How to write a grant proposal for non-profit

Karen Perks • November 28, 2022

If you’ve ever written a grant proposal for a for-profit organisation you’ll know how involved they can be. However, what if you’re writing grant proposals for nonprofits? Do they differ greatly in content and presentation?

 

In truth, yes. While the core elements remain the same, the narrative, formats and length of non-profit proposals can differ substantially.

 

Grant funding is essential to the operation and long-term survival of most non-profit organisations and unsurprisingly it can be incredibly competitive. So how do you ensure your grant proposals for non-profit organisations stand out from hundreds of other applications?

 

At Bid and Business Writers, we have the experience and skills you need to craft a winning proposal. Let us walk you through how to write a grant proposal for a non-profit and help your organisation thrive.

What Is a Non-Profit Grant Proposal?


Similar to for-profit grant proposals, a non-profit grant proposal seeks to obtain funding for a specific project. They are often more involved and require extensive input and preparation due to the nature of the projects.

 

Grants can make up a significant portion of a non-profits funding. Governments, foundations and private institutions offering grants to thousands of worthy causes annually. They seek to match their available funding with the most appropriate organisation and they do this by reviewing grant proposals.

 

Each proposal is intended to show the funders why your organisation needs the money or is more deserving of it than other applicants.

Who Should Be Involved in A Non-Profit Grant Proposal?


Non-profit grant proposals are often outsourced to professional grant writers. They may also involve the expertise of a fundraising consultant, development coordinator, fundraising director, board members, community leaders and more.

 

Non-profit organisations, by virtue of being non-profit, often have limited resources or time to spend on the creation of lengthy grant proposals. As they rely heavily on the funding they are applying for, these proposals require focused expertise and skill. 

A person is writing on a piece of paper with a pen.

Writing Grant Proposals for Non-Profits

 

As outlined in our previous blog regarding how to write a grant proposal. There are several steps you should follow to ensure all the most critical information is included in your proposal.

 

When you are writing grant proposals for non-profits, there are some extra steps to take before you can begin writing such as:

Aligning Funding Goals

 

This most often means a meeting with stakeholders to ensure you are on the same page regarding what you want to do and why you want to do it. This will help you create a specific and more easily actionable plan.

Reviewing Granting Organisations


Your best chance of getting a grant approved is to apply with the right organisation. You’ll achieve better results by applying with an organisation that shares similar values as yours and that has a history of approving funding for similar projects.

 

It is advisable to skip applying for grant from organisations that do not connect in a meaningful way with our own. There is less likelihood your grant will be well received or approved by an organisation that does not align with your mission statement or goals.

Understand The Proposal


Make sure you have properly understood the organisation's proposal guidelines. Research the organisation and if possible, review sample proposals from the organisation or your peers that have dealt with this organisation in the past.

 

You may be required to send a Letter of Intent or LOI before you can submit a formal grant proposal. The LOI is a kind of mini proposal that helps you and the funder determine if you are a good fit for one another before you spend time preparing a complete proposal.

Seek Feedback 


Once you have prepared a rough draft of your proposal, you should actively seek feedback from your stakeholders. This means sharing it with the community, board members or any other individuals invested in the proposal's outcome.

 

Using their thoughts and feedback you can better finetune your proposal to meet the proposal guidelines and ensure your intentions for the funding (the ‘what’ and ‘why’) are properly communicated.

How To Avoid Rejection


Most non-profits apply for several grants at a time, this is due to the high number of rejections that comes with this process.

 

A non-profit never puts all its eggs in one basket! However, to reduce the risk of your grant proposal being rejected, we recommend following these top tips.

 

  • There wasn't enough research. Many grants are denied simply because they did not deliver enough research to support their application.

 

Detailed research should be included in every submission as this demonstrates that you have considered all of the funders questions and understand what is involved in delivering the best outcome.

 

  • Check, check and check again! All grants come with specific instructions regarding formatting, length, expected inclusions and more. Best practice is to have a third-party check your work against the instructions before submission.

 

A simple error in this area could see your entire proposal discarded without being read at all.

 

  • Pay attention to your financial figures. All grants rely heavily on their budget and financials. If your calculations are off or your budget is unrealistic or overinflated, your funder will be immediately put off. All financial data needs to be perfect.

