Preparing A Proposal:

Steps for Faculty, Staff, and Students

Step 1 - Develop a Concept

  Who is your audience or target population?What outcomes do you hope to achieve?  How long will the project take?  When will you start (the grant proposal and decision process can take many months)?  How much will it cost?  Most importantly, why should a grantor care about your project? 

Step 2 - Contact the Corporate and Foundation Relations Office

Discuss your project with the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.  All Stetson University faculty, staff and students seeking external funding must complete the External Funding Application form

at least two weeks before submitting a grant proposal. Some agencies may fund faculty/staff/student and institutional projects. Our office

facilitates the grant application process for all Stetson constituencies. 

Also, the Finance office and your dean will want to know whether your project requires the commitment of University resources.

Funding agencies send grant awards through the University rather than the principal investigator. The University is committed to complete the work outlined in the grant even if the principal investigator leaves Stetson. Therefore, our staff needs to know what projects may be funded and who is applying to which agency.

Step 3 - Guidelines and Deadlines

Before you begin writing, make sure you have the most current application information, including deadlines and application requirements.  Check to see if the deadlines are “postmarked by,” “received by,” or “ongoing.”  For applications accepted on an ongoing basis, consider the average time for application review by the funder and plan your proposal submission date accordingly. Call the program director when in doubt.

Next, make sure your project truly fits the funder’s guidelines.  Do they give to individuals?  Do they give in your geographic area?  What types of activities do they support?  What is the first line of approach (e.g., letter of inquiry, full proposal, email or call to the program officer)?

Corporate and Foundation Relations’ database provides information on funding priorities, limitations, and contacting funders. Researching potential funders is one of the services we provide to Stetson faculty, staff and students. The Grant Writing Links section of our Web pages will be extremely helpful to any faculty, staff or student interested in pursuing a grant.

Step 4 - Start Writing

The tone of grant proposals varies according to the funding agency, but two tips apply universally:  follow the guidelines and write clearly.  Follow directions meticulously and remember grant reviewers may face stacks of worthy proposals.  Do not assume that reviewers have time to decipher your meaning or look up trendy phrases exclusive to your field.  Program officers will usually assist you with the process if you have any questions.

As a starting point, consider basic elements of many (but not all) proposals:

• Summary/abstract
• Introduction/background—introduce your project goals and establish credibility
• Need/problem statement—why does this project/research need to be done?  Why should you do it?  Why should the grantor care?
• Project objectives—be as specific as possible about what you hope to achieve
• Project method or design—e.g., key staff, activities and research methods
• Evaluation—how will you measure the success of your project?
• Future funding/sustainability—will you be seeking future, or additional, concurrent funding? 
• Budget—some reviewers read this section first, and it is certainly one of the most important parts of your application. (Make sure your budget fits the project you outline in your proposal. Find out if the grant allows the University to claim indirect cost expenses.)
• Attachments—If attachments are allowed, you may want to include items such as: project director’s resume, project/program brochures, and Stetson’s proof of non-profit status - 501(c)(3) letter.

The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations has sample proposals and can assist in editing your proposal.  Our Grant Writing Links page provides proposal-writing tips.  Also, refer to our FAQ page for Stetson-specific information.

Step 5 - Submitting Your Proposal and Waiting

Before mailing your proposal, check the guidelines one more time.  Do you need a signature from an institutional representative (your department chair, dean, or the president)?  Proposals generally include a cover letter signed by the president, which Corporate and Foundation Relations can provide. Have you made enough copies and attached the correct forms?  A post office tracking slip or express mailing will let you know that your proposal has reached its destination.

Waiting for decisions can be difficult, but try to resist calling the program officer to ask about the status of your proposal.  Most agencies have guidelines telling you when you can expect a decision; if not, program officers can provide general guidelines.  While you wait, keep searching for other grants to fund your entire project or portions of it.  We update program officers on progress made between the time of submission and the notice of award.

  If you received an award, your project is underway.  However, your responsibilities to the grantor are not yet complete.  Send a thank-you letter upon receipt of your funding, and carefully manage this money according to the funder’s guidelines.  Keep meticulous records of how you spent funds and be prepared to send any required follow-up reports. Even if reporting is not required by the funding agency, it is always a good idea to send an update on the success or status of your project.

If you did not get the grant, do not despair.  Some agencies provide reviewer comments that will help your future grant proposals.  You can also modify your project and/or your proposal and approach another funding agency.

Grant Writing Links

The Foundation Center Web site has information on foundations and corporate donors and links to non-profits’ 990 tax forms, which show previous funding activities  (The Grants Office has the 2004 version of the Foundation Center’s FC Search database)

A concise, clearly written guide by the Corporation from Public Broadcasting

The Art of Grantsmanship by Jacob Kraicer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; a very detailed guide (and timeline) for obtaining a research grant

Measuring Joy: Evaluation at Baltimore Clayworks, Deborah Bedwell, on the National Endowment for the Arts “Outcome-Based Evaluation: A Working Model for Arts Projects” Web site