Writing grant applications and proposals can sometimes be an overwhelming and time-consuming process. At times, the turnaround time to complete these applications can be very tight or there are multiple funding applications due with different requirements.
The following tips and questions are designed to help you write a strong funding application.
Ask a colleague to assist with the grant writing process. This allows for more critical examination of your project and the impact you’re hoping to achieve. It also helps to balance out the workload!
Check the funder’s website for grant writing tips and frequently asked questions. It’s beneficial to see what type of information you could use to help write your application.
Pay close attention to the funders:
Review all the sections of the application to get an understanding of what type of information and documents the funder is asking you to include. For example, you may be required to submit your most recent strategic plan, mission/vision statements list of board of directors, financial audit statements, operating budgets, workplans, assessment tools, etc.
Take a look at existing resources and reports that can help enhance your application. The following resources are evidence-based frameworks for positive youth development that can help ground your project in evidence and demonstrate the link to clear outcomes:
Clearly articulate the key elements of your project including the impact you’d like to achieve and your target population.
To strengthen your understanding of funder expectations, try to meet with the program manager assigned to your area or region to increase your understanding of their application expectations and review process.
They may also be able to provide additional helpful information such as:
Take some time to reflect on the youth-serving sector as a whole in relation to the trends and issues within the community or neighbourhood you serve by conducting a situational assessment.
Also consider the following questions to enhance your application:
Partnerships and collaboration
Many funders encourage organizations to actively partner in a meaningful way to make a collective impact.
In some instances, funders have created specific funding streams grounded in collaboration. Here are a few examples:
In the case where you’re not specifically applying for collaborative funding, it’s still beneficial to highlight how you’ve engaged other partners in your project.
In addition to identifying who the partner agencies are, take a step further and provide a short description of how your partners will be contributing to the overall goal of the project:
There are also various collaborative models that exist that you can use as a guide when you’re describing how your partnership functions. For example, the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement has numerous frameworks and tools that you may find helpful.
Are there opportunities for youth to lead or co-lead part of the project? Are there mentorship opportunities built into the project?
Be mindful of the powerful role that youth have in shaping or adapting your project. Engage youth in a meaningful way throughout the planning, implementation and evaluation stages of the project. Review existing frameworks and models of youth participation such as Roger Hart’s Ladder of Participation where the highest level of engagement involves youth-led activities where decision-making is equally shared between adults and youth.
When you're drafting an estimated budget first review your funder's list of ineligible expenses and any maximum funding limits then consider all your anticipated costs to implement your project such as:
Most funders will also ask you to also include audited financial statements, if your organization is financially unstable (i.e. large deficit) be transparent in acknowledging any recent challenges or transition that the organization has faced and explain how you plan to strengthen the financial stability of the organization.
Review your funder’s expectations in terms of measurement and evaluation. In some instances, funders will ask successful grantees to use a standardized evaluation tool and may even offer support to develop their evaluation plan.
If this is not the case, there are many resources available to support evaluation, including this website under the Evaluation and Performance Measurement section.
The province’s new Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthRex) also provides specific resources and support to the youth sector across Ontario in direct alignment to the Ontario Enhanced Youth Action Plan and Stepping Up Framework. Their goal is to mobilize research about youth, increase understanding of positive youth development and invest in continuous quality improvement in Ontario’s youth programming. Many services are being offered through YouthRex such as customized one-on-one evaluation support to youth-serving organizations.
Demonstrate your commitment to sustaining the project over time.
You may be unsure of how your project/initiative will continue without re-applying for the same funding stream however it is beneficial to illustrate to the funder that this is a question you’ve considered by providing at least one idea of how you could potentially sustain the project/initiative, for example:
Application review and submission
If time allows, ask a colleague who is not directly connected to your project/initiative to review your application to provide feedback and recommendations from a third party perspective.
Include any supplemental documents in an appendix and review any funder checklists or guidelines provided to ensure that you’ve included all the necessary materials.
Source: Community Tool Box
If you have any questions, or are looking for support to apply to a funding grant (e.g. locating data and evidence to support your application, how to best collaborate with other organizations, etc.) please feel free to contact our team.