Grant Writing

[Insert your name

and information here]

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Grant Writing Terms
Request For Proposal (RFP)
Request For Application (RFA)
Request For Quote (RFQ)
Request a letter of inquiry

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Information In An
RFP
Due date
Grant time period
Description of desired information
Amount of funding ($) awarder per grant
Who can apply

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Information In An
RFP
Program focus
Decision criteria or priorities
What you can spend money on
Who you should contact with questions

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 Writing Tips
The #1 reason for proposals that don’t get
funded is unclear writing
Use their format
 Answer all questions
 Make a checklist to remind yourself
 Make a good first impression
 Use bold headings to identify new
sections 5
 Writing Tips
Share just one or two clear statistics
 (ie. The smoking rate for male high school seniors is 41% for
American Indian/Alaska Natives, compared to 33% for White
students and 12% for African American students.)

Use active (not passive) words

 “We will make a video” or “We will host a mini-PowWow”
rather than “A video will be completed” or “A PowWow will
take place…”

Use short words, sentences, and paragraphs

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 Writing Tips
Make sure the proposal flows logically from
section to section
 Start with your needs
 Base your goals and objectives on those needs
 Your methods should clearly relate to achieving your
objectives
 Be sure your evaluation method is capable of measuring the
success of your program

Have the proposal proofread to ensure

clarity
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 Writing Tips

Write the cover letter last

 Use letter head
 Orient the reader as to the grant being
discussed

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 Elements of a
Grant
Needs assessment
Project goals
Outcomes
Activities
Budget
Evaluation
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Needs Assessment
Explores what is happening in the
community
Basis for all planning
 If you don’t know what is going on, how
can you improve the situation?
Include state, national, and local data
 Local is best
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Needs Assessment
Statement of the problem
 Summarizes the needs and resources
affecting the problem your program
intends to address
 What is wrong and how bad is it
 Who has the problem (demographics)
 Why it is a problem (systematic vs.
personal, history, scope)
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 Project Goals
Describe you intentions for the project
 A Target to shoot for
 Big picture
 Who will this program help
 What will you be helping them with
Goals must be responsive to the needs
identified in the problem statement
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 Project Goals

Format for writing project goals:

 Who-describe your target population
group (i.e. youth, smokers, parents who
smoke, businesses, etc.)
 Direction-increase, decrease, or maintain
 Change-knowledge, behavior, attitude

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 Project Goals-
Examples
Fewer students will use commercial tobacco
products at CIRCLE High School
More smokers with children will choose not
to smoke in the car or home
Fewer businesses will allow the use of
commercial tobacco products on their
premises

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 Outcomes
Outcome objectives describe a specific
change you want to achieve in your target
population
Make a change in:
 Knowledge
 Attitude
 Behavior
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 Outcomes
Format for writing outcome objectives
 Who-Target population
Will
 The expected change in knowledge, attitude, or behavior
Extent
 Amount of expected change
By
 Date change will occur (or be measured)
Measurement
 How you will measure the change
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Outcome Examples
Students attending our tobacco-free activity
will know three ways how the use of
commercial tobacco differs from the use of
traditional tobacco by December 2003
By December 2003, smoking parents who
view our video will reduce the number of
times per week they smoke in the home or
car by 75%

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 Activities
What will you do to accomplish your
objectives?
 What will be done?
 Who will do it?
 When will it happen?
 Why should it be done?
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 Activities
List of activities
Describe participants and how they will be
selected
Describe staff and volunteers that you
expect to recruit
Create a timeline for preparation and set-up
Be reasonable
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 Activities
Video
Public Service Announcement
Create Tobacco-related artwork, posters,
brochures, webpage
Host a tobacco-free event or start a club at
school
Make a teen-oriented cessation guide
Address policy change
Research traditional tobacco use 20
 Budget
External contracts – Videographer, printer,
DJ, drum group, TV or radio station,
presenters or speakers, referees, educator
Rentals – Space, music equipment or
speakers, camera
Supplies – Pens, paper, poster board, photo
copies
Collaborate with others to increase your
resource base 21
 Evaluation
Determines the value of the project
Examples
 Sign in sheet
 Evaluation questionnaire/survey
 Video tape or pictures

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Thank you!

Questions
Comments
Stories

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