Grant Proposal Template
Almost every funder asks for the same handful of things in a slightly different order. Once you can see the underlying structure, a new application stops being a blank page and becomes a set of questions you already know how to answer. This is that structure, section by section, with what a reviewer is actually looking for in each one.
See the coursesEverything on this page is yours to copy and adapt. The courses cover the decisions behind it: what to charge, what to promise, and what to put in writing.
What yours needs to cover
- ✓ A cover page and summary section, written last because it summarises everything else
- ✓ A statement of need carried by evidence rather than by adjectives
- ✓ Goals, objectives and activities laid out so the ones that must line up actually do
- ✓ An organizational capacity section that answers "why you" without a list of adjectives
- ✓ Budget, evaluation and sustainability sections, and where each one is usually scored
How to use it
- Read the funder's scoring rubric first and map each section to the points it carries.
- Draft the need and the project design before anything persuasive, because everything else depends on them.
- Build a rough budget as soon as the activities are settled, so the plan and the money stay one project.
- Write the summary at the end, then read it beside the rubric to check nothing scored is missing.
Grant Proposal Template FAQs
Is there a standard grant proposal format?
There is no single standard, but the same components appear almost everywhere: a summary, a need, a project description, a budget, an evaluation plan and organizational information. A funder's own guidelines always take precedence over any template, including this one.
How long should a grant proposal be?
As long as the funder allows and no longer. Page and word limits are usually checked before a reviewer reads anything, so going over can remove an application from consideration entirely.
Can I reuse a proposal for a different funder?
You can reuse the parts that do not change, such as organizational history and staff biographies. Anything written to a specific funder's priorities has to be written again, because a paragraph aimed at somebody else is usually obvious.
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