Grant Writing for Non Profits

Overview
Grant writing for nonprofits is the practice of finding financial assistance for projects that support the mission and core values of nonprofits and stakeholders. Grants fund projects that solve a problem or fulfill a need within the micro or macro community that they serve. Grant proposals demonstrate how the organization is capable of succeeding in its mission, what its core qualifications and budget are, who it serves, and how it will serve the community. Grant proposals are reviewed by a panel or review committee that decides whether projects meet contribution requirements and if the organization embodies the foundation’s mission.[1]

Nonprofit Innovation
The mission of a nonprofit is to support the needs that are not sufficiently met by either the private or public sectors. Though nonprofits operate differently than for-profit business models, nonprofits are trending to be more business-like in order to support sustainability and growth.[3] Nonprofits are taking a semantic approach by changing their business rhetoric and management to challenge the presence of for-profit business in human services. There is a shift toward creating a rhetorically sensitive raison d’être, or a reason for an organization's existence that designates and demonstrates growth and sustainability.[3] This is exhibited through their mission and plays an active role in the macro and micro level processes in developing innovative practices; the organization's mission serves as a long-term objective.

Technology
Nonprofits are adopting a new vision in technology to advance their mission, broaden community outreach, change and advance strategic planning and communication, and improve client services. Different forms of information technology help to advance fundraising and management within and outside of the organization, all which contribute to generating successful grant proposals.

IT innovations include:

IT innovations in service area consist of:
 * Donor, member, client, and volunteer databases
 * Office tools: scheduling, activities calendar, registration, record keeping
 * Online outcome database/reporting capability for fundraising and grant writing purposes
 * Tools for streamlining communication among multiple parties
 * Online outcome database/reporting capability for fundraising and grant writing purposes
 * Tools for streamlining communication among multiple parties
 * Tools for streamlining communication among multiple parties
 * Online education for clients (e-learning, distance education, webinars)
 * Using information technology in real life service provision
 * Interactive programs (multimedia, blog, audio recording, online training)[4]
 * Using information technology in real life service provision
 * Interactive programs (multimedia, blog, audio recording, online training)[4]
 * Interactive programs (multimedia, blog, audio recording, online training)[4]

Social Media
Specialized information platforms have made it possible for nonprofits to display their product and success in regards to their mission and core values. Platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have made possible a way to demonstrate where the organization lives and effects the community it serves.[5] Strategic planning grants are now available to help build communities within the nonprofit as well as financing strategic planners and communication specialists to help generate a more effective community outreach, broaden donor base, and help provide metrics for analytics.[6] In summary, the adoption of social media as a form of innovative outreach is a way for nonprofits to pursue and emulate their mission.

Nonprofit Requirements
Requirements for starting a nonprofit organization vary from state to state and must be filed through the IRS.[7] Federally, nonprofits also fall under 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) tax brackets, meaning organizations meets federal tax exemption requirements. Government and foundation grants are often classified as 501(c)(3) and non501(c)(3) grants. Organizations that have received 501(c)(3) status are normally charitable entities that do not have influence over state or federal legislation.

501 (c)(3)
Purposes for exemption require that organizations are “charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and preventing cruelty to children or animals.” [8] An organization’s mission should often provide assistance to the poor, the distressed, or the underprivileged; progression of religion; progression of education or science; constructing or maintaining public buildings, historical monuments or works; reducing the burdens of government; reducing neighborhood tensions; eradicating prejudice and discrimination; protecting human and civil rights secured by law; and preventing community decline and juvenile delinquency.[8]

non-501 (c)(3)
Non-501(c)(3) organizations can still have funding opportunities but normally must have similar core values as a 501(c)(3), though they have not received exemption status from the IRS. Foundations and government grants will specifically title grant as a 501(c)(3) or non-501(c)(3) grant.[9]

Audience
Grants proposals focus on solving and/or contributing to the foundation or government’s mission. Successful grant proposals assume that award committees have a high level of technical knowledge on the subject matter and expect the proposal to be effectively written to key features in the Request for Proposal (RFP), alongside emulating tangible values to the funding entity. Effective proposals have a concise statement of purpose and detail how the project will positively affect the community that it serves and, most importantly, respond to every question or address every topic requested by the RFP.[1]

Funding Sources
Finding foundations and/or government grant opportunities requires thorough investigation of funding opportunities relative to an organization's project or mission. The project must fulfill grant scope and mission requirements. Foundations and the government will often post grant opportunities online where features and requirements will be detailed in the RFP. Some proposals are sent in via hard copy, while others can be submitted via an online platform, depending on the benefactor and their means and methods.[7][8]

Proposal
Successful grant proposals are organized in the exact order of the RFP or the guidelines of the foundations/government grant generator. Grant proposals generally follow and/or require these sections in the proposal:

Cover Letter
This one-page long letter should identify the organization and its professional affiliations. The cover letter should specify the grant that the organization is applying for and summarize the project scope relative to the RFP requirements.

Title Page
Shows the title of the project, the staff needed to carry it out and their affiliations, the date submitted, and the name of the organization.

Application form
Primarily for online grant applications, the application form often will replace the cover letter and the title page. Often the application form establishes information about the organization including staff, board of directors, budget, demographic composition, and policies affiliated with the project.

Introduction
The summary of the proposal should describe the problem and the expected outcomes of the project. At a glance – means and methods should be described and how they will benefit and most importantly show how they will not damage the community it serves.

Literature review
The literature review, or references page, should allow reviewers of the proposal to measure the organization’s understanding of the field that they are working in or with. The literature review should show the depth and breadth of the organization’s familiarity with the community that it serves.

Project narrative
The groundwork of the proposal, the project narrative should describe in detail the scope of work and projected outcomes, and list all tasks and their completion dates, a tangible schedule, and an estimated cost; it should be very specific and thorough. The structure of the narrative should be:


 * Project Description
 * Project Outcomes
 * Budget Narrative
 * Task Schedule

Organization Description
This description should describe the applicant’s organization in terms of its mission, history, qualifications, and credibility in regards to its counterparts. Organization is a primary deciding element next to an applicant's merits and comprehension of the project and its solution. This helps to describe the applicant’s ability to perform and complete the proposed project.

Conclusion
This is a brief wrap-up of the section and emphasizes the benefits of funding the project or end goals. This is the final opportunity for an organization to describe the importance of funding their efforts in helping the community that it serves.[1]

Academic look at genres in grant writing
Successful grant proposals embody social genres to produce outcomes relative to their mission and the community they serve. There is a difference between the genre within a RFP and a proposal. Grant proposals need to be rhetorically sensitive to the discourse community, RFP, and benefactor, whereas an RFP is broad and is rhetorically sensitive to a community of different nonprofits. Because proposals contain elements of social interaction between nonprofits and the community they serve, the proposal composes a social genre that serves multiple purposes. The proposal genres function within the RFP and provide a bridge between community and benefactor.[10]