PREPARING A GRANT APPLICATION
When your organization is preparing to request funding through a grant opportunity, keep in mind the following questions and try to address them within the application. Often, these are the questions that grant committee members are considering as they review an application for a project / program.
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o Is your project / program needed? Does it solve a problem for your organization and/or the community?
o Who is going to be better off because of your project / program? Who and how many people will have access to the project and be affected by it? Does it influence a specific geographic area?
o Is it a well-thought out project / program? Do you have a plan in place to execute your project and have you communicated the details of it well on the application? For some projects, it’s appropriate to have a consultant, architect, or other professional to help get you started.
o Is it sustainable? If this project will take extra staff time, maintenance, or funding down the road, what is your plan to continue it?
o Are you partnering with any other organizations, groups, or community members? Is anyone or any other organizations helping guide or run the project and/or benefiting from it? *Community collaborations on projects are not required, but it often will help strengthen a project.
o What is your organization’s buy-in? How will your organization contribute to the project? Are you covering a financial aspect of it or giving staff time toward it? Are board members or community members financially giving toward it or volunteering their time? If necessary, is future staff time allotted on the budget for it?
o Do you have signed permission for the project / program? If your project would operate outside of your organization’s walls, you might need approval from City / County Personnel, an additional Board of Trustees, Superintendent, or outside Community Leaders. If appropriate, a short-signed MOU or Letter of Understanding from involved outside partners is important to attach to the application.
o How will you measure and share the success of the project / program? Beyond statistics, what story will you be able to tell after the project is in place? Develop an evaluation plan to track usage and be prepared to gather testimonies / photos.
o Can those reviewing the projects learn more about your organization online? Can information about your organization easily be found through a website, social media, Guidestar, and/or Charity Navigator? Most committee members will take the time to look up your organization online if they have more questions about your services.
If you have more questions about filling out a Grant Application, feel free to contact Laura Land at the Blue River Community Foundation (lland@blueriverfoundation.com or 317-392-7955).