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Writing a grant proposal is similar to writing a business plan. Writing a grant proposal requires good writing skills as well as good problem solving skills. There are 12 key components to writing a grant proposal:

 

•          Mission Statement

•          History of Organization

•          Organization Information

•          Problem/Need Statement

•          Program Plan

•          Table of Goals and Objectives

•          Evaluation

•          Project Budget/Operating Budget

•          Financial Audit/990

•          List of Board of Directors

•          Copy of 501(c)(3) status

•          Letters of Collaboration

 

The most important component for writing a grant proposal is the problem statement.  The problem statement is the foundation of a good grant proposal.  The problem statement sets the stage for the rest of the grant proposal and all else is based on how well you address the needs described in the problem statement. According to HUD, 50% of people writing a grant proposal to their agency do not write good problem statements.  While it seems like a simple thing to do, most people try to place the solution into the problem statement.  The following example demonstrates the difference between a correct and incorrect problem statement:

 

Incorrect

 

“The ABC Charter School needs to hire a safety officer to police and protect its students.”

 

Correct

 

“Over the past year there has been a rapid increase in crime and violence toward students at the ABC Charter School.”

 

The problem statement needs to describe why you need a safety officer.  The hiring of a safety officer is part of the solution to the problem – not the problem. It is a very common error for people to put “the cart before the horse” when writing a grant proposal.