Grant Writing, Crowdfunding, Donor Relations, Grant Management and Fundraising Courses & Momentswithbren Tutorial
In order to be successful both in the grant writing process as well as with any funding that you may receive, your organization must take enough time to plan before you actually dive into writing grant proposals.
You can apply for funding for small and large-scale projects from a wide range of organisation. Money is essential for NGOs to implement program. When writing your funding application, please be a good communicator, be transparent, and honest.
The grant application will list all the steps and documents needed for submission. It is important that you follow all the directions exactly as they are stated when filling out the grant application. It can range in length from 5-20 pages. Grant prospective & writing takes time.
Components of Grant Proposal
Most grant applications will include the following components:
A. Letters of Reference (LOR) –Get reference letters from those who can testify to your experience & good character.
B. Formal Proposal –You need to provide a detailed explanation of what the money will be used for.
C. Business Plan – Provide a comprehensive business plan detailing the major points of your financial needs.
D. Resource List – Give sufficient detail on the resources you have, and the resources you need to accomplish your stated goals.
E. List of Group Members – You should include short bios of all staff members and list both workers and volunteers.
F. Goals and Plans – Describe in detail the short and long term goals of your project or idea or initiative.
Now Grant writing model:
•Cover letter
•Executive Summary
•Need statement
•Project description
•Organisation background
•Evaluation
•Qualifications
•Budget
•Sustainability plan
•Submitting other requested materials or attachments
Ai. Cover Letter
The cover letter contains a brief summary of your application, introduces your organization, and introduces the need. Include the amount of funding that you are requesting, who will be served by your project, and the need that will be addressed/solved. It is vital that you engage the funder immediately. Give them something that they want to read into, or else you might lose your grant application to the trash before they make it past this cover letter.
B. Executive Summary
Summarizes the project and need and entices the funder to continue reading the entire grant application.
C. Need Statement
Describe the problem that your project is going to address as well as the population that is being affected by this issue.
D. Project Description
The Program Description will outline and detail the project that you wish to start as well as how it will be implemented. Make sure to include information on the activities that will be accomplished as well as what your goals and desired outcomes are.
E. Organization Background
A history of your organization: why your organization was started (history & mission), what you do, who you help, etc.
Talk about organizational capacity, population you serve & provide an overview of your track record. Describe or list your programs.
F. Evaluation
Describe how you will determine the effectiveness of the project. How will you assess your program’s accomplishments? What information will you collect, how will you collect it, when will you collect it, and how will you analyze the collected data?
G. Qualifications
State your organizations qualifications & credibility to receive grant funding. Include information about what your organization's accomplishments & show that your organization in confident with this new project. Avoid the 'I' factor. Write in the third person.
H. Budget
Include all of the costs for the project, any potential revenue from the project, funding that you are going to be receiving from other sources, & a narrative about the budget. Also include personnel costs, direct project costs, & administrative or overhead expenses.
I. Sustainability Plan
In the Sustainability Plan, explain how your project and be replicated upon success. Also discuss how you will continue to fund this project after the grant money has run out.
This is very important 🤔. Is your project sustainable?
J. Submitting Other Requested Materials or Attachments
If they request for certificate of registration, budget for your current fiscal year, letters of support, research supporting the need, etc., please provide it. It will help establish your organization’s credibility.
Now basic tips for grant prospecting and writing👇🏿
1. Read the guidelines carefully and thoroughly (this is very important) Know as much as you can about your funder or sponsor before starting to write your proposal.
Read all the necessary information before applying.
2. When responding to a specific request for a proposal (RFP), follow the suggested format as closely as possible.
3. Prepare your materials well in advance of the deadline.
4. Accentuate the positive. Emphasize opportunities rather than needs. State impacts of your project.
5. When writing your grant application, you should stress the importance of your cause and the necessity of the grant.
6. State the impact of receiving the grant versus not getting the needed funding. Avoid saying "if" rather use "when" I receive this grant, I will execute ABC project or program (always show how your actions will lead to specific outcomes).
7. Do use outside research to justify your project. Show that there is widespread, well documented need for the program you intend to run, and that that program draws on experts and scholarly research in determining the best course of action to meet that need. Do your research.
8. Don’t overstate or estimate your budget. Be precise with your budget numbers and don’t build in money for contingencies. Ask for only what you need, and make sure that need is justified. If the funder says the available grant is between $10,00-100,000, please don’t write $150k.
9. Use a title that suggests the results you hope to achieve rather than what you plan to do. E.g. Improving Mental Health of Unemployed Youths rather than writing A Proposal for Mental Health of Unemployed Youths.
10. Write in a clear and simple language.
11. Make sure you say why this funder is the best source of money for this project.
12. Use graphs, charts, & maps to illustrate your points whenever possible.
13. Always include your plan for funding your project after the grant ends. Show you have other fundraising means.
14. Have someone proofread your proposal before you submit it.
15. Be honest and just write a compelling proposal.
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