?
● What does program staff perceive they need?
● What problems are they experiencing?
● How effective is the program in addressing problems perceived by the stakeholders?
● What are the areas in which the organization is most seriously failing to achieve goals?

Qualitative Formative Data Collection Questions—Ongoing

● How can the program be improved?

● How can the program become more effective?
● What are the program's goals and SMART objectives?
● What are the program's most important characteristics?
● How are the program activities supposed to lead to attainment of the SMART objectives?
● Are the program's most important characteristics being implemented?
● Are program components contributing to achievement of the SMART objectives?
● What activities or combination best accomplish each SMART objective?
● What adjustments in the program might lead to better attainment of the SMART objectives?
● What adjustments in program management and support are needed?
● Is the program or some aspects of it better suited to certain types of participants?
● What problems are there, and how can they be solved?
● What measures and designs could be recommended for use during summative evaluation of the
program?

Qualitative Summative Data Analysis (End of the Funding Cycle)

● What are the goals and objectives of the program?

● Did the planned program occur?
● How effective is the program?
● What conclusions can be made about the effects of the program?
● Does the program lead to goal achievement?
 ● What programs are available as alternatives to our program?
● How effective is our program in comparison to the alternative program?
● Is the program differentially effective with particular types of participants or in particular locales?
● How costly is the program?

Dissemination. Dr. McMillen, director of eResource Foundation will present the findings of the
summative evaluation at three nonprofit capacity-building, state-level conferences annually. In addition,
the grantee will create a how-to book for organizations seeking to build their capacities in other states and
countries.

Words From Funders

Grant proposal guidelines (Albuquerque Community Foundation): All grant recipients must report on the
expenditure of grant funds and the results of the supported project. Any funds not expended for the
specific purpose of the grant must be returned to Albuquerque Community Foundation and cannot be
diverted to other uses without the express approval of the Foundation.

All grant proposals must include plans for evaluating the success of the grant, including financial
accountability.

Evaluation Handbook (W. K. Kellogg Foundation): Project evaluations that improve the way projects
deliver services, improve project management, and help project directors see problems more clearly and
discover new avenues for growth.

Blueprint Action Steps for Grantees

1. Planning: preparing for an evaluation.

2. Identify stakeholders and establish an evaluation team.
3. Develop evaluation questions.
4. Budget for an evaluation.
5. Select an evaluator.
6. Implementation: designing and conducting an evaluation.
7. Determine data-collection methods.
8. Collect data.
9. Analyze and interpret data.
10. Utilization: communicating findings and utilizing results.
11. Communicate findings and insights.
 12. Utilize the process and results of evaluation.

Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered how to research and write the Evaluation Plan section of your grant proposal. You
learned how to collect information from reliable sources.

You learned how to look at your Evaluation Plan section from the funder's viewpoint. You also learned
how to avoid the writing errors that can lead to a proposal rejection.

You also learned the common terms that funders look for in the Evaluation Plan section of your grant
proposal.

Finally, you learned the difference between a simple Evaluation Plan section and a complex or longer
Evaluation Plan section.

In your next lesson, you'll discover how to write the Budget section of your grant proposal.
Lesson 10 FAQs

Q: Who are the stakeholders?

A: A stakeholder is anyone that has a vested interest in the grant-funded project. Stakeholders can be
board members, staff, volunteers, members of the community, local businesses, funders, and so forth.
Lesson 10 Assignment

Identify where you will find information to help you write the Evaluation Plan section of your grant
proposal.

