Grant Proposals
6 Elements of a Successful Project Narrative (ISAFES):
The overall goal of a grant proposal is to a) describe your project and b) convince readers that yours is the best project to fund. In order to do so, you’ll need to convey six key elements, which make up the acronym ISAFES. Some of this may be presented explicitly at a single point in your essay; other parts may come up a few times or be expressed more subtly
Investment — passion and commitment, clarity of purpose; depth of research
Specificity — describe project clearly and compellingly; include sketches if relevant
Alignment — mirror the funders’ goals, mission, and instructions
Feasibility — achievable in the timeframe and aptly budgeted
Experience — your plan follows and builds on past experience and work
Significance — the project matters to the field and the world; outcomes stated
Strong Grant Proposal Outline
Below are the five major moves your proposal should make. Each may vary in length, depending on the project and the application constraints. This is a generally successful order for the five parts, but you might try a few arrangements and see what suits your project.
Enticing introduction — get the reader interested; reveal your project/goal
Practical overview — describe the project in terms of ideas and purpose
Paragraph of context around the topic — what’s involved, what’s at stake; include research
Chronological breakdown of the plan — make it clear and show its feasibility
Conclusion that points to greater significance — to you, the granters, the field, etc.