Successful grant-writing involves solid advance planning and preparation. It takes time to coordinate your planning and research, organize, write and package your proposal, submit your proposal to the funder, and follow-up.

Use these basic steps to guide you:

1. Prove that you have a significant need or problem in your proposal.
2. Deliver an answer to the need, or solution to the problem, based on experience, ability, logic, and imagination throughout your proposal.
3. Reflect planning, research and vision throughout your proposal.
4. Research grant makers, including funding purposes and priorities, and applicant eligibility.
5. Determine whether the grant makers' goals and objectives match your grant seeking purposes.
6. Target your proposal to grant makers appropriate to your field and project, but do not limit your funding request to one source.
7. Contact the grant maker, before you write your proposal, to be sure you clearly understand the grant maker's guidelines.
8. Present your proposal in the appropriate and complete format, and include all required attachments.
9. State clearly and concisely your organization's needs and objectives. Write well; use proper grammar and correct spelling. Prepare an interesting, unique proposal.
10. Always cover the following important criteria: project purpose, feasibility, community need, funds needed, applicant accountability and competence.
11. Answer these questions: Who are you? How do you qualify? What do you want? What problem will you address and how? Who will benefit and how? What specific objectives will you accomplish and how? How will you measure your results? How does your funding request comply with the grant
12. maker's purpose, goals and objectives?
13. Demonstrate project logic and outcome, impact of funds, and community support.
14. Always follow the exact specifications of the grant makers in their applications, Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and guidelines.
15. Contact the grant maker about the status, evaluation, and outcome of your proposal, after it is submitted. Request feedback about your proposal's strengths and weaknesses.

Creative Funding Solutions, Inc. offers full service grant writing - which includes completion of all application and budget forms, grant and business plan packaging and submission, and follow-up.

For more information and price quotes for our grant writing, please contact Jennie Larry Johnson at 832-524-7667 or jjohnson@creativefundingsolutions.info