How to write a winning grant proposal

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, charitable giving from foundations reached $103.53 billion in 2023. These purpose-given funds, typically offered as grants, helped to pay for programs, special projects, research, capital improvements, and many other organizational activities across the country.

With so much money available, and so many foundations (and government organizations) willing to share, grants should be a part of every organization’s fundraising strategy. Applying for grants, however, can be an intimidating and time-consuming process, and many organizations don’t have a moment to waste. 

Your grant application is your chance to convince a donor to fund your programs—often, over and above other organizations who are competing for the same funding. Clear objectives, compelling storytelling, and thorough planning are essential to convince a funder to choose your application and cause.

To help ensure that your efforts are successful, we’ve outlined a step-by-step process along with tips to streamline the process using modern tools. We don’t just want to help you in writing your grant application, but also maximize your chances of securing the funding you need for your programs.

With thoughtful planning, expert guidance, and the use of AI-driven content, you can put together a winning grant application for your organization.

What is a grant proposal?

A grant application is a formal request for funding from a grant-making organization. Grantmakers include large private foundations, family foundations, and the state or federal government. These philanthropic organizations provide funding to non-profit organizations, educational institutions, arts programs, and so much more. 

Grants are typically requested for a specific purpose, such as a particular program or project. A grant application should tell the story of your project, explaining the motivation behind it along with your objectives, budget, and expected impact. It should clearly demonstrate why the requested funding is needed, how it will be used effectively, and how the organization will measure the success of the funded project.

Preparing to write a grant application

Before you sit down to write a grant application, it’s essential to do your homework. If you don’t already have a relationship with the funding organization, you’ll need to research their priorities, eligibility criteria, and submission guidelines. This will help to ensure that the organizations you apply to for funding are the right fit for your project—and help you tailor your application to make sure they see that fit too.

Not all organizations fund all types of projects and programs; choosing a funder whose priorities align with your goals increases the likelihood that your proposal will be selected for funding. Learn as much as you can about the funder by researching their past funded projects, the founders, and any publications discussing their philanthropy.

Many grant-making organizations require a letter of inquiry before you can apply for funding, especially if your organization does not already have a relationship with them. This letter briefly introduces your organization, the project you are hoping to fund, and yourself. Based on your letter, grantmakers may invite you to apply for funding.

Gathering your information

Some grant-making institutions publish a standard, step-by-step form for you to follow in submitting your application. These forms may be printed or digital, sent in by mail or online. Others offer guidelines, but allow you to craft a more open-ended proposal using your own formatting.

In both cases, there are some standard elements that you should always have ready. These include a summary of your project, the project budget, and a description for implementation. Putting these documents together before you even think about grant funding can help you clarify your goals and check for potential funder alignment.

Some elements of your grant application, such as team bios, can be stored and ready for every application, while other components should be created as a new resource for each project. 

Key components of a grant proposal

While every funder has slightly different requirements and processes for their application, there are several key components that you can expect every single time. These components are essential to demonstrate your project vision, your readiness to receive the requested funding, and your alignment with the grant-making institution’s priorities.

Cover letter

A cover letter is your first chance to make a great impression. It allows you to address your prospective funders directly and introduce your application in a concise, compelling way, explaining your project and why it is important.

The cover letter is a great place to use emotion-driven language and storytelling, especially if you back up them with data later in your application. It should be tailored to your prospective funder, demonstrating how your project aligns with their priorities and offering gratitude for the opportunity to apply.

Executive summary

While the executive summary appears first in the application, it is often the last piece to be written, as it contains a compelling summary of your request. If you don’t catch your funder’s interest in the executive summary, they may not bother to read the rest of your application.

An effective executive summary briefly overviews the project you are hoping to fund. It should highlight the project’s purpose, objectives, and expected outcomes. Be sure to also include a summary of your funding request, including the exact total you are requesting from the grantmaker.

Organizational background

The organizational background explains the heart—and capacity—of your organization. In this section of your application, you’ll want to offer information about your organization as a whole, including your mission, history, experience, team expertise, and past successes.

Tailor your background to the project, demonstrating your track record and build credibility and explaining why you’re the best organization for this particular project and funding.

Problem statement

The problem statement section of your application should clearly articulate the issue your project addresses. Whether it’s homelessness or exposing children to art, what are you hoping to solve through this project?

Relevant data and real-world examples are key to underscoring the need, making the project relatable, and demonstrating your project’s potential impact too.

Goals and objectives

The best goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) and align with your chosen funder’s priorities, your mission, and your problem statement.

Consider the problem statement you defined above, how you plan to solve it, how you define success, and in what timeline. Broad objectives are fine for your mission statement, but you’ll need to get more specific for your grant application, offering tangible, measurable goals to move toward those objectives.

Methods and strategies

In the methods and strategies section of your application, you’ll want to include a detailed plan outlining how the project will be executed.

