Writing a Strong Grant Proposal

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Tina Cannon

Get Money For Your Program!

Print out this worksheet, and fill it out with your ideas as you plan your grant proposal

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. What do you need?

2. Why do you need it?

3. Why don't you have it?

(See example A)

4. What difference will it make if you have it?

5. To whom will it make a difference, and for how long?

6. How does this result fit the goals of the granting organization?

7. What evidence can you show to convince the granting organization you will be successful?

8. How will you measure and report on the success of your project?

BEFORE YOU WRITE

Find a Grant that Fits (See resources at the end of this document)

The NUMBER ONE reason grants are rejected is that the applicant/project does not actually qualify for that specific grant.

Start Early

Collecting the information you need will take longer than you think.

Read Instructions Carefully

Failure to follow instructions can cause a great idea to be rejected.

WRITING THE PROPOSAL

BLOC – Brief, Logical, Organized, and Clear

Brief – Include only the information necessary to make your case. Include required background information, but not a lot of “fluff.”

Logical – Make sure that the conclusions you draw make sense, and your plans are explained in a logical way. Support statements with evidence, where appropriate.

Organized – Everything you write should flow in a sequence that is easy for the reader to follow.

Clear – Make sure you explain everything you plan to do, how you plan to do it, and why you are capable of doing it. Do not assume any prior knowledge of your organization on the part of the reader.

Big Picture vs. Specifics

A good proposal will include both overall concepts and specifics. A brief answer to each of the questions in the first section of this handout is likely to be a “big picture” concept. Add specifics to make the information more concrete.

Don't Be “Conditional”

Change “would” and “could” to “will” and “can.”

Poor Example: With your support, we could buy a classroom projector system which would help the students to see language-specific visual aids.

Revision: With your support, we will buy a classroom projector system which will help the students to see language-specific visual aids.

It's Not Really About What YOU Need (See Example A)

Go back to #1 above. Re-write it so that the people in #5 are the subject of the sentence.

Poor Example: The World Language Department at Central High School needs funding to purchase technological equipment. This equipment will help us teach the students.

Revision: Students at Central High School will be able to learn more effectively when they have access to technological equipment.

Tailor the Narrative to the Organization

Think about how your project could relate to the goals of an organization which focuses on one of these areas:

World Languages

Technology

Education

Business

Culture

Arts

Humanitarian Work

Get to know the granting organization, and tell them SPECIFICALLY why your project will help them meet their goals. For example, if you are looking for resources for a World Language program, but you would like to apply for a grant which focuses on the arts, think about the ways you use the arts in your classroom, and make this the focus of your proposal.

Make It Relevant

Explain the impact of your project beyond the direct beneficiaries. How will it benefit other students? Other teachers? The future of language teaching? The future of the Nation and the world? Any project that deals with education can have a far-reaching impact. Specifically state the ways students may use their skills later in life, and the impact that will have their community, or the specific field.

(See Example B)

Keep It Positive

Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on the potential.

Poor Example: Companies lose business every year because they don't have enough employees with language skills.

Revision: When companies have enough employees with language skills, their business can grow.

How Will You Measure Success?

Will your project lead to increased proficiency scores? Will you conduct a survey of those involved? Decide how you will know your project has succeeded. If your project does not result in something that is easily expressed in numbers, you may want to interview participants and use their answers to show the results of the projects.

(Example C)

Will It Last?

Funding organizations want to support a sustainable project, not something that will not continue one their investment ends. Explain your plans to make the impact of the project felt long after it is over. If you plan to fund an ongoing project though other sources, state this specifically.

(Example D)

CREATE A SENSIBLE, SPECIFIC BUDGET

Don't just fill in the maximum grant amount, with a general description of where the money will go. Do your homework! Look up the price of specific materials you want to purchase. Find out the going rate for any consulting work. Estimate travel costs using actual flight and hotel information, and per diem rates published by the U.S. government.

Include any expenses or “in kind” donations that will be provided by the organization or by volunteers as part of the budget as “cost share” items. This shows the funding organization that your school/organization is willing to invest in your program as well.