Lesson 10 Quiz
5 correct out of 5 questions
​ 1
​ Which of the following answers best defines a critical proposal-writing error to avoid in the
Evaluation Plan section of the grant proposal?
 ​ A
​ Failing to write a comprehensive evaluation plan
​ Failing the write a comprehensive project evaluation plan is the most critical
proposal-writing error.
​
​ B
​ Failing to incorporate measurable objectives into the evaluation plan
​
​ C
​ Failing to include the dissemination plan in the evaluation plan
​
​ D
​ Failing to include data collection tools in the evaluation plan
​
​
​ 2
​ Which of the following answers best defines what the funder looks for in the Evaluation Plan
section of the grant proposal?
​ A
​ Identification of the project's stakeholders
​
​ B
​ Identification of specific persons (names) to be evaluated
​
​ C
​ Are there costs built in?
​
​ D
​ Are there checks and balances built in?
​ Funders look for built-in checks and balances in the Evaluation Plan section.
​
​
​ 3
​ Which of the following answers best defines a red flag to avoid in the Evaluation Plan section of
the grant proposal?
 ​ A
​ Objective evaluation process
​
​ B
​ Evaluator is a third-party independent contractor.
​
​ C
​ Subjective evaluation process
​ Funders see a red flag when the evaluation is conducted by subjective parties.
​
​ D
​ Qualitative evaluation process
​
​
​ 4
​ Which of the following best defines a type of error made in the Evaluation Plan section of the
grant proposal that can cause it not to be recommended for funding?
​ A
​ Including stakeholders in the evaluation process
​
​ B
​ Failing to write SMART objectives
​ You commit a fatal error when you fail to write SMART objectives.
​
​ C
​ Including a dissemination plan
​
​ D
​ Use measurable terms
​
​
​ 5
​ Which of the following answers best defines a warning sign for the grant writer when gathering
information for the Evaluation Plan section of the grant proposal?
​ A
 ​ No previous evaluations conducted on programs at the applicant organization
​ It is a warning sign when the applicant organization has not previously conducted any
program evaluations.
​
​ B
​ Previous evaluations conducted show positive findings.
​
​ C
​ The applicant organization wants to use a third-party evaluator.
​
​ D
​ The applicant organization wants to have a stakeholder evaluation process.
​
​
Lesson 10 Supplementary Material

Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal

http://www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/hints16.htm

This Web site resource was posted by a faculty member at Michigan State University. The evaluation plan
writing hints contains valuable information for both novice and veteran grant writers.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation

https://evaluationguide.wkkf.org/

This link will take you to the Foundation's "Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation" (just click the View
Resource button). You can bookmark this resource or download it to your computer.

Designing Your Evaluation Plan

http://managementhelp.org/np_progs/evl_mod/evl_mod.htm

This Web site belongs to the Free Management Library. This is an excellent tutorial developed from the
Nonprofit Capacity Building Toolkit.

Lesson 11: Develop the Budget Section

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

At this point, you are nearing the finish line for Advanced Proposal Writing. There are just a few more tips
that I want to share with you in your quest toward writing winning grant proposals. This next section can
make or break your grant proposal, depending on how you develop it. It's the Budget section.
First, you'll understand how to see your grant proposal from the funder's viewpoint. I'll also show you how
to avoid the mistakes made by other grant writers—mistakes that result in a rejection letter from the
funder.

You'll learn the standard definitions you need to know when it comes to planning your budget line items.
I'll also give you some advice on how to get help from finance professionals when developing the Budget
section.

Lastly, you'll learn where to find outstanding examples of well-written Budget sections on the Internet. I'll
also show you how to save grace—I mean, how to recover with the funder when you make a budget error.

My objective for lesson 11 is to show you how to develop the Budget section, the final section in your
grant proposal narrative.
Chapter 2: Give the Funder a Clear and Detailed Picture

Give the Funder a Clear and Detailed Picture

In the Budget section of the grant proposal, the funder is looking for accurate numbers and detailed
expenditure narrative. Depending on the type of grant proposal or grant application you write, the Budget
section may be called the Cost Proposal section.

Don't make this mistake: As a grant reviewer, the most common and critical
proposal-writing error I see when I am reading all types of grant proposals is lack of
sufficient information to support the line-item cost for expense categories.