If your methods are rooted in science or experience, be sure to note that in your application and explain why your organization has the best approach to the problem you’ve identified. Also include key activities, timelines, and personnel related to the project, whether existing or planned as part of your funded project.

Evaluation plan

Impact is often a big priority for funders, and your evaluation plan is the framework for measuring and reporting on your project‘s success.

Your plan should align with your goals and objectives and include both key performance indicators and the data collection methods you’ll use to measure them, whether you’re using surveys or data analysis.

Budget overview

Your budget should document all of the anticipated expenses of the project, whether you’re asking for full or partial funding from a particular grantmaker. This transparent breakdown of funding sources and needs should detail and justify any planned expenses, demonstrate good financial planning, and ensure alignment with grant guidelines.

Sustainability plan

Many grants are offered just one time for a given project. If your project or program is intended to extend beyond the life of the grant, how will you fund it in the future?

Your sustainability plan should include a strategy for maintaining the project’s lifespan beyond the grant period. Detail your strategy for long-term funding solutions and how you plan to keep the project going.

Tips for writing a winning grant application

As you build your grant application, here are some expert tips to keep in mind.

• Follow all guidelines: While font style and margin size may seem trivial in light of the problems you’re trying to solve, listing them in the guidelines indicates that they may be important to your prospective funder.
• Use clear, concise, and persuasive language: Grantmakers should never be left wondering what your project is and why they should fund it.
• Avoid jargon: Many grantmakers receive and fund applications across a wide range of organizations; don’t lose their attention in industry-specific words they don’t understand.
• Support claims with data and evidence: Having data to back up your claims is essential to demonstrating a real need, and it helps to show how you can demonstrate impact when your project is executed.
• Highlight your organization’s capacity and past successes: When grantmakers commit to funding an organization, they want to be assured that the money will be well spent.
• Collaborate with your team: Engaging your team, especially those close to the project, in the development of your grant application can help to make it stronger. 
• Review, refine, and proofread carefully: Always leave time for a thorough review and revision of your grant application to ensure that it communicates the need well—without typos.

How emerging tools can enhance grant writing

One of the best ways to save time and increase the odds of your grant application success is to use the tools available to you. Modern technology, such as AI and system integrations, can help to streamline the grant-writing process. Tools like AI-driven writing assistants, budgeting software, and project management platforms help improve the efficiency, accuracy, and organization of your projects, plans, and grant proposals.

Kindsight’s engage, for example, can help you craft a compelling argument for your project, quickly filling in every section of your grant application with language that is tailored to your organization’s voice and mission. Instead of laboring over your cover letter for hours, Engage can help you go from first draft to final in minutes.

That means less time spent applying for funding, and more time to dedicate to your projects and missions. 

Frequently asked questions about grant applications

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about grant applications.

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

A grant application is the formal request for funding. A grant proposal is the detailed document within the application which outlines the project. In practice, both grant application and proposal are used interchangeably to reference your request for funding.

How long should a grant application or proposal be?

The length of your grant application will vary by funder, and may range from a few pages to 20 or more. It is important to tailor your application to the grantmaker’s requirements, ensuring that it’s not too long or too short to be considered.

What are the most important elements to include in a grant application?

Your grant application should clearly demonstrate the what, how, and why of your project or program. To do that, you’ll need to include a clear problem statement, well-defined goals, a realistic budget, and an evaluation plan with strong methodology so you can demonstrate your impact down the road.

How do I tailor a grant application to a specific funder?

Every grant application should be customized to the prospective funder. To start, make sure you’re following all of that funder’s requirements. Then consider their mission and funding priorities and tailor your application to align your project goals to their priorities. You can even adopt some of their own language to connect your project to their goals.

What common mistakes should I avoid when writing a grant application?

Some of the most common mistakes in a grant application are unclear objectives, lack of supporting data, excessive jargon, unrealistic budgets, and missing deadlines. Make sure you fully understand the project you’re planning before you apply for grant funding, and craft a compelling narrative that communicates it to the funder.

How can I measure the success of a project funded by a grant?

Every project has a different indicator for success, whether it’s the number of people served or a percentage increase in the good outcomes you’re hoping to achieve. You should define clear success metrics at the start. Then create a plan to collect qualitative and quantitative data and regularly report progress to stakeholders.

Watch our webinar, Beyond Uncertainty: New Paths to Fundraising and Grant Success, where Cherian Koshy, VP of Market Insights at Kindsight, and Lauren Steiner, CEO of Grants Plus, discuss how to navigate the changing grant landscape and show Kindsight’s new AI-driven grant writing solution.

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Carolyn Wynnack

Carolyn is a nonprofit-focused writer with more than 10 years of experience in non-profit and higher education event management, program development and management, prospect development, training, and data analysis.