 

  • Give yourself enough time. There is a reason some non-profits have a full time staff member that only handles grant proposals. They are incredibly time consuming when done properly.

 

An organisation will be able to tell if you rushed your proposal and will be more inclined to reject it without proper review. Always give yourself proper time to both complete and review your work before submitting the proposal.

Need Help?


If your non-profit needs additional support in preparing exceptional grant proposals, but doesn’t have the in-house resources, the team at Bid and Business Writers can help. We have years of experience writing grants in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors and have a reputation for attention to detail.

 

Let our team coordinate your grant proposal in line with your organisations goals and have better success at receiving the funding you need. Call Bid and Business Writers today on 0482 072 929. 

Resource Centre

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How a professional grant writer will improve your success rate of landing that grant

By Karen Perks • January 6, 2023
Whether you’ve applied for a grant in the past, or are feeling daunted by the task of applying for a new one, you’re not alone. Preparing a formal grant application can be incredibly overwhelming and time-consuming.
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How to write a government proposal

By Karen Perks • November 28, 2022
Are you familiar with how to write a grant proposal ? What about how to write a government grant proposal ? Are they different? What should you be aware of? Understanding how to write a proposal for funding from the government can mean the difference between having your proposal accepted or rejected. At Bid and Business Writers, we have extensive experience writing government proposals and a proven record of success. Whether you hope to write your government proposals in-house or wish to outsource their preparation to a specialist writer , we’re here to help you better understand what makes for a winning proposal. What Is a Government Proposal? Unlike a standard grant proposal, a government proposal is not written with the intention of securing funding for a project. Government proposals are prepared in the hope that a business can secure a lucrative contract with the government for a specific product or service. Also known as tender writing, governments often ask for tenders or bids for goods and services they require as a way of ensuring they are receiving the most competitive price. Government proposals can be for contracts at a federal, state and local level. Successful applicants for government proposals gain not only valuable contracts but grow their public profile and reputation. This is why preparing a polished proposal is essential for any business that hopes to grow and enjoy renewed success. Common Challenges With Government Proposals While government tenders follow a similar outline as a grant proposal, they have some unique challenges that can make them much more difficult to prepare. These challenges are including but are not limited to: Being hard to navigate with complex instructions and requirements Having strict word limits or page restrictions Being incredibly time-consuming to prepare Using industry-specific language that can be difficult to understand Needing a large team to manage the various components Requiring extensive additional support paperwork on top of the standard proposal inclusions As governments are taxpayer-funded organisations, there has to be absolute transparency throughout the tender process which is why these types of proposals present additional challenges. The good news is, that despite these challenges, it is still possible to write a winning proposal and win a coveted Government contract.
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How to write a business proposal

By Karen Perks • November 28, 2022
Preparing to start writing a business proposal? Feeling overwhelmed and struggling to know where to start or what to include? We understand it can be daunting to put your business out there and potentially face rejection. However, just as equally, a well-written business proposal could be the thing that launches your business into new levels of success. At Bid and Business Writers, we excel at crafting business proposals and have over 14 years of experience supporting businesses to put their best foot forward. Whether you want our help to write your proposal or hope to manage the process on your own, we're here to help you make sense of how to write a business proposal letter. What Is a Business Proposal? A business proposal is a document that is prepared by a business to send to a client to work with them on a set project or form a partnership. It is a form of promotional document that informs and persuades the client about how you can be of value to them and help you form beneficial relationships with other businesses. Before we answer the question ‘how do I write a business proposal?’ Let's review the different types of proposals. Different Types of Business Proposals Formally Solicited In this scenario, a business you’d like to work with has formally requested you to submit a proposal to them. Your proposal will be in response to a public request and will cover specific points the business making the request has outlined. You may have no former contact with the business and will be competing against many other businesses. If this is your first formal solicitation, you’re no doubt wondering how to write a business case proposal - we’ll delve into that further on. Informally Solicited An informally solicited proposal may come about as a result of an interaction between yourself and another business. In these situations, you are unlikely to be competing against other proposals and there may be fewer formalities attached. Unsolicited Acting as a form of cold-call marketing, an unsolicited proposal is a generic proposal that some businesses will hand out as a means of generating more connections with other businesses.
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How to write a grant proposal

