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Free Grant Proposal Templates (Word | Excel)

A grant is considered a gift or a contribution donated by a grantor, usually an individual, an organization, or the government, to a grantee who is the recipient.

A grant can be money or resources given to the grantee for a specific purpose. In most cases, grantors award grants under certain conditions. These conditions indicate how the grant will be used, maintained, or distributed by the grantee. Commonly, grants are donated to non-profit organizations like children’s orphanages or pet shelters.

A grant proposal is a document used to request funding.

As a grantee, the proposal helps you to justify the project(s) you want to accomplish by stating the reason why your project should be funded. It also allows you to present a concrete plan on how you will use the grant to complete your project. The proposal is meant to convince the grantors that their money and resources will be used to better the community and achieve positive results.

Common Types of Grants

A grant proposal format is usually the same or similar regardless of the type of grant. Therefore, whether you are downloading a grant proposal template or preparing it from scratch, you are likely going to use the same format to request funding.

Here are the different types of grants:

Capital grants

A capital grant is an amount of money you request from a grantor, usually the government or another organization. Capital grants are large amounts donated purposely to cater to large-scale purchases or projects like buying new properties or purchasing land or equipment.

Program/Project grants

Project grants are awards donated to support the accomplishment of a certain program or project. In most cases, the allocated funds are primarily used to complete the proposed project; this means that these funds cannot be used to do anything that is not directly related to the proposed project.

General operating grants

General operating grants are amounts donated to support the overall performance of the organization. Note that these funds are not conditioned to accomplish a specific task. Therefore, the money can be used to support the day-to-day operations of your non-profit organization. A general operating grant can also be referred to as core support funding.

Matching/In-kind grants

An in-kind or matching grant is where, as a grantee, you are required to add your donation to the grant. There are some grants that allow you to use money from other grants as your match, and there are others that require you to use your daily operating funds as your match. Therefore, if you get a $10,000 grant and the required match is 15%, then you will be required to donate $1,500 to support the proposed project or program.

3 Phases of Preparing a Grant Proposal

An effective grant proposal can be hectic to prepare. However, with the right information in mind, the preparation process can be simplified. Here are three phases you should go through when preparing a grant proposal to ensure that you have an appealing document:

Pre-writing phase

These are three main things that you need to establish before you start writing your grant proposal:

Identify your needs and focus

Start by identifying the needs and focus of your research or project. For your needs, you must determine if you are handling pilot research before the full-blown research, the type of research you need funding for, or if you are dealing with large research that will take years. For your focus, ensure that you have a topic, research questions, hypotheses, research methods, and the significance of your research

Find grants and agencies

Once you have identified your needs and focus, you can now start looking for prospective funding agencies. Ensure that you select agencies whose interests align with your research or project to increase your chances of receiving the funds. Even with a winning grant proposal, you still need to send the document to the right funding institutions for you to get the grant.

Consider audience, purpose, and expectations

You also need to think about the audience and their expectations regarding the grant you are requesting. This means that you should know the mission, goals, and values of the agency to ensure that your proposal aligns with what they are interested in. That way, you can determine the terminology to use, how to phrase the purpose of your project, the information that will easily persuade them, and how to establish your credibility.

You must include data (hard numbers), testimonials, recommendations from other partnerships, previous accomplishments, and historical precedents to ensure that your proposal entices the reader. Also, your document should follow all the requirements provided by the funding organization in their calls for proposals or websites. If you fulfill their expectations, you will easily appeal to them. In addition, you will be able to write a clear and logical proposal with the required headings, content, relevant concepts, and concise language.

Writing and organizing the grant proposal

For the actual writing, you need to either follow the structure provided by the agency or follow the organization of the content provided below. With this order, you will be able to include all the standard sections required in a grant proposal.

Ensure that your document is easy to read by breaking up the main sections using the following headings:

Title page

This page includes a brief but detailed title for your research or project, the names of the participants, the name of your institution/organization, the name and address of the funding agency, and any other agency requirements. It should also include the project dates, the funding amount you are requesting, and the signatures of the parties authorizing the proposal.

Abstract

The next section is the abstract, which includes the general purpose of your project, specific objectives, research design, methods, and the projectโ€™s contribution. It is meant to be the readerโ€™s first impression regarding your project. Ensure that you write the abstract in the future tense while being as specific as possible.

Introduction

Ensure that you include a problem statement (the need or relevance), research purpose, research goals/objectives (expected outcomes), and the importance of your project. It should also include your projectโ€™s background and rationale. This means that you need to establish how your project is different from previous research on the same topic.

Ensure that you also inform the recipient if you use new methods of data collection. In this section, when listing your goals or objectives, only focus on the main ones and leave the sub-objectives/goals for the project narrative section.

Literature review

This section focuses on the knowledge you have gathered and the sources you have used to prepare your proposal. Ensure you include any relevant work that supports your document.

Project narrative

This section is the main part of your proposal and usually has various subsections. It provides information about the project in a detailed manner. The information in this section includes the researchโ€™s problem statement, goals/objectives, hypotheses, methodology, procedures, expected outcomes, evaluations, and dissemination. Ensure that you address all the reviewerโ€™s questions by explaining why you chose each aspect of the proposal.

Also, you need to explain the connection between your research objectives, questions, hypothesis, methods, and outcomes. Keep in mind that the requirements you should observe to prepare a strong and effective project narrative differ from discipline to discipline.

Personnel

Highlight all the staffing requirements your project needs, the set of skills each personnel should possess, and details of why those skills are necessary for the completion of the project.