For example:

Expenses

● Personnel: $45,000
● Fringe Benefits: $14,000
● Travel: $3,967
● Equipment: $0
● Supplies: $5,700
● Contractual: $250,000
● Other: $38,000
 ● Total grant funding requested: $356,667

With this kind of budget summary, the funder will not know what the details are for each line-item
expense. The largest blunder in the above summary is the amount for contractual expenses, $250,000.
This figure alone can appear to be typed in error when there is no detailed explanation of what or who will
cost $250,000.

Don't raise a red flag with funders!

The most critical red flag will occur if the grant applicant incorrectly calculates the total expenses.

The following is a list of other fatal errors that can cause your grant proposal to be rejected for funding
consideration:

● Failing to round off to the nearest dollar.

● Failing to define vague line items like contractual expenses.
● Failing to link budget line-item expenditures with the objectives and activities in the Program
Design section of the grant proposal.
● Failing to show the grant applicant's in-kind contribution.
● Failing to include a budget in a general operating request.

Funders Take a Close Look at Your Costs

Funders look for reasonable costs. When a program review officer reads the grant proposal, they ask a
series of qualifying questions to determine if the grant applicant's financial needs are in their grant funding
range and interest.

Funders ask these questions:

● Funding Parameters. (How large or how small is this project?)

1. Does the total grant request fall within our range for grant funding? (Is this grant applicant
looking to us for the entire amount?)
2. Is the applicant asking for one year of funding support? (Can we afford to start this project
and continue it, as well?)
3. Is the applicant asking for multiple years of funding support? (What will happen if we start
this project and cannot fund it in Year 2? Does the grant applicant have another plan for
Year 2 funding support?)
● Dependency on Grant Funds
1. If the applicant is seeking multiple-year funding, does the applicant gradually decrease
the amount requested in Years 2, 3, and so forth?
2. How will the applicant continue this program or project when grant funds are expended?
3. What other sources of income does the grant applicant have for this program or project?
● Salaries and Fringe Benefits
1. Are the salaries and fringe benefits reasonable for the project's activities?
2. Based on the grant applicant's region, is the salary line item inflated?
3. Are the salaries competitive and comparable to other nonprofit organizations in the grant
applicant's geographic area?
4. Are the fringe benefits prorated for positions less than full-time positions?
5. Are the fringe benefits reasonable when compared to other nonprofit fringe benefit
packages in the same geographic region?
6. Did the grant applicant build a cost-of-living allowance into the salary line item for
multiyear grant requests.
7. Does each salaried position listed have an FTE? Note: FTE means Full-Time
Equivalency. 1.0 FTE is 40 hours per week; 0.5 FTE is 20 hours per week.
● Travel
1. Are the travel costs reasonable for the project's activities?
2. Is the travel necessary?
3. Is the cost for local travel reasonable?
4. Is the cost for out-of-town or out-of-state travel reasonable?
5. Is the mileage reimbursement rate in alignment with state and federal rates?
● Equipment
1. Are the equipment costs reasonable for the project's activities?
2. What is the grant applicant asking for under the equipment line item?
3. Will equipment be purchased that costs over $5,000 per item?
4. Will the equipment be maintained?
● Construction
1. Are the construction costs estimated or bid?
2. Are the construction bids attached?
3. Is there a contingency cost built in?
4. Is there a site plan attached?
● Contractual
1. Are the contractors' costs reasonable for the project's activities?
 2. Are the contractors listed mentioned in the Program Design section of the grant
proposal?
3. Are the contractors necessary?
4. Can staff perform the work that contractors are being asked to perform?
5. Are the contractors’ costs reasonable?
6. Are the costs broken down by amount per hour and number of hours?
7. Is there supporting documentation in the attachments on the contractors' credentials?
● Supplies
1. Are the supply costs reasonable for the project's activities?
2. Are the costs broken down by month?
● Other Expenses
1. Are the other expenses reasonable for the project's activities?
2. Are the other expenses detailed?
3. Are the items listed as other expenses under the correct line item?
● Accuracy
1. Are the column totals correct?
2. Are the forms, if required, filled out correctly?

