Once the grant-seeking organization has defined its program and has done research on potential funders, it should create a proposal. A proposal is a narrative document--usually relatively short--that describes the programs to the granting agency. There are three main kinds of proposals.

Kinds of Proposals

A letter of intent is usually two or three pages long. Typically, it is written to tell the grant maker about the project so that the grant maker can decide whether to ask for a longer, more detailed proposal. The letter's purpose is to describe the program in a nutshell and to explain how it fits in with the aims of the grant maker. There should be a clear description of the needs of the fund seeker and how these needs will be met if the funds are granted.

A letter proposal is three or four pages, and while it has many similarities to the letter of intent, it is not the same thing. The letter of intent merely describes the project and the need for the funds. The letter proposal is an actual proposal; it describes the project and the need and asks for the funds to address the need. This is the kind of proposal most often used by corporations.

A long proposal may be as short as five pages or as long as 25 pages. No matter the length, this document typically includes a cover letter, a proposal summary, and as many as ten pages of proposal text, followed by appendices that provide greater detail about the project. This kind of proposal is most often used by government and foundation grant making organizations.

Writing the Proposal

No matter what kind of proposal it is, the proposal needs to provide a clear description of what the project is and why the grant-seeking organization thinks the grant-making organization is the best entity to fund it. The proposal should flow well from one element to another, using a positive, thoughtful style to convey the needs and the ideas. The grant writer should write as clearly and as simply as possible, using terms that would be familiar to non-specialists. Furthermore, as much as possible, the grant proposal should be tailored to the aims of the grant-making organization.