How to Write a Killer Grant Proposal

Top 10 Tips for Grant Funding 

Making Sure Your Nonprofit is Grant Ready

By Thomas R. Reich

nonprofit grantsIn today’s world of nonprofit grant funding, competition is stiff when writing a killer grant proposal. Overall, available grant funding has greatly diminished and organizations must use every accessible resource to their advantage.  A grant proposal writing service can assist you in obtaining grants and ultimately grant funding, but you must do everything in your power to adequately prepare.  Melanie M. Swift, MNM, Director of Nonprofit Services for CharityNet USA, has prepared a list of the top 10 things your nonprofit must have well established prior to the commencement of a grant funding campaign.

Mission– Know your mission in and out. Be prepared to describe your organization’s specific mission and know how you work each day to fulfill that mission when writing a grant proposal. Be sure your mission statement reflects your purpose, your unique method of delivery, and your organization’s core values.

History– What inspired your organization’s founding, make sure this is reflected in a grant proposal? What have been the major milestones since? Has your organization received any
top 10 mistakes keep good recordsrecognition for its efforts? Be able to provide success stories to demonstrate your capabilities.

Funding– How have you sustained your organization thus far? Who are your major contributors? How do you fundraise? It is extremely important to funders that potential grant funding recipients be able to demonstrate past fiduciary responsibility and that it be in black and white in the grant proposal.

Need– Can you show that there is really a significant need for your organization’s programs within the community you serve, and state that within the grant proposal? Research statistical data on the problem you address as well as the degree of other efforts being made to combat the same problem.

top ten reasons for a boardGoverning Capabilities
– Are you able to promote members of your board or staff as responsible, knowledgeable, nonprofit professionals? Be prepared to describe their education and experience in the grant proposal. Convince me that they are competent leaders.

Objectives– Know the difference between a goal and an objective.  You must be able to provide targeted, measurable objectives right in the grant proposal! Identify objectives that are realistic and attainable, which is a necessity in order to receive grant funding.

Methods– Do you really know, step-by-step, how you will meet your objectives? Are you aware of everything and everyone that will be involved, down to the smallest detail? It is essential that the questions of Who-What-When-Why-How be answered for each proposed activity within the grant proposal.

Evaluation– How will you evaluate the success of your proposed project? Take the time to develop a scientific plan for evaluation that describes who will be involved, at what intervals, and what costs will be incurred, and make sure it is in the grant proposal.

Sustainability– You must think past the grant award period. Exactly how will you continue to fund this project once the grant funding runs out?
Funders seek out projects that will exist into perpetuity, and want to see this in the any grant proposal.


Budget– Learn to develop a precise line item budget. Know the difference between an operating budget and a project budget, and learn how to allocate your administrative costs within each program. This activity requires significant board involvement and must be in any grant proposal.


Howard Walker is a Grant Grader for the Federal Government and a Nonprofit Consultant for over 25 years now.  He will be conducting a Webinar this Wednesday with Thomas R. Reich, and you are welcome to join in this great learning opportunity all FREE!   This event will help you write a killer grant proposal!  We want you to have all the information you need to ge successful getting a Government Grant, or a Private Foundation Grant.  Billions and Billions of dollars worth of grants are awarded every quarter, and we want those in need, to have all the information they can learn to write grant proposals properly and apply for those grants!


Just CLICK to see the recording of this event now!