Proposal Writing and Grantseeking

Beginning in 2015, organizations that expend more than $750,000 in federal funding in any fiscal year will be required to retain an independent auditor to perform a Single Audit. Previously, $500,000 in federal expenditures triggered the Single Audit requirement. While the new threshold is a bit higher, federal funds in the form of grants, pass-through dollars, contracts, and loans add up quickly so be sure you’re ready. This brief primer explains how to select a qualified auditor and provides a simple check-list to guide your selection process.

Dashing off a grant proposal to meet a deadline is sometimes unavoidable, but it’s not enough to just ‘get it done’ and ‘get it in.’ Planning ahead and taking the time to craft a polished proposal is a must for winning grants.

Inconsistencies in a grant proposal flag a faulty planning process, rushed writing, or carelessness. They can cause the reviewer to wonder if you know what you’re doing.

Pay particular attention to the following elements. They’re where problems are most likely to occur.

We get enquiries almost every day asking when the updated version of Program Planning & Proposal Writing will be available. Even though this classic guide for the nonprofit field was written in 1972, it's still in demand. With more than a million copies used and treasured by organizations all over the globe, we are delighted to tell you that the updated version will be ready this October!

In the meantime, here's a sneak peek, just a small slice—the first part of a 2-part excerpt from the addendum of Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing. The topic is the difference between a planning and an implementation (or program) grant proposal. Enjoy!

Here’s a story from the early days of The Grantsmanship Center—a valuable lesson learned in 1972, still relevant today. Norton Kiritz, founder of The Grantsmanship Center, shared this experience with his classes.  Hope you enjoy this brief tale from a class transcript.

Several times each year, people ask The Grantsmanship Center how to evaluate the performance of grant development professionals. Here's what we tell them:

One of our alumni recently asked about submitting a grant proposal to a specific funder. She wanted to know what percentage of the organization’s annual budget she should request in her proposal for general operating funds. And if the organization decided to seek program funds instead, she wondered what percentage of the program budget she should request. Here's what I told her:

When it comes to statutes and regulations, the definition of terms really does matter. The definitional content of a term can have a huge impact on what you can or cannot do in a given situation.

The energetic and imaginative changemakers who staff nonprofits are full of great ideas. They’re constantly coming up with ways to make things better and looking for grants to support their vision.

Since reading a 2010 paper by Howard Husock published by the Philanthropy Roundtable, I’ve had this question on my mind. Ruth McCambridge of the Nonprofit Quarterly raised it again not too long ago in a LinkedIn group (Readers of the Nonprofit Quarterly), and I was compelled to peck out a quick reply on my iPhone while waiting for a 6 am flight home from McAllen, TX, where I’d been teaching (yes, there were typos).