Grants are a great way to fill budget gaps or find additional funding for classroom tools, technology, and experiences. Responding to or creating grant proposals can be a daunting process, and even the most excellently written grants can miss the mark due to something as simple as missed information. But once that grant has been approved, it is absolutely worth the time and effort, especially when seeing the additional tools and resources that funding can provide for students.
Let’s walk through a few handy dos and don’ts and look at some things to be sure you include when writing a grant proposal:
Dos
Do proofread: Once proposals are completed, it is always a good idea to have a second pair of eyes read through and proofread the document. This will help with any edits and adjustments that need to be made.
Do use appropriate language: Make sure that the narrative of the proposal matches the requirements of the grant. Be very careful with the language that you use. Be specific, concise, and clear.
Do advocate and justify: Be specific as to why your school is in need of this grant. Make sure that you identify the reason and a necessity for this grant.
Do stay optimistic: Keep a positive attitude that your grant will be funded. If it is not, reach out to the point of contact for feedback on what can be improved for future grant proposals. Ask for the scoring sheet.
Don’ts
Don’t miss deadlines: Always make sure that you know when the deadline is for submitting the grant proposal. Be certain that you schedule out plenty of time for creating and proofreading the documents before submitting them. This will help reduce stress in working on proposals and alleviate some of the pressure.
Don’t skip reading the guidelines: Make sure that you read through the application and formatting guidelines in their entirety. These factors can determine whether your proposal is approved or declined.
Don’t forget signatures: Make sure that you keep in mind whose signatures you might need to get before submitting the document. Again, be certain that you give yourself enough time to work thoroughly through the entire process.
Don’t exceed funding: If you do not know how much the funding will be for a specific grant, make sure that your vendors provide you with assistance and estimates for how you will be using the grant money. Please remember to add shipping and sales tax, if applicable.
Don’t forget to include:
Introduction: Give a brief overview of your school/organization
Reason for applying: Provide your goals and solutions of what would you like to achieve, what funding are you looking for, etc.
Needs: List the challenges you are facing or would like to correct
Solution: Specify the ways that you can your correct the challenges or the programs that you can use to can help correct the challenges
Budgeting: Determine what the funds will be spent on
Evaluating: Review the program, and make sure that it will be successful in identifying and solving the problem you are facing
Looking for more tips on how to master the art of writing grants? Check out our blog post, Classroom Funding: 4 Tips to Take the Stress Out of Grant Applications
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