Grant Writing for Local Projects

You can spend weeks writing a grant proposal—but if it doesn’t align with the funder’s priorities, the chances of it being approved are very slim! I see this mistake over and over again. 🚨 Organizations pour hours, even months into writing grant proposals, only to get rejected—not because their project wasn’t important, but because they never researched what the funder actually wanted to fund.  So, before you sit down to write your next grant, here’s what you need to know:  → Funders don’t fund what YOU need. They fund YOUR impact.They fund what aligns with THEIR mission. Many people approach grants thinking, "I need money for my project—who can give it to me?"  But successful grant seekers flip the script. They look for alignment first. ✅ Research past grantees. What kind of projects has this funder supported before? Do you fit into that pattern?  ✅ Read their funding priorities. If they say they fund education initiatives, do they mean general education, STEM programs, early childhood learning? Dig deeper. ✅ Mirror their language. If they emphasize “economic mobility,” don’t just say your program helps job seekers—show how it advances economic mobility. → Vague proposals don’t get funded. Specificity wins. I see a lot of proposals that say things like: We aim to reduce food insecurity in our community.  That sounds nice, but it’s not compelling. A funder is going to ask: How many people will you serve? What’s your timeline for achieving results? What metrics will you track? Instead, try something like: ✅ We will support 150 families by providing bi-weekly meal kits containing fresh, nutritious produce. Over the course of 12 months, we will track participants' progress through annual surveys to measure the impact of this program. We anticipate achieving a 20% reduction in food insecurity among participants, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in promoting health in the community. See the difference? The more specific you are, the easier it is for funders to see your impact. When you write a proposal, don’t just explain why you need the money. Show them the transformation their funding will create. 🛑 Instead of: We need $50,000 to expand our mentoring program. ✅ Try this: With $50,000, we will expand our mentoring program to serve 300 additional students, increasing graduation rates by 25% over the next two years. The more you frame your proposal around the funder’s impact, the better your chances of winning. Have you ever spent weeks on a proposal only to get rejected? What did you learn from the experience? Let’s talk in the comments.  #GrantWriting #NonprofitFunding #FundingOpportunities

Less Federal Funding = More Competitive Grant Writing = Stronger Justification & Outcomes With federal and state funding becoming increasingly competitive, securing grants isn’t just about identifying a need—it’s about proving impact, justifying every dollar, and demonstrating long-term value. Funders are looking for investments that yield measurable results and financial accountability. To compete, organizations must go beyond writing strong proposals and focus on building data-driven, outcome-oriented programs that stand out in a crowded funding landscape. How to Strengthen Your Grant Strategy in 2025 1️⃣ Set SMART Goals That Prove Impact Funders want to know exactly how their investment will drive change. Set clear, outcome-based goals that align with their priorities. ✅ Specific – Clearly define what you’ll achieve (e.g., “Provide job training to 150 small business owners in 12 months”). 📊 Measurable – Quantify the expected impact (e.g., “Increase employment by 20%” or “Launch 50 new businesses”). 🎯 Achievable – Base targets on past performance and industry benchmarks. 🔗 Relevant – Align goals with funder priorities (e.g., workforce development, environmental resilience). ⏳ Time-Bound – Set a clear implementation and reporting timeline. 2️⃣ Use Data-Driven Storytelling Winning proposals blend compelling narratives with hard data. Funders need both the numbers and the human story to make informed decisions. 📌 Leverage national and local data to quantify the problem. 📌 Showcase past program success to demonstrate credibility and effectiveness. 📌 Incorporate real beneficiary stories to connect funders to the impact on a personal level. 3️⃣ Justify Every Dollar in Your Budget Funders scrutinize budgets for transparency and ROI. Tie every line item directly to measurable outcomes. Example: Instead of requesting a lump sum of “$500K for program expansion,” break it down: 💰 $200K for staff = 300 additional participants served. 💻 $150K for technology = 40% faster service delivery. 📢 $150K for outreach = 25% increase in community engagement. Funders will ask: Why this amount? Why this allocation? What’s the return on investment? 4️⃣ Demonstrate Sustainability & Scalability With fewer dollars available, funders prioritize projects that create long-term impact. Strengthen your case by showing: 🔄 Diverse funding sources (public-private partnerships, earned revenue). 📈 Scalability (how the project can expand or replicate). 💡 Federal and state dollars are shrinking, but outcome-driven, evidence-backed proposals will rise to the top. Winning grants in 2025 requires more than strong writing—it demands a strategic approach. The organizations that secure funding will be those that justify their requests, prove measurable impact, and design programs built for lasting change. #GrantWriting #FundingStrategy #SMARTGoals #Nonprofits #ImpactMeasurement #CompetitiveGrants

