1. Mindy Wright The Ohio State University
Grant Writing 101
Mindy Wright
The Ohio State University

2. Funding is a Process Letter of inquiry/intent Funder RFP Release
Proposal Submission
Proposal Review
Award or rejection
Meeting with Funder about rejected proposal

3. Letter of Inquiry/LOI
LOIs are first steps for a funder to determine “good fits.”
Examples:
Lumina Foundation
Women’s Fund of Central Ohio

4. RFP
Funder Request for Proposals are based in the funder’s goals. They are guidelines that help proposers frame their proposals to meet the goals of the funder. They help reviewers rate proposals in terms of the funder’s goals
USDA Community Food Projects
Dollar General Adult Literacy Grants
Your Projects: What do your funders ask for?

5. Typical Parts of a Grant Proposal
Cover Letter
Statement of Need
Project Description
Goals
Methods
Evaluation
Sustainability
Budget
Organization Information
Conclusion
Appendix and Supporting Materials

6. + Funding Organization Mission Criteria
Women’s Fund of Central Ohio: Social Change
USDA Community Foods Project: Community Involvement

7. Statement of Need What evidence do you have to show need?
Your own organization’s research
US Census
Community Research Partners

8. Project Description Goals Methods/Activities/Timeline Evaluation
Write down in a few sentences or bullet points the goals of a particular project on which you are working.
Are they easy to understand?
Can they be written more concisely or accurately?
Methods/Activities/Timeline
Evaluation
How does your evaluation connect with your goals and with the funders’ priorities?
Sustainability

9. Boilerplate Mission/Description of Organization Statement of Need
501 © 3 documents
Organization budget/audit
Columbus Foundation Power Philanthropy
(Standard Language. In late 1800’s ads and columns intended for widespread distribution in newspapers were prepared on steel like that used for boilers.)

10. Proposal Review Reviewers are given grants and a rubric for scoring
Service Learning Rubric
Women’s Fund Grant Reader Information
Reviewers’ scores are worked together
Adding totals
Averaging
Board decides awards based on available funding, funder mission, and reviewers’ scores

11. Writing Tips
Give readers exactly WHAT they want and exactly HOW they want it.
Use funders’ language when at all possible—to emphasize connections between your project and the funder’s priorities and to make your proposal easy to follow.
Write simply and clearly.
Use active verbs.