Budget

Ensure that you use a spreadsheet to highlight the project costs. Also, you should prepare a one or two-page budget narrative; this is the justification of all the expenses listed in your budget. Make the budget clear for the readers to help them understand how you will spend the grant you are requesting.

It is important that your budget section matches the funding agencyโ€™s requirements. In case there is an item that does not adhere to their requirements, ensure that you provide justification for the item. For instance, you might be required to specify the travel costs or include indirect costs in the grant amount you are requesting.

Tip: Even if your budget exceeds the normal grant size provided by the funding agency, it is advisable to still include all the items. Ensure that you inform the recipient that you are seeking more funding from other parties, as this will increase your chances of getting multiple grants.

Timeline

Ensure that you highlight when the project will start, how long each step will take, and when you plan to complete it. Your timeframe should be feasible or practical and should also account for any expected and unforeseen delays

Other sections (Optional)

You can also include the cover letter, your qualifications as an organization, and any supporting documents such as appendices, endorsements, and tax status information.

The cover letter is meant to introduce you and your project to the reader. For the qualifications part, focus on your mission and function as a non-profit organization.

Revising your grant proposal

Finally, ensure that you review and revise your grant proposal before sending it. You can ask colleagues at the organization or a professional to help you revise the document to ensure that it is detailed and accurate. Ensure that you have a compelling case, clear hypotheses, feasible project and have established how the grantors can measure your projectโ€™s success

Tip: Depending on the funding agency, you might be required to write an in-depth grant proposal of about 7 to 10 pages long or a brief document (letter of a proposal) of about 3 to 5 pages long. It all depends on what the grant foundation wants to know about your organization and project.

Grant Proposal Templates

If you want to prepare a clear, concise, and accurate grant proposal, you should use a template. A template will make your work easier and faster. A grant proposal template will save you up to 30 hours of the time you use to write proposals from scratch. The faster you prepare and submit a proposal, the higher your chances are of getting the requested funds. 

You can access grant proposal templates below:

"Download Grant Proposal in MS Word"
"Grant Proposal Overview and Types"
"Grant Proposal Guide in ms word
"Free Grant Proposal Templates Download"
    "Free Grant Proposal Template Excel Download"
    DOC Grant Proposal 866am2g05 07 23 06 00001
    DOC Grant Proposal 866am2g05 07 23 07
    DOC Grant Proposal 866am2g05 07 23 08 00001
    DOC Grant Proposal 866am2g05 07 23 09 00001
    DOC Grant Proposal 866am2g05 07 23 10 00001

      Some Tips to Help You Write a Winning Grant Proposal

      The only way you will get the funds you need, either from the government or another grant-awarding organization, is by preparing an impactful and persuasive grant proposal. To ensure you write such a winning grant proposal, below are some tips that you should consider:

      Pay attention to the agencyโ€™s interests

      You need to focus on the interests of the funding agency or organization. Your grant proposal should be tailored to their mission or include any available keywords provided in the proposal calls. Using these specific terms will help the reader to acknowledge and understand the connections that exist between their goal and your project.

      Use numbered list to present your ideas

      When presenting your ideas in the proposal, use numbered lists. It is way more organized, neat, and easier for the reader to scan through your document quickly. It also makes it possible for the reader to spot all the important aspects of your grant proposal.

      Carefully customize your proposals

      It is not appropriate to use the same exact grant proposal twice. You need to convince the reviewer that you took your time and considered various aspects when writing and preparing the proposal. Always customize your proposals based on the funding agency you are targeting. Specificity, instead of being generic, will definitely increase your chances of getting the grant. Also, by newly designing each proposal, you will be able to address the different interests, expectations, and guidelines of each agency.

      Go after all grants

      It is advisable to go after all grant opportunities, whether small or big, for the benefit of your project. Do not limit yourself since the more support you have from others, the better your chances are of getting extra support.

      Add relevant data

      It is important to include data in your grant proposal if you want to convince the reader to fund your project. Ensure that you include data that is impactful, easy to understand, and entices the prospective funder to provide you with the grant you need for your project.

      Donโ€™t give up

      Although writing a grant proposal is a challenging process, do not give up in case your request is rejected. You need to examine your document and find a way to share your vision from a new angle that will solve the gap or problem that was present in the previous proposal.

      Keep it clear and concise

      As an organization looking for a grant, ensure that your proposal is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Most funding agencies receive lots of grant proposals. That means that they will quickly discard your document if your application is difficult to understand.

      Maintain the style

      When writing your grant proposal, you need to select and maintain a style of writing. This will help them determine your personality and your professionalism. Use your field of discipline and your own voice to determine your style of writing.

      Double-check the grant proposal

      Finally, always double-check your document to ensure that you avoid spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. In addition, you need to make sure that you have included accurate calculations and due dates, attached all the necessary forms, formatted your document as per the requirements, and included your organizationโ€™s contact information.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      What is the difference between a grant proposal and a grant letter?

      A grant proposal is different from a grant letter in that a proposal is a long document with lots of detailed aspects, while a grant letter is a short and less detailed document. Both documents are meant to convince a funding agency to provide you with a grant.

      How many hours does it take to write a grant proposal?

      Since proposal writing requires you to follow a particular structure and set of rules, it might take you hours, days, or even weeks to write a well-detailed and properly researched proposal. One week, that is, 168 hours, is sufficient time for you to write your grant proposal.

      How to write a grant proposal cover letter?

      For the grant proposal cover, ensure that you include the name of the project, the grant amount, the importance of the project, the proposal contents, any available contact references, your contact information, and the organizationโ€™s executive director’s signature.

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