At its core, the purpose of any grant proposal is to prove to the funder that your program is effective. So, how do you that? The easy answer: Write a persuasive project narrative that answers all of the funders questions. But that’s not quite right. A good narrative simply distills the work to be done and reveals the synergy between the goals of the funder and goals of the program. It should be the last step in developing a grant proposal. The first step is articulating your goals and what you need to meet them. Instead of starting with the narrative, start with the work plan.
Define the work
Ideally, your program already has clearly defined goals, strategies for achieving them, and a staff to support them. If not, now is the time to drill how the program will actually function on the ground, day by day and month by month. The result of this thought process is your work plan.
A work plan defines the work to be done, when and by whom. This task-by-task time line can also identify any specific resources needed for each step. Creating a work plan should involve asking lots of questions. Try to look at the work plan from every angle and bring both programming and accounting departments into the conversation early on. This helps establish realistic goals and timelines and ensures staff buy-in for the project.
Remember, don’t write grants in a silo.
Clearly defining what you will do will help you determine what you need. The work plan will guide you in creating a list of projected expenses. That’s why a detailed work plan is key to drafting a comprehensive budget.
Be open to iteration
Keep in mind that this is an iterative process. Once you start pricing out the necessary supplies and materials, you may realize your work plan is unrealistic given the available resources. This is your chance to scale and adjust your work plan to best leverage the funding you do have. Working with a limited budget can be frustrating, but running a small, well-funded program will often provide more positive impact than a program limping along on limited funding.
Another tip: Resist the urge to start work on the narrative until the work plan and budget are approved by the rest of the project team. These documents form the foundation of your grant proposal and making changes part-way through the narrative-writing process is a good way to create gaps and mistakes.
Specificity wins
Every grant will have different requirements, but the goal is always the same. Funders want to know that the programs and organizations they support have a positive impact on the community.
But before you can work on convincing them, you need to define the work and figure out what it will cost to do it. When you start by precisely defining your program’s concrete goals and objectives, you’ll find the project narrative almost writes itself.
This specificity and forethought is what gives substance to your project narrative. And that’s what wins grants.
Leave a comment