Tips
- Get a style manual, read it, and FOLLOW IT! Be consistent.
- Help the reviewer find the information he or she needs by carefully organizing your proposal. For example, use consistent titles, headings, and subheadings throughout your proposal. Be consistent in the use of fonts and formatting. Use tables and graphics to summarize information.
- Check for faulty/circular logic in your arguments, spelling, typos, and grammatical errors, and inconsistencies in data or references.
- Compare your final proposal to the program guidelines. Did you include all of the requested information? Have you addressed the review considerations and answered the specific RFP questions? Does the budget match the scope of the project?
- Obey the rules stated in the program guidelines for font, margin, page limits, and other form and content requirements.
- Ask a colleague who is familiar with your topic to read your proposal for content, and ask readers outside your area to read drafts as well (more than once) to catch other errors.
- Start early, revise often, and submit before the deadline.
Guides on the Internet
- "A Proposal Writing Short Course" from the Foundation Center
- Proposal guidance and funding searches from the Council for Resource Development
- FAQ (and answers) about grant proposals from the Foundation Center
- "A Guide to Proposal Writing" from the National Science Foundation
- Everything you'd ever want to know about US Department of Education (ED) grants
- A selection of articles on grant proposals from The Grantsmanship Center
- General grants information from Non Profit Guides.com
Samples of successful proposals
- National Science Foundation's awards search function
- Grantsmanship Center's Proposal Samples
- School Grants Samples (K-12)
- Non-Profits' Guides grant samples
Jessup Library
Books, manuals, and electronic resources (NetLibrary) available at the Jessup Library:
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