(Example E)

USE YOUR RESOURCES

Every grant application should be read carefully by someone you can trust to point out anything that is unclear or awkwardly worded.

Many school districts have a paid grant writer who will help you put your grant together. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and use all of the resources available to you.

HAPPY WRITING!

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EXAMPLES

The following are examples from a successful proposal to fund a presentation at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in 2012

EXAMPLE A

Statement of need

Arabic has been identified as a critical language, and the teaching of Arabic in U.S. Schools is gaining momentum. One of the biggest challenges facing K-12 Arabic programs, however, is lack of resources. Mainstream languages, such as Spanish, French, and German, have teachers with years of experience and a wealth of ideas for activities and games to be used in K-12 language classrooms. These teachers regularly present at national and regional conferences, sharing their ideas with their colleagues.

At the most recent ACTFL conference, many of my Arabic-teaching colleagues commented that ideas for activities and games in Arabic are scarce. K-12 Arabic teachers need ideas for activities and games they can use in the classroom to teach in fun, interactive ways. Arabic teachers who have ideas for activities and games need the ability to share these ideas at national and regional conferences.

EXAMPLE B

Direct Beneficiaries:

(1) K-12 Arabic teachers

(2) K-12 Arabic students

Indirect Beneficiaries:

(3) Institutions of higher education

(4) The United States of America.

(1) K-12 Arabic teachers will have new ideas to use in the classroom, making their classes more interesting for themselves and their students. These ideas also will help teachers make the most of their class time. Arabic teachers from across the U.S. will attend this conference. Because registration is still open, it is unknown how many teachers will attend the presentation, but a rough estimate would be 15-30 teachers.

(2) Arabic students will learn in fun and interactive ways, increasing their proficiency and their enjoyment of the language. If 20 teachers attend the presentation, and half of these teachers put the ideas to use in their classrooms; and assuming that each teacher has at least 10 students, this project will directly benefit at least 100 students during the first year. When teachers continue to use these ideas, and share the ideas with colleagues, the impact will increase exponentially.

(3) As a result of more efficient, more enjoyable K-12 Arabic programs, institutions of higher education will receive students with a higher proficiency of Arabic skills. Students will also be more motivated to continue their Arabic studies.

(4) Students with a high proficiency in Arabic will benefit our nation by improving our readiness to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Individuals with a high proficiency in Arabic will also strengthen our national security, which indirectly benefits over 300 million people.

EXAMPLE C

Attendees at the conference will complete an official evaluation, which will be returned to the presenters. Presenters will monitor the response of the attendees during the presentation, and will send follow-up e-mails to those who are interested in further collaboration. Session participants will be encouraged to share variations of the games during the presentation, and also by e-mail.

EXAMPLE D

Participants in the presentation will receive a handout and CD, so they will be able to put the ideas presented to use in their classrooms. The impact of the project will continue through the availability of the resources online.

EXAMPLE E

9. Project Budget

Item No.	Item Description	Unit Type	Unit Cost	Units Needed	Amount Requested from Critical Language Projects	Cost Share	Total Cost
	Transportation/Lodging:
2	Airline ticket	Salt Lake City, UT to Baltimore, MD		1	$460.00		$460.00
3	Airline ticket	Kansas City, MO, to Baltimore, MD	$280.00	1	$280.00		$280.00
4	Shuttle to Airport	Round trip shuttle -Spanish Fork, UT to Salt Lake International Airport	$94.00	1	$94.00		$94.00
5	Shuttle to Airport	Round trip shuttle to Kansas City International Airport	$22.00	1	$22.00		$22.00
6	Housing	Double Occupancy Hotel room, per night	$230.00	3	$690.00		$690.00
7	Food	Per Diem, per person	$40.00	6	$240.00		$240.00
	Miscellaneous:
8	Materials	CD-R 50-pack	$13.00	1	$13.00		$13.00
9	Registration	NECTFL Conference Registration, per person	$200.00	2	$400.00
10	Labor	Music recording, per hour, per musician	$20.00	8		$160.00	$160.00
	Grand Totals:				$2,199.00	$560.00	$2,759.00