Grant Writing

The art of Grantsmanship is exacting, time consuming, yet very exciting for anyone who wants to do their own grant writing. Easily mastered with diligence and practice, learning how to grant write is really just a matter of following a few simple, but standard rules which most granting agencies mandate. Here we take a look at the basic format of grant writing used by private and corporate foundations, as well as the more complicated government grant writing.

Grant writing for private and corporate foundations is different than government grant writing. When learning how to write a grant asking for funding from private or corporate givers, while the format varies slightly between giving agencies, it still contains the same basic elements.

Formatted Heading: The granting agency will supply instructions on exactly how they want those who do the grant writing to format this important element. Usually not applicable in government grant writing,
explicitly mandated margin breaks and wording will usually be required by the private and corporate giving sectors. Follow these directions in an exacting, explicit manner.

Executive Summary: For many who are new to learning how to grant write, this is one of the hardest parts of grant writing.  Again, usually not applicable in government grant writing, this element of your funding request concentrates on the sum of the whole and outlines the organizational structure, the mission and provides the reviewer a quick synopsis of the thesis.

Specific Aims: This is a required element in both government grant writing and when asking for private or corporate funding. Specific aims are line-item summations of individual goals with measurable outcomes which will be realized if the granting agency honors your grant writing request by
giving you money.

Body of the Grant Writing Request: This is also known in academic circles as the thesis statement. This element is used in both private and government grant writing requests. This element can be challenging for those just learning how to grant write. The body or thesis is the total summation of your request. This element of the grant writing request contains an introduction to your organization, explicit details of why you need funding and an exacting description of the outcomes and measurable goals expected. This is also where the budget and the organizational ladder are located.

Conclusion: The conclusion is s simple, yet important element in grant writing. The conclusion usually consists of a short paragraph simply restating the executive summary, the specific aims and the thesis
statement. For those just learning how to grant write, this can be the most challenging area. This is where the grant writer literally asks for the needed funding and shows how it will serve a greater good.

While consisting of many of the same elements, government grant writing is much more challenging because the format is already completely defined. Many times it’s a matter of plugging in data and information in a re-formatted government form.

Easily mastered with some practice and diligence, learning how to grant write is really just a matter of following a few simple, but standard rules which most granting agencies mandate. Whether learning how to
grant write for your organization or for personal profit, grant writing requests can be fun and exciting if you take time to learn.