Dos and Don'ts in Writing a Grant Proposal

You may have the perfect program to help your community, but you won't get anywhere if you can't secure funding to get it started. One way to secure funding is to get a non profit grant from individuals, private companies, or the government. And to get a non profit grant, you have to write up a grant proposal. Here are a couple of tips to help you do just that:

Do see the big picture; don't forget the small details

Your non profit grant proposal has to contain the solid information that it needs to do its job. However, do not forget to check the small details: grammar and spelling, punctuation marks, the salutations, the closings, the presentation of data and ideas, even the binder you put your proposal in will have an effect on the reader. It's the attention to these small details that can show you're really attentive of even the littlest things in your proposal

Do focus on the proposal; don't forget the cover letter

The entire purpose of a non profit grant proposal is to convince a person or an entity to grant you funding for your program. This requires a well thought-out proposal that you'll have to spend a lot of time and effort on. However, it's your cover letter that will pique the interest of the reader long enough to actually reach the body of your proposal. Don't forget to make your cover catch the attention and focus of the reader.

Do be comprehensive; don't beat around the bush

When it comes to a proposal, brevity and clarity are the first things you must keep in mind. The fewer words used to convey the message, the more readable it is. You don't want your reader to get strained by flooding the pages with incoherent babble.

Do keep the writing clean; don't be poetic

You're not writing prose or poetry when you're writing up a non profit grant proposal. Be as professional as you can be. Use simple words that get to the point, and always remember to prioritize readability over flamboyancy.

Do ask for money; don't beg for it

When writing a grant proposal, you're definitely going to aim to secure some extra funding. However, you have to show your potential funder that you are more than capable of sustaining your program through other means of securing funding. Whether it's charging some money for services, doing fundraisers, or securing multiple grants, you need to show that your program won't fall and crumble within a few months.

Do stick to attainable goals; don't aim for the impossible

Unless you've got a pretty good idea on how to turn water into wine, don't even think of asking people for money to do it. Likewise for a non profit grant: no funder would consider a grant if he or she sees that your goals are too lofty to match the resources and methodology to reach them.