Why Is So Much Detail Needed?

When your grant proposal reaches the funder's offices, it is assigned to a staff person, often a program
review officer, to read. The reviewer will usually have a list of pre-established questions to determine if the
grant proposal fits their purview in every way.

The Budget section is reviewed with a magnifying glass. I mean that even if you have written every other
section of the grant proposal accurately, one mistake in the Budget section can squash the chance of
your grant proposal being recommended for funding.

Internal Accountability

Program staff for corporations, foundations, and units of government must account for their grant funding
and rejection decisions. These decisions cannot be made arbitrarily or subjectively.

Sometimes, a rating criteria form is used to help log the strengths and weaknesses for each section of the
grant proposal.
When a program staff member or program officer recommends a grant proposal for funding to their board
of directors or trustees, they must defend the recommendation. Internally, there is a strong chain of
accountability leading up to a grant award among most funders.

External Accountability

All corporate and foundation funders must account to the Internal Revenue Service annually in their IRS
990 Form. In order to remain a philanthropic entity under IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax codes, specific
percentages of these funder endowment holdings must be granted. It is in the funder's best interest to
make grant awards on a regular basis in order to meet IRS charitable guidelines.

However, there is also another consideration. Many foundations are the trustees for community funds.
These funds are specially designated for specific types of nonprofit organizations. The fund's donors want
to see an active trail of grants awarded annually. But, they do not want their funds depleted entirely.

Process of Elimination

If a foundation receives 50 proposals per day year-round, but can only fund 50 per year, how can they
objectively select the best grant proposals? Grants are selected for funding through the process of
elimination. The Budget section is another section where one mistake can kill the entire grant proposal.

Chapter 3: Learn Your Budget Terms

Learn Your Budget Terms

Two important components of your grant application are the line-item budget and budget narrative. The
following are terms associated with the Budget section of the grant proposal.

Definitions for Line-Item Terms

● Salaries and wages include full, part-time, and temporary employees.

● Fringe benefits include FICA, pension, health insurance, workers' compensation, etc.
● Construction includes new construction, renovation, and other infrastructure improvements to a
site.
● Contract services/professional fees include outsourced services or workers, including third-party
evaluators.
● Office space includes rent, utilities, furnishings, maintenance, and insurance.
 ● Equipment/supplies include office supplies; postage; copier rental and supplies; telephone, fax
and computer supplies; equipment repair and maintenance; and so forth.
● Staff/board development includes trainings, retreats, seminars, and conference expenses
designed for professional development of the staff and board.
● Travel/related expenses include air travel, out-of-town expenses, conference travel expenses,
and per diem in-town parking and mileage expenses.
● Other includes any expense that does not fall in any of the above categories. Often you will find
office space and the stakeholders' evaluation expenses in the Other category.
● Direct costs are the total for all of the above line items.
● Indirect costs include operational expenses not directly connected with the proposed project and
are added to the direct costs when you calculate the project's total budget.
● Indirect cost rate is a federal government approved and capped percentage for the total amount
of indirect costs associated with implementing grant-funded programs. Grant applicants that have
not applied for an indirect cost rate can automatically use 10% of their total project budget as their
indirect cost rate. The 10% rule is referred to as the de minimis rule.

Line-Item Budget Guidelines

● The line-item budget should include all income and expenses associated with the proposed
project. Please note that not every line item will apply to every project.
● Total income should equal total expenses. If income exceeds expenses, please explain the
rationale in detail in the budget narrative.
● For multiyear requests, please prepare a separate budget form for each year of requested
funding. Note that grant periods of 18 months or less may be treated as one budget period and
require only one form.
● Each budget form should include the name, phone number, and e-mail address of the contact
person responsible for and familiar with the project budget.

