How to write a Grant-Winning Proposal

How to Write a Grant-Winning Proposal
Tips for Writing a Successful Grant Proposal
2003-11-01 v5n10 Ready to learn more?

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Once you know what money you want to go for and how you're going to present your case, you've got to make sure they read it -- and you convince them. Here are some tips

1. While everyone who is involved with the project should contribute information, input, and criticism -- stick with one good writer. This keeps the style consistent while making sure you include all key information.

2. Write in plain language. Bureaucrats are people, too! Keep it simple and clear. Drop any industry jargon and acronyms. Have someone outside your industry review it for clarity.

3. Keep it short. Long-winded, rambling proposals will lose your reader's interest and send them reaching for the next in the stack.

4. Keep things energetic and positive. This doesn't mean cramming your proposal with flowery adjectives. But point to strengths and ways to counter weaknesses. Use active verbs -- "We'll market to plumbers" is more powerful than "Our market will be plumbers". And vary sentence length to keep things moving.

The Small Business Funding Center grants permission to reproduce this article in its entirety only, with credit given to the Small Business Funding Center at www.grants-loans.org.

You can call us directly at 1-800-591-1266 , or e-mail us for information on Canadian government grants and loans for your new or existing small business.
You can also write us at: Small Business Funding Centre, 1500 Bank Street, Room 425, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 1B8.