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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on August 5, 2010 at 2:09am

Do you have a specific entity that you want to approach to receive monies from?

Usually that entity, or foundation, or even private companies or individual family will have published guidelines of what they want to see in the grant proposals submitted to them. Then you need to follow those guidelines and deadlines.

The #1 rule of grant writing - you need to speak to the interest of the person who you are asking the monies from. Bill Gates is interested in the betterment of human kind and equality - thus if you proposed to the Gates Foundation you would use the terminology of serving the betterment of human kind and equality.

You can also determine the likelihood of someone donating money to your type of cause based upon the prior types of causes which they have donated to.

If you are approaching a random entity - like local churches or community organizations - you would need to contact those entities and ask them the process that they would want you to follow to propose to them.

http://www.npguides.org/guide/components.htm this has some good info.

Two good books you may be able to get through the library:

"Writing for a Good Cause" written by Joseph Barbato & Danielle S. Furlich (2000)
"I'll Grant You That" written by Jim Burke & Carol Ann Prater (2000)

There is also a saying which guides proposals "If you want to know what Janie buys, you have to see things through Janie's eyes" subsequently you need to write from the perspective of the person who is going to buy into your proposal and be interested enough to give money. Use their language and spin everything to their goals. If they like public appreciation, find away to make it happen. If they like a legacy left, find a way to help this effort build their legacy. If they want to honor a lost friend or family member, find a way to make it happen.

I have written a few grants for other reasons, and may be able to help. But I need more info. Send me an individual message or post details here and I will check them.

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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on August 5, 2010 at 2:23am

Good place to look for Foundations that are interested in your needs:
www.fdncenter.org

Make sure to include statistics - to illustrate concrete value (especially $$$ stats, such as: this will contribute in our work to save $1,500,000 in property each year)

People who give $ love graphs and charts to illustrate how their money will be used and will benefit.

Often those who donate want to know what other efforts will be coupled with their money to make the dream come to fruition - such as: the fire department will do a boot drive, community mailing, and approach X,Y, & Z entity to collect a matching $20K for ongoing maintenance for this truck

Appeal to logic, emotion, and ethics

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