Other Terms You Need To Know

1. In-kind is what the grant applicant and its partners are contributing to the project but not
requesting from the funder. You create a column for in-kind and allocate it by line item, totaling
each line item by adding the grant request and in-kind contribution together to reach the total.
2. Line item is the same as object, class, or category.
3. Salaries are the same as personnel or staffing.
Matching Funds

Matching funds are what the grant applicant "puts up" or matches in the project budget. Some grantors
require matching funds from the grant applicant. Government grants usually require a specific percent of
matching funds for every state or federal dollar requested.

Here are some ideas on what can constitute matching funds in your grant proposal budget:

● Cash match sources.

● In-Kind contributions. These types of contributions are donations of goods, services, or time -
instead of actual cash contributions.
● Private-sector grants for portions of the project.

Cash Match Sources

Cash match is the matching cash allocation by the grant application organization for each line item in the
list of project or program budget expenses.

● Personnel. Personnel is staff who will provide direct or indirect services for the grant-funded
activities, but who will not be charged to the grant's budget expenditures as a line-item request to
the funding agency (prorated based on the actual amount of time to be contributed to
grant-funded activities).
● Administrative, clerical support, contracted, and facilities personnel (custodial should be included)
positions can all apply as cash match line items.
● Fringe benefits. Benefits for the above personnel (prorated based on the actual amount of time to
be contributed to grant-funded activities) can apply.
● Travel. Travel expenses (grant-related for key or ancillary personnel that will not be requested
from the funding source) apply.
● Equipment. (existing or to be purchased that will not be requested from the funding source).
● Supplies. (on hand from existing inventory or newly purchased that will not be requested from the
funding source).
● Contractual. (contracted consultants that will be contracted to carry out specialized services in
the grant -funded project, but whose expenses will not be requested from the funding source).
● Construction. (any aspect of infrastructure work that will be donated by trade professionals or
volunteers).
 ● Other. (utilities and telephone expenses related to implementing the project, but not an allowable
line item in the grant request; printing and copying; postage; evaluation expenses [not included in
contractual or supplies] ; and any other costs that will be incurred by your community that has not
been requested from the funder).
● Indirect charges. (range from 5 percent to 66 percent [for state universities] of the budget subtotal
and are allowable only in federal grant applications). Indirect charges can be a line-item request
in the grant budget; however, if you are struggling to identify matching funds, then use indirect
charges as a matching contribution to be absorbed by your community.

Examples of In-Kind Contributions (or In-Kind Matching Sources)

● Tangible goods include things like equipment, books, cars, clothing, furniture and supplies. Goods
may also be intangible, such as advertising, patents, royalties and copyrights. Goods may be
used, surplus, brand new or even loaned.
● In-kind services are professional services donated by groups such as corporations, small
businesses, vendors, colleges, individual professionals or tradespeople. For example, your
organization could be given transportation or publishing support.
● An in-kind donation involving time occurs when people give their time free of charge or for
payment by a third party on the nonprofit's behalf. An employer might also loan paid employees to
help support a nonprofit.

Recommendations for Preparing the Budget Section

You start asking the grant applicant for costs as soon as you develop the Program Design section.
Remember, the costs to implement the project are all tied to everything you write in the Program Design
section of the grant proposal.

Work With Finance Staff

Work with the grant applicant's financial manager or business manager or accountant to flush out
accurate line-item cost information. Help them by searching the Internet for actual costs of supplies,
prevailing wages in the local community, travel expenses, and so forth.

Ask for Help

Ask the financial person to write the budget once you have completed the narrative section of the grant
proposal. This is a realistic request. Why? If you are a contract grant-writing consultant, finances may be
confidential. This relieves the concern over an outsider seeing the accounting records. If you are
employed by the applicant organization, there may still be hesitancy on the part of administration to reveal
salaries of coworkers to the grant writer.

Advice From an Expert

Save time and stress by having the financial person write the budget summary and detailed narrative. If
you find yourself stuck with developing a budget and no one helping, use the Internet to find the most
accurate costs for each line item. Ask someone in administration to double-check your budget numbers
for accuracy in word and calculation!

