𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Study the funder’s mission statement, grant guidelines, and eligibility criteria.

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀: Understanding what types of projects have previously been funded can give insights into the funder’s preferences.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Tailor your application to emphasize how your project helps the funder achieve their goals. Avoid generic applications; customization is key.

𝟮. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵

A successful grant application is built on well-researched information. Use data, statistics, and credible sources to demonstrate the need for your project, the gap it fills, and its potential impact.

𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: Cite relevant studies or reports to justify your project’s importance.

𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Use data to show the specific need your project addresses. Highlight any gaps in existing solutions.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Provide hard evidence, including quantitative data, whenever possible. Funders are more likely to trust a proposal backed by solid research.

𝟯. 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Your problem statement is the heart of your grant application. It should clearly explain the issue your project aims to address and why it’s important. The problem statement should be specific, focused, and backed by evidence.

𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: Don’t overcomplicate the issue. Get straight to the point while using data to highlight the urgency of the problem.

𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Show how solving this problem fits within the funder’s goals and values.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Avoid jargon and overly technical language. The clearer your problem statement, the easier it will be for reviewers to understand the significance of your project.

𝟰. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱, 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻

Your project plan should outline how you will solve the problem identified in your application. Funders look for well-thought-out projects with clearly defined goals, timelines, and deliverables. Break your plan into manageable steps to show your preparedness and foresight.

𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀: Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Funders appreciate projects with clear timelines that demonstrate efficient use of funds.

𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀: Describe the tangible results your project will deliver and how you’ll measure success.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Detail your evaluation strategy to show how you’ll track and measure progress, outcomes, and impacts.

𝟱. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁

A critical part of any grant proposal is the budget. Funders want to see a detailed, transparent breakdown of how you’ll use their money. A well-organized budget strengthens your application by demonstrating that your project is financially viable and that you’ve thought through all costs.

𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲: Itemize every aspect of your project’s costs, from personnel to equipment and overhead.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Explain why each cost is necessary to achieve your project’s goals.

𝗕𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰: Overestimating or underestimating costs can be a red flag for funders. Be as accurate as possible.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Some funders require specific budget formats, so be sure to follow their guidelines exactly.

𝟲. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁

Funders are interested in knowing the long-term impact of your project. Explain how the project will continue to generate benefits after the grant period ends. This demonstrates that your initiative is a valuable long-term investment.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Describe how your project will maintain momentum, attract further funding, or become self-sustaining.

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Share your vision for the broader impact your project will have on the community, field, or sector.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: If applicable, mention any partnerships or collaborations that can help sustain the project in the long term.

𝟳. 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺

First impressions matter. A well-written, polished proposal speaks volumes about your professionalism and attention to detail. Reviewers can spot careless errors, so be meticulous in editing your grant application.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀: Typos, grammatical errors, and formatting mistakes can harm your credibility.

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Make sure your application meets all word limits, font size requirements, and submission guidelines.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Ask colleagues or experts in your field to review your proposal before submission. Fresh eyes can catch errors and offer valuable feedback.

𝟴. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

Funders want to be confident that you and your team have the expertise to execute the project successfully. Highlight your experience, qualifications, and past successes to show that you’re well-positioned to deliver the proposed outcomes.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Share examples of previous projects, particularly if they were successful and aligned with your current proposal.

𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹: Highlight the qualifications and roles of the team members involved in the project.

𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Demonstrate your institution’s or organization’s ability to manage the grant by emphasizing past grant management experience, if applicable.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

Writing a successful grant application is a process that requires thorough research, strategic thinking, and clear communication. By understanding the funder’s goals, crafting a detailed project plan, and presenting a compelling case backed by data, you’ll improve your chances of securing the funding needed for your project. Follow these grant application research writing techniques, and your proposal will stand out among the competition.

By honing these skills, you can increase your success rate and bring your projects to life, ultimately making a positive impact in your field or community

Written By:

𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐧𝐢𝐦 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐚

Assistant Content Lead, BIIHR

Food and Nutrition, GCAHS