Grant Resources: Proposal Writing

Introduction | Proposal Writing | Common Errors | Sponsor List | Related Links

Prose Style
The way you express yourself in writing a grant proposal is very important. Keep in mind the following tips as you prepare and revise your proposal:

• Use short sentences whenever possible.
• Vary sentence length within paragraphs to avoid monotony.
• Do not use a big word when a smaller word will do.
• Leave out bureaucratic prose and unnecessary jargon.
• Keep in mind who will be reading the proposal and write it expressly for that reader. You may wish to ask for samples of successful proposals in order to get an idea of what is appealing to a particular organization.
• Keep your proposal as short as possible. An effective length is usually under ten pages.
• Before writing, outline your proposal from start to finish, and then outline each section of the proposal.
• After writing, ask yourself these questions:
  • Does the first sentence of each paragraph introduce the main idea?
  • To test for logical continuity, read the first sentence of each paragraph in sequence. Does the resulting paragraph make sense?
• Have someone outside your field read your proposal. Can he or she understand it?
  

Remember: Make it simple. Make it clear. Make it logical.

Visual Appearance
The visual appearance of your proposal can be an important aid in convincing a funder to actually read your proposal. Remember to use double-spacing when writing a proposal. If you squish all of your sentences together without double-spacing, the whole page can appear as one dark mass -- an uninviting appearance. Who would want to read it, especially when they may have dozens or hundreds of other proposals to wade through?

Vary the appearance of the printed page by using:

• boldface type;
• subheadings and underlines to set off logical divisions;
• arrows, charts, and indentations where appropriate.

Remember that you are selling your project, and making your proposal attractive is an essential ingredient for a sale. On the other hand, avoid colored paper, elaborate typefaces, glossy covers and fancy binders. These gimmicks can convince a funder that you waste money on frills. You want to appear sober and responsible, while at the same time presenting an attractive and readable proposal.