Stop Asking, "What Grants Can We Win?" Start Asking, "Which Funders Should Be Investing in Us?" Here’s a reality check: roughly 90% of available grants are program grants. This fact should fundamentally shape how you approach funding. Funders clearly prefer investing in programmatic support—so give them the opportunity. When you shift from asking, "What grants can we apply to?" to "Which funders should be investing in our proven programs?" everything changes. Grant seeking becomes less about chasing dollars and more about finding the right partners to sustain and scale the change you’re already creating. Here’s a real example. An education nonprofit we worked with was stuck in the “see grant, chase grant” cycle, applying for opportunities that pulled them in too many directions. We helped them consolidate their messaging and align it with funder preferences. Instead of adapting their programs to fit grant requirements, we sought funders to invest in their proven impact. Instead of scattered, one-off applications, we built a cohesive narrative that amplified their mission. Every conversation, application, and report reinforced these partnerships. Their success rate jumped from 20% to 45%. Their grant-only funding grew from $278K to $2.4M. Most importantly, they built a network of funders invested in their long-term success, including several multi-year partnerships. Strategic grant funding isn’t just about dollars—it’s about alignment, trust, and relationships. It’s about creating sustainable support for the change you’re already leading in your community. #NonprofitFunding #GrantWriting #NonprofitImpact #PartnershipsMatter #SocialImpact #FundingStrategy #NonprofitDevelopment #CommunityChange #BuildBetterRelationships Grant Flow

🔹Tips for writing a winning GRANT PROPOSAL 🎯 Grant writing can feel overwhelming, but it is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Phenny A. Omondi, MSc, and I began writing grant proposals during our undergraduate days at Universidad EARTH. Over the years, we’ve secured funding from organizations like the Mastercard Foundation, Wege Foundation, Clinton Foundation, Changes for Humanity, etc. to support the operations of a community-based organization we founded in Kenya (Kilimo Jijini). When I started graduate school, I further polished my grant writing skills by enrolling in a transformative 3-credit Grant Writing course taught by Dr. Jaret Daniels, and since then together with my advisor, we have submitted small and huge grant proposals worth millions of dollars to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), etc. Here are some key lessons I’ve learned along the way: 1. Start early Give yourself time to brainstorm, draft, and revise. Rushed proposals often lack polish and clarity. 2. Know your audience Research the funding agency’s mission, priorities, and target outcomes. Align your goals with their vision. 3. Focus on impact Clearly state how your research will address a problem and make a meaningful difference. Highlight real-world applications. 4. Tell a compelling story Proposals aren’t just data - they’re narratives. Make your introduction engaging and persuasive. Show passion for your work. 5. Define clear objectives Be specific about what you want to achieve and how you’ll measure success. Funders want results, not vague ideas. 6. Plan a realistic budget Outline costs with transparency and accuracy. Avoid overestimating but don’t undersell what you need to succeed. 7. Highlight your team’s expertise Funders invest in people as much as ideas. Showcase your team’s qualifications and past successes. And how that adds value to your idea. 8. Provide a timeline Break down your project into phases with deadlines. A clear timeline shows you’ve thought through the process 9. Proofread and seek feedback Ask mentors or colleagues to review your draft. They can spot weaknesses and suggest improvements you may have missed. 10. Follow instructions Carefully read and follow the funding agency’s guidelines. Missing a formatting detail or word limit can disqualify your proposal. 👉 What’s your experience with grant writing? Repost ♻️ to help someone else! #GrantWritingTips #ResearchFunding #AcademicSuccess #Mentorship #STEMResearch #WomenInSTEM #ResearchProposals University of Florida

