Introduction to Grant Proposals

What are grant proposals?

A grant proposal tries to convince an organization to fund a particular project. Stokes (2012) writes that the proposed project "aims to fill a real need or solve a real problem by making a change in a methodical way and documenting that the result of the change met the need" (p. 225).

Grant-making agencies release grant application opportunities. They often include a Request for Proposal (RFP) which explains what type of project the organization is looking for and proposal guidelines. Grant proposal writers consider RFPs to be the "Bible" for creating their documents (Wolff, 2009, p. 304). Government agencies in particular like to use RFPs.

Proposal documents describe:

• A problem or need

• The applicant's solution to that problem or need

• Why the solution is credible and should be funded

• How the applicant will measure success throughout their project

An example of this is a successful application for the Conservation Endowment Fund. The writer talks about the large number of birds that die from glass collisions each year. They propose a research project to study how effective different materials are at making glass visible to birds. They explain their research methods, why those methods are appropriate, and their plan to measure success. The form itself is also a good example of a grant opportunity application.

Types of grant proposals

The three main types of grant applicants are:

• Companies

• Nonprofits

• Researchers

Clark, Lawrence, and Lussos (2017) briefly describe each category in their research article "Rhetorics of Proposal Writing: Lessons for Pedagogy in Research and Real-World Practice." They use the table below to do so (p. 45).

Summary of Research on Grant Proposals

References for Grant Proposals