By Karen Perks • November 28, 2022
Whether you're looking to learn how to write a grant proposal for a small business or a large corporation, there are some essential steps you must take. At Bid and Business Writers, we have decades of experience in writing grant proposals. We know how to make your proposal stand out among the crowd and win the funding you need to bring your project to fruition. As experts in our field, we have prepared this simple-to-follow guide for how to write a winning proposal. Take your business to the next level with our support. What Is a Grant Proposal? A grant proposal is a request for financial investment in a non-profit or for-profit project. A grantee can be a private individual or organisation that gives money to an organisation or individual to complete a project. Most often these grants are intended to bring about positive change in a community. Is It Hard To Write A Grant Proposal? Yes and no. It can be easy enough to follow a set format and tick all the boxes for what needs to be included, however, keeping it compelling, clear and concise can be quite another thing. A grant proposal needs to adequately cover all details without becoming too wordy. A great grant proposal tells a story that helps the reader relate to you. It should clearly detail the project you’re applying for funding for and demonstrate that you have carefully considered every aspect of the funding criteria. How To Write A Good Grant Proposal Cover Letter Just as with a job application, a cover letter is your chance to create interest in your proposal and grab the reader’s attention. Your cover letter needs to make you stand out amidst hundreds of other potential proposals. A great cover letter: - Is informal and catchy - Is only three to four paragraphs long - Is direct, state how much you're applying for and why - Is free of repetition - Makes it clear to the funder how their mission and funding connect with your project - Never mentions the competition and is free of emotive statements.
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What does a bid writer do?

By Karen Perks • November 28, 2022
Do you need support with preparing documents? Specifically, those used to request contracts to provide services or apply for funding? If so, you need a bid writer. If you have never heard of a bid writer or are unsure how they can be of value to your business, then this guide is for you. What Are Bids? Bids and tenders, are formal proposals that outline how your skills, goods or services can be of value to an organisation seeking these. For example, your local council may open a tender for companies to win a contact to undertake a certain job. They will outline what they need and their expectations and your bid is a formal response to this. The bid aims to win this contract by demonstrating why your business is the best choice for the job at hand. What Does A Bid Writer Do? As mentioned above, bid writers are skilled writers that prepare compelling bids, tenders or documentation for businesses seeking to secure new business or funding for a project. Bid writers offer a specific and refined set of skills. They possess a keen eye for detail, patience, organisational skills and excellent communication skills. They understand the unique language, formatting and planning that is required to write an outstanding submission. When undertaking a bid writing assignment a bid writer will follow some key steps to ensure an optimal outcome. 1. Analysis Before any writing is done, the writer will carefully analyse the tender documents. They do this to check that the client can actually meet all the requirements set out in the specification. Questions such as: - Is the organisation bid ready? - Do they have the relevant material or skills needed for this bid application? - Can they satisfy the mandatory criteria needed for their submission to progress? Once these questions have been answered satisfactorily, they will then note down important dates, estimate the time needed for preparing the bid and what supplementary information they need from the organisation to prepare the bid. 2. Planning No two bids are ever the same, so proper planning is required regardless of experience. At Bid and Business Writers, we follow a standardised process to ensure all the basic elements are identified and met. Following this we break the bid down into defined segments and tailor our approach to meet the unique requirements of your business and the bid in question. Deadlines are marked and a step-by-step timeline is put in place to keep the project on track. 3. Communication Consistent communication between the bid writer and client is essential. We understand that the best bids are formed through collaborative relationships between the writer and the client. A great writer ensures the client is across all aspects of the bid so that there are no unpleasant surprises and every box is ticked. Types Of Bids There are many types of bids that can be used by an organisation to procure the goods, services or skills they need. The most well known of these include: Open tendering. This is a competitive bidding process that invites businesses from all levels of expertise to battle it out for a contract. Request for proposals. This is often the preferred method of government entities and focuses more on inviting highly qualified businesses to apply. These proposals usually come in two parts, one technical and one financial with the later only being opened if the former is accepted. Two-stage tendering. This involves a two step process whereby the initial bid excludes any pricing and focuses on the ability of the business to fulfill the tender request. If they are approved in the first step, they then send a second bid including the pricing and begin negotiations for the contract. Selective tendering. In this situation, your business is specifically invited to bid for a contract. It is less competitive than other types of bids in terms of there being as limited number of applicants invited. However, this can make it more competitive in other ways as you are battling against other businesses that have also been hand picked for an invitation. 
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