The Number 1 Reason Your Proposal Gets an Instant "No" (And 94% of Nonprofits Make It) You’ve aligned your proposal with the funder’s priorities. Your budget is airtight. Your outcomes are measurable. Yet, your proposal gets rejected. Many nonprofits have approached us with this same sad story. Most likely this is what happens. In all likelihood, you made the single most common—and fatal—mistake in grant writing. It’s not in your narrative or your finances. It’s in your very first paragraph. The mistake: Leading with your need, instead of their mission. You wrote about your struggling organization, your funding gap, and your wonderful projects. The funder is asking: “What’s in it for us?” The "So What?" Factor. Busy program officers can spot this mistake in the first three sentences. It triggers an instant "no" because it frames your request as a charity case, not a strategic investment. Your Opening: "The [Your Nonprofit Name] is seeking $50,000 to continue our vital after-school program for at-risk youth, which is facing a critical funding shortfall." The Funder's Internal Mindset: "So what? What does that have to do with our goal of improving third-grade literacy rates? This is about you, not impact." You failed the "So What?" test. The Instant "Yes" Alternative: The Funder-Centric Flip The solution is simple but transformative. Rewrite your entire proposal, especially the executive summary and need statement, through the lens of the funder’s priorities. The Wrong Way (You-Centered): "We need funding to..." "Our organization will..." "This grant will allow us to..." The Right Way (Funder-Centered): "Your foundation’s goal to reduce community homelessness aligns directly with our proven model for..." "Together, we can achieve [Funder's Stated Goal] by..." "This partnership will create [Impact that Funder Cares About] by..." The 3-Step "Funder-Centric" Proposal Edit Before you hit "send," perform this life-saving check: 1. The First Paragraph Test: Read the first paragraph of your executive summary. Does it mention your organization's name and your need first? If so, scrap it. Rewrite it to start with the funder’s mission or a shared community problem. 2. The "You/We" Ratio Scan: Scan your entire proposal. Count the instances of "We will," "Our program," etc. Now, count the references to the funder’s name, their RFP language, and their stated goals. The latter should significantly outweigh the former. 3. The Impact Translator: For every sentence about your activities, add a clause that links it to the funder’s desired outcome. -Instead of: "We will provide tutoring to 100 children." -Write: "To achieve your objective of closing the achievement gap, we will provide high-dosage tutoring to 100 children, directly leading to a measurable 20% increase in reading proficiency." Book a Free 30-min Call: Email: eddiejengo@gmail.com WhatsApp: +256 702447756 #GrantWriting #NonProfit #Fundraising #GrantProposal

What are the steps of grant writing? These are the exact steps I take to develop a quality grant proposal. Before we dive in, let me highlight two important ideas: 🔥To produce a quality grant proposal, you must spend time on the right steps — not just the writing part. 🔥Many people say there are five steps, but I believe most frameworks miss one crucial step that makes all the difference. Step 1: Understand the Funder Before you start writing, study the funder. What do they care about? What language do they use to describe their priorities? Aligning your proposal with their perspective increases your chances of success. Step 2: Understand the Funding Requirements and Develop a Funding Report This is a key step that many teams overlook. A Funding Report summarizes the call for applications — key dates, keywords, eligibility, and guidelines. It keeps everyone aligned and focused, especially when working as a team. Step 3: Ideate Here, you develop the concept for your proposal. Define what outcomes you want to achieve. Identify the activities that will lead to those outcomes. Clarify your winning themes — what makes your idea compelling and fundable. Step 4: Develop a Draft Do this fast. Many people spend too much time here, polishing early drafts. At this stage, speed matters more than perfection. The goal is to get your ideas down on paper. Step 5: Iterative Reviews and Editing This is where quality happens. Expose your draft to team members, mentors, or colleagues for feedback. Revise, refine, and improve. Spend up to two-thirds of your total time in this step — that’s how good proposals become great. Step 6: Submission and Follow-Up Finally, submit your proposal — but don’t stop there. Follow up with the funder, acknowledge receipt, and keep the relationship alive for future opportunities. 👉 Send me a message if you’d like a Funding Report template or the grant writing template with instructions for each section #Day6LinkedInVideoChallenge Shanee Moret #grantwriting #nonprofits

