Key Elements of Successful Nonprofit Grants

Proven Formula for Grant Proposal Writing for Foundation Grants

Sep 8, 2009

Grant Proposals Must Explain the Need, cbcs

Even in a recession, the elements of writing nonprofit grant proposals are consistent. Use this grantwriting formula to improve proposals for any nonprofit organization.

Simply put, a grant proposal is a narrative that describes the planned work of a nonprofit organization. Once the proposal is accepted and funded, it is the basis of a binding legal contract between the two organizations. By including key elements in the grant proposal, nonprofit organizations clarify the common goals of their work and funders’ missions.

Writing a Grant Proposal

“The overriding principles of grantsmanship are the same – develop a top-flight program and use the proposal to convince the grantmaker of your capacity to implement and sustain it,” write Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox in The Only Grant-Writing Book You’ll Ever Need (2003).

Some foundations and nearly all government grantmakers will specify a template for the proposal. Follow all instructions to the letter or risk disqualification from the start. In other cases, funders will issue no instructions and it will be up to the nonprofit to create the proposal from scratch. In any case, be sure to include these key elements.

Elements to Include in Grant Proposal

Executive Summary.The executive summary goes up front in the proposal and briefly summarizes what the nonprofit is seeking. This is not an outline of the proposal and does not require a summary of each section of the proposal. Keep it short – in few cases should it exceed a single page.
Statement of Need (also known as the need statement or problem statement.) This is where the nonprofit identifies a problem and makes the case for why it is important. It explains how this is relevant to the funder's priorities and positions the nonprofit as the ideal partner to create a solution.
Project Objectives.In this section, the nonprofit should state the project’s goals to address the need and put forth specific expected outcomes.
Project Personnel.Grantmakers want to know that the nonprofit will be utilizing competent individuals to perform the work of the projects. Introduce them in this section and include the pertinent skills and experience.
Program Design.In this section, the nonprofit should online its plan to meet the objectives. It might be helpful to organize this plan in several phases that correlate to different objectives.
Project Evaluation.How will the nonprofit determine that objectives have been met? This evaluation will demonstrate the return on investment in the project or program for the funder.
Organizational Information.In this section, give an overview of the organization and its work, even areas not included in the proposed project or program. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the organization, including its leadership and partners.
Project Budget.Include a budget outlining estimated expenses and income (if any). If the program design included phases, show the budget for each phase in the overall budget. Also describe other funding sources for the project if the proposal is only seeking partial funding, and if the program will require less funding in the future.

Putting all of these pieces together into a professional presentation with a well-written cover letter will create a strong grant proposal.

The copyright of the article Key Elements of Successful Nonprofit Grants in Non-Profit Fundraising is owned by Molly Schar. Permission to republish Key Elements of Successful Nonprofit Grants in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.