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Tips and Techniques for Grant Preparation
Preparing a grant proposal takes a lot of time and energy. However, you do not need to be a professional grant writer to write a competitive proposal. What you do need is a good idea; a plan for writing the proposal; and the will to invest time in preparing a work plan and budget. Click on the appropriate category below for tips and techniques that we think will help you prepare the best possible proposal.
Basic Tips | Work Plan Tips | Budget Tips
1. Determine if your organization is eligible. To do this, read the Federal Register notice, grant solicitation notice or Request for Proposals (RFP).
2. Determine if your project is eligible. Read the solicitation notice to determine if your project falls within the scope of the grant program purpose and goals.
3. Determine what is required for submitting an application. Most grant programs request official Applications for Federal Assistance, however, others request pre-application proposals only. The difference has to do with the government forms you are required to complete and submit with your proposal.
4. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to prepare the application. Build in time for doing background research; bringing partners together; securing financial match, if required; actual writing time; review of your proposal by a colleague; and preparation of the final application. You might consider forming a work group or team to develop the project proposal and budget.
5. Carefully read and re-read the solicitation notice and follow the directions exactly. Pay attention to the following: due date, maximum dollar amount you can request, maximum page length, page size and margins, budget format, where and to whom to mail the application, mandatory attachments, and the number of copies to submit.
6. Mail in a complete application package. Due to the competitive nature of many of the grant programs, grant coordinators are unable to call applicants regarding missing or incomplete information. Review your application to make sure it is complete. If you omit mandatory attachments your proposal may be withdrawn from the applicant pool.
7. Mail your application to the appropriate contact and mail it on time. Be sure to read the grant announcement carefully. Some applications must be postmarked by the due date, others received by the due date. Failure to note this detail can result in disqualification of the application.
8. Dress your application for success. Your application should be neat and professional. However, EPA asks that you not submit your application in folders or plastic covers because this wastes resources. Use the scoring or program criteria as headers for your paragraphs.
9. Check spelling and grammar repeatedly. Sometimes when proofreading documents the reader goes too fast and does not catch mistakes, or sometimes the computer "spell check" does not recognize a particular word and mistakenly substitutes another word in its place.
10. Re-read the final copy of your proposal slowly and carefully. Double check that you have corrected mistakes. Ask yourself if the proposal is presented in logical order. Think about whether a new reader will fully understand your project based on what you are presenting.
11. Number the pages of the entire application. This is helpful in case parts of your proposal get separated.
12. Document the process you use to prepare the proposal. It is important to document the steps taken in preparing the grant application, including who was involved in writing and reviewing the proposal. This is important in case the author of the proposal changes jobs and the grant is awarded after the grant writer has left. This is also helpful if questions come up regarding budget categories.
1. Write a good work plan. The work plan will describe your proposed project. It is a key component of your application and - assuming that all other required materials are submitted - will be used as the primary basis for selection. Read the grant solicitation to determine what information must be submitted in your work plan. The work plan should always include a well-organized project description that describes how the proposed project addresses the program criteria or goals. It should include the purpose of the project, target audience, project completion plans/time frames and expected results.
2. Include measurable results. Your work plan should include how the project will be evaluated, and how the success of the project will be measured. Describe how you will determine that your project goals are met and tasks completed. You should also include the benefits to those affected by the project and any foreseeable challenges to implementing the proposed project.
3. Describe how your project will achieve the goals of the grant program. Do not simply restate the goals of the grant program. Give enough detail or examples to show how your project clearly addressed the goals and criteria of the program.
4. Write clearly and concisely. Keep in mind that reviewers may not be familiar with your topic area. How well you frame the context of the problem, describe the project goals and objectives are critical to the reviewer. While reviewers receive training and/or guidance on how to rank or score projects using the program criteria, they may not understand the specifics of your project unless you explain it clearly and logically. If complex terms and processes are part of your project - be sure to explain in lay terms what you are proposing to do, how and why.
5. Stay focused. Reviewers often give a higher ranking to those proposals that clearly articulate goals and objectives. Projects that are confusing to read, attempt to do too much, or do not have well thought out plans for implementation typically do not do as well in review. The goals and objectives should be summarized in the introduction so the reviewer does not have to hunt for them.
6. Make it easy for the reviewer to find ways to give you the credit you deserve. Provide information on all the topics required and use the scoring criteria as headers for your paragraphs.
7. Hold a dress rehearsal. A dress rehearsal is a great opportunity to have individuals with a different perspective review your proposal. One person should be someone whom you trust and respect, but who is not familiar with the project. Another person can review the proposal for technical accuracy or soundness. Ask the reviewers to provide constructive and critical feedback on the work plan. Then go back to the work plan or narrative and incorporate the suggested changes.
1. Brainstorm all foreseeable costs.
2. Review the proposal solicitation notice to determine what costs can be covered. Be certain that the activities and tasks you are proposing can be paid for by the EPA under the particular grant program you are interested in.
3. Identify what expenses are not allowable.
4. Begin estimating costs. This can be difficult, but there are sources available to help you. You can look up grant proposals or grants your organization has been awarded in the past; speak to your organization's bookkeeper, accountant or development professional; and/or talk to colleagues. Arriving at the accurate cost estimates will take time, research and many phone calls. Ask students or volunteers to assist you.
5. Group expenses in general categories. Once you have estimated project expenses, you will need to group sub-categories into larger categories, such as: personnel, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, other.
6. Your organization's financial record is subject to review by the EPA. Prior to awarding grants, EPA may conduct a review to ensure that your organization is in good financial standing. Prospective grantees and match partners may also be screened to ensure that all groups are in compliance with applicable EPA statutes and permits.
7. Get the most out of your grant award. Whether or not a matching share is required it is good practice to seek out cash donations and in-kind contributions. By doing this you can allocate scarce grant dollars to activities and expenses that cannot be funded from volunteer services, donated supplies or cash donations. Be creative, resourceful and network with potential beneficiaries of your project.
For further information about grant responsibilities,
contact the EPA Project Officer for your grant or write to:
Grants Contracts Management Branch
USEPA Region 2
290 Broadway, 27th Floor
NY, NY 10007-1866
Phone: (212) 637-3402