🚨 Grant Writing Secret: Data alone doesn’t win funding. Storytelling does. Funders don’t connect with numbers and outcomes. They connect with the story behind your request. That’s why mastering narrative is one of the most powerful skills you can develop as a nonprofit leader. Here’s a 7-step storytelling framework I use to help clients create proposals that truly stand out: 🔹 1. Start with a Resonant Opening Hook reviewers right away with a real-life snapshot that embodies your mission. 🔹 2. Connect the Story to the Bigger Issue Show how one person’s experience reflects a larger systemic challenge, backed by credible data. 🔹 3. Position Your Organization as the Guide Your community is the hero. You’re the trusted guide who enables transformation. 🔹 4. Align with the Funder’s Vision Mirror their priorities in your narrative. Make them feel like part of the solution. 🔹 5. Showcase Transformation and Impact Paint a before-and-after picture. Balance emotion with measurable results. 🔹 6. Humanize the Data Turn numbers into stories: “Maya’s success” is more powerful than “300 students served.” 🔹 7. End with a Visionary Call Forward Close with hope, possibility, and momentum. Invite funders to catalyze lasting change. Reviewers read dozens of proposals. A well-crafted story, rooted in authenticity, alignment, and emotional resonance, makes your proposal rise to the top. ♻️ If you found this helpful, please repost so others can benefit too 🔔 Follow me for more resources and grant writing advice #grantsconsultant #nonprofitfunding #grantwriting #donordevelopment #fundraisingstrategy #communityimpact

MAXIMISING GRANT SUCCESS: MITIGATING RISKS FOR NONPROFITS! Navigating the world of grants can be both rewarding and challenging. To boost your chances of success, consider these strategies to minimise risks and enhance your grant applications: Strategic Grant Selection: Identify grants aligning with your organisation's mission. Carefully review eligibility criteria and ensure a strong fit. Meticulous Preparation: Understand every detail of the grant requirements. Develop a comprehensive proposal addressing project goals, outcomes, and budget. Build Powerful Partnerships: Collaborate with organisations to strengthen your application. Leverage the experience of successful grant recipients. Robust Grant Management System: Develop a system for effective fund management. Demonstrate capacity to implement and sustain the proposed project. Diversify Funding Sources: Avoid dependency on a single grant. Cultivate a diverse portfolio of funding sources. Realistic Budgeting: Craft a transparent and realistic budget. Clearly articulate financial needs and expectations. Seek Professional Advice: Consult with grant writing professionals or mentors. Gain valuable feedback to enhance your proposal. Early Submissions: Submit applications ahead of deadlines. Allow time for unforeseen issues and demonstrate commitment. Compliance Assurance: Ensure full compliance with regulations. Communicate adherence to ethical standards and legal requirements. Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish a robust monitoring and evaluation system. Regularly review and report project progress. Learn from Feedback: Seek feedback from unsuccessful applications. Adapt strategies based on lessons learned. Remember, success in the grant landscape is a journey. By implementing these strategies, you reduce risks and position your nonprofit for impactful and sustainable growth. Best of luck in your grant endeavours! Reach out if you want to explore how we can help you build your grant fundraising pipeline. #NonprofitLeaders #GrantSuccess #RiskMitigation #SocialImpact #StrategicPlanning #Fundraising #Grants #Charity #SocialEnteprise #Community #HeawardSolutions