Additional "Need to Know" Terminology for Preparing Your Project or Program Budget Request

The funder’s guidelines may ask you to provide the requested grant period, annual allocation information
for multiple year funding request, and to discuss specific project or program costs. The following
definitions will help you to navigate through the budget narrative and detail sections of your grant request
with proficiency.

Requested grant period: Grant periods begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the
month. All project activities must take place during the requested grant period.

Annual allocation: This term refers to how much money will be allocated to a line-item expense over the
course of the grant funding.

Project or program costs: The budget should include the project or program costs that will be charged
to grant funds as well as those that will be supported by applicant or third-party cash and in-kind
contributions.

All of the items listed, whether supported by grant funds or cost-sharing contributions, must be
reasonable, necessary to accomplish project goals and objectives, allowable in terms of the applicable
federal cost principles, auditable, and incurred during the grant period.

Charges to the project for items such as salaries, fringe benefits, travel, and contractual services must
conform to the written policies and established practices of the applicant organization.

Fiscal Year: Any 12-month period or period of 52 weeks, designated by the grant application organization
as the time period for filing financial reports, balance sheets, and income statements. Remember, the
fiscal year is not always in alignment with the calendar year.
Fringe benefits: Fringe benefits may include contributions for social security, employee insurance,
pension plans, etc. Only those benefits that are not included in an organization's indirect cost pool may be
shown as direct costs.

Saving Grace - How To Recover with a Funder

Sometimes a miracle occurs. The funder reads your grant proposal and really wants to fund the project.
However, the budget is insufficient and does not meet their rigorous review standards. A few funders will
call the applicant organization and ask them to submit a new budget.

These same funders also take the time to tell the applicant organization what is wrong with their current
budget and how to fix it. I have seen this happen with foundation, state, and federal grant applications.
Remember to be courteous (the funder didn’t have to call or email you about your budget errors and/or
omissions). If you don’t know the answer to their questions, ask if you can meet with your finance staff or
administrators to find the missing information and/or clarify the budget’s line item expenses, cash match,
in-kind contributions, and get additional information on direct and/or indirect costs. Let the funder know
that you will get back with them expeditiously and provide a revised budget within 24 hours or less.
Remember, you are making corrections well after the grant application’s submission deadline. Consider
yourself—and the grant applicant organization—very fortunate!

Chapter 4: Internet Examples of Budgets and Budget Justifications

Now that you’ve learned about budget terminology, let’s take a look at some websites that have sample
grant application budgets and detailed narrative budget justifications for you to review:

University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences

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Provided by California Sacramento State University

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District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education

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Provided by The After School Alliance

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Provided by Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine

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Provided by the Greater New Orleans Foundation

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Chapter 5: Summary

Summary

Today you discovered how to develop the Budget section of your grant proposal. You learned to
circumvent problems and errors that can lead to your grant proposal being rejected for funding
consideration.

You learned how to examine your line-item details from the funder's perspective. You also learned how to
recognize when a funder sees a red flag in your budget line-item details.

You discovered why program review officers scrutinize your budget narrative details.

Finally, you learned how and where to find Budget section examples for all types of grant proposal
formats on the Internet.

In your last lesson, you'll discover why it is important to apply finishing touches to your grant proposal.
Lesson 11 FAQs

Q: If my total project is $50,000, but I am only asking a specific funder for $5,000, do I need to show the
entire $50,000 line-item budget?

A: Yes, funders want to see the complete project budget. This way they know what percent of the project
they are being asked to fund
Lesson 11 Supplementary Material

The Louisville Institute

http://www.louisville-institute.org/budgetguide.htm

This nonprofit Web site gives you a complete guide for budget preparation.

Federal Grant Application Line Item Explanations

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/202948.pdf

This PDF file was created by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, National Institute
of Justice. Scroll down to Page 4 to begin reading the budget line item explanations.