Writing a Successful Grant Proposal

KEY POINTS

• Get to know the grant organization.
• Seek out past grant winners.
• Make your proposal compelling and personal.

Once you have identified one or more STEM grants that you would like to apply for, it’s time to write your grant proposals – a task that can often prove to be a challenging one. Competition is the name of the game when it comes to grants, so making your proposal stand apart from the rest is of the utmost importance.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

To write a grant-worthy proposal, the first step is to get to know the organization that is offering funding. The best way to accomplish this is via online research. Visit the organization’s website and familiarize yourself with the company. What is their mission? What have they previously done in your community or other communities? Attention to detail is important and being well-informed on the mission of the organization can help you stand out in the pool of candidates. Identifying and highlighting the ways in which the organization’s goals align with your own classroom goals should be your primary objective.

In addition, pay close attention to the guidelines of the grants and follow them exactly as instructed. As reviewers begin to sort through grant proposals, one of their first goals is to quickly narrow down the pool of candidates. Proposals that do not follow the organization’s guidelines are most often the first to be discarded.

IT’S WHO YOU KNOW

Sometimes knowing the right people is the key to writing a winning grant proposal. Seek out past winners and ask them for advice about what to include in your proposal. Learn from their experience, gaining insight into what the organization’s selection committee is really looking for. If they are willing to let you review their previously-winning proposal, even better!

Even if you’re unable to connect with prior winners, simply researching their past projects, especially the project associated with their winning grant, will serve as a useful guide for you. How was their project/proposal similar to yours? What measures did they take to promote it? What aspects of STEM education did they highlight the most in their project?

FIND YOUR VOICE

When writing a grant proposal, it’s important to make your project goals clear and coherent. Selection committees are often just as interested in you as an educator – and why funding should go to you in particular. Injecting a personal touch into your proposal is sure to make it stand out and sound even more compelling. Showcase your previous classroom projects and experiences and explain how they are relevant to the current project for which you are seeking funding. This will give the selection committee a clearer image of you as a STEM professional and will reassure them that you are up for the job. Finally, make sure your proposal is focused. Keep all of your included information persuasive, concise, and driven by the purpose of your writing: funding your project.

— Dr. Jake Roark