No matter what type of grant you're seeking, you should make sure that you're submitting your best proposal in an effort to get funding. Read carefully over each foundation's funding criteria, and make sure you specifically mention how your organization's project, mission or goals are relevant to the funder's primary focus. There's a lot of competition for grants, so there are some key steps you want to take to ensure that you've written an excellent grant proposal letter.
Instructions
1. Try to speak with a representative of the funding organization prior to submitting a grant proposal letter. This can help you develop a positive rapport with someone in the funding organization and gain you more information that you can use in your proposal. Always confirm the proper spelling of the name of contact to whom you will submit your proposal.
2. Do your homework and provide statistics and facts regarding the problem that your
organization addresses. State how your organization will market its program or project and connect with your target audience.
3. State specifics on how much money your organization needs, how much you are requesting from the foundation and how you will use the grant money in the upcoming year. Mention how you anticipate raising additional funds to meet your goals and you have funded your project in the past. Also state how you plan to let your community know about the success and funding received. This could be through news releases, newsletters, an article in your organization's annual report and communication with your local leadership and state representatives.
4. Thank the funding organization for considering the request. Make sure your request is reasonable by checking to see the amounts the organization has funded in the past. If the organization generally funds no more than $25,000, don't make a request for $50,000.
5. Prove that your organization is doing what it says it is by attaching any press releases or news articles, flyers of some of the events you have held or photos of the staff serving your clients. Also attach an overall budget and annual report, support letters from citizens in the community, community leaders, relevant partners such as the school district or your organizational volunteers or even testimonial support letters from parents or teachers.
6. Attach all other items the foundation has requested in its funding criteria. This may include your 501c3 status letter from the Internal Revenue Service and a listing of your organization's board members. Include your contact information so that the organization can reach you by phone, email or your organization's physical address.
