Grant Writing Tips

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

Before you Write
    •    Become familiar with the application - due dates, priorities, criteria, where to mail the application, etc. Read the ENTIRE application packet. Federal grant applications generally contain information on the following:
         ◦    Deadline for Transmittal of Application
         ◦    Estimated Range of Awards (Your budget should be within this range)
         ◦    Project Period
         ◦    Eligible Applicants - Make sure the agency/district submitting the application is eligible to apply
         ◦    Absolute Priorities - These are mandatory and apply to the grant throughout the entire grant period.
         ◦    Invitational Priorities - These are not mandatory and an applicant does not get points added or deducted for addressing them in the application.
         ◦    Page Limitations and standards - The federal government usually has very specific guidelines on the number of pages in a grant application, margins, fonts, etc. An application can be rejected if it does not meet these standards. Be sure to follow the specifications exactly.
         ◦    Determine if the RFP allows for appendices. If they are not allowed, it may result in either your grant being eliminated from the competition or being pulled out before the reader sees them.

    •    Select the type of program needed for the campus or district

    •    Get commitments from administration to proceed and acquire knowledge of school district proposal submission procedures.

    •    Identify design team and/or writing team. Meet with the writing team to select editor/leader; review regulations; develop preliminary plan of action; and schedule time to work on the proposal.

    •    Identify relevant research and data needs.

Writing the Grant
    •    Many federal grants address Empowerment zones /Enterprise Community Priority. If your district is in an Empowerment zone or Enterprise community, you may receive additional points which are added to the grant after it has been reviewed/scored by the reading panel. This should be identified in Section D of the Project Documentation Form.

    •    Follow the selection criteria in the exact order listed in the grant application materials. Make sure all the criteria and the subheadings are addressed and easy to identify in the application.

    •    The application should include a table of contents listing the various parts of the narrative in the order of the selection criteria. Be sure that the table includes the page numbers where the parts of the narrative are found.

    •    Be sure to proofread your grant application before sending it.
         ◦    Watch for typographical errors.
         ◦    Be sure that your application is in the same order as the criteria.
         ◦    Be sure that you have included all of the forms required and that they are signed by the authorized representative.
         ◦    Proofread!!!!

    •    Meet with the design team to brainstorm needs and innovative ideas.

    •    Use selection criteria from the Federal Register or the grant application to develop detailed outlines of sections of the grant you are writing.

    •    Assign pieces to writing team members.

    •    Create first draft of the proposal. The editor/leader should assure consistency in style and completeness of the application content.

    •    Ask another person outside the writing team to review the application for responsiveness to the application.

    •    Submit the application to the administration and/or to the school board for approval, based on the requirements of your district.

    •    Make sure the data matches in the grant. For example, if you state you will be serving 100 students in grades K-6, make sure your data throughout the grant application matches. If it doesn't explain why there's a discrepancy. (You may not have standardized test scores, for example, because some of the students are recent arrivals and NRTs have not yet been administered).

Transmitting your application to the funding agency
    •    Be sure to follow the directions exactly.

    •    Generally speaking, do not use elaborate bindings, notebooks, or covers. For most grant applications, they are not required and do not improve your chances of being funded. In some instances, they are a hindrance since the funding agency may have to "dismantle" the grant in order to make copies or distribute it to readers.

    •    Show proof of mailing. It's best to send certified mail or use a commercial carrier that will provide an official receipt showing the date. A private metered postmark or a mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service is NOT proof of mailing.

After the Application
    •    Acknowledge assistance by teachers, advisory council members and other contributors to the effort.

    •    Keep stakeholders informed of any activity related to the funding of the application.

    •    Upon approval, schedule project implementation. Become familiar with the evaluation requirements and start working with your evaluator immediately.

    •    If not approved, you might request the readers' comments be sent to you. If you have the opportunity to resubmit the application at a later date, adjust the proposal accordingly for resubmission on the next round. Caveat: Review the comments critically. You may not agree with all of them. If you rewrite the application, address the comments you feel are most essential and that you believe will make significant improvements.

Source:
Nancy Rowch, Director of Equal Education Opportunity, Nebraska Department of Education, Lincoln, Nebraska.

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and are intended for general reference purposes only. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Some resources on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader. This website archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.