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5 Easy Steps for Grant Submission

Step 1: Pre-Season Training – Planning for your submission.

Step 2: The Warm-up – Application preparation activities that can be completed ahead of time.

Step 3: An Application Specific Game Plan.

Step 4: The Competition – Producing your Application.

Step 5: The Finish Line.

Step 1: Pre-Season Training – Planning for your submission.

•  As far in advance as possible, decide which projects you're going to seek funding for and start looking for the appropriate funding sources that appear be a good match.

•  Subscribe to the appropriate opportunity notification mailing lists so that you remain aware of current opportunities and their corresponding submission schedules. Obtain application guidelines and any other necessary application materials. In the case of the Assistance to Firefighters Program, electronically submitted applications are preferred. If you must apply with a paper application, official application forms must be obtained by calling 866-274-0960. No other paper application forms will be accepted.

•  Make sure your organization and/or municipality are eligible to receive funds from the programs and sources you've identified. If you are unsure, contact the funder directly, explain your status and confirm your eligibility.

•  Make a calendar of anticipated grant submission deadlines that is highly visible to you and your staff.

Step 2: The Warm-up – Application preparation activities that can be completed ahead of time.

One of the primary steps for executing a successful grant submission is maintaining a library of support materials designed to aid in grant submission. Remember to continually work on compiling and preparing required documents and programmatic support materials so that you don't come up short at deadline time.

•  Put together packets of critical documents you'll need for grant applications, and make sure to update them regularly (2-3 times a year). Examples, depending on the type of organization, may include a copy of the most recent audit for your organization, your IRS letter of Determination (501c3 status), current government contracts confirming your role as a service provider, a complete listing of Staff and the Board of Directors, or pertinent certification requirements.

•  Maintain electronic and hard copy document files of cover letters, proposals, budgets and other standard documents that can be modified for various opportunities.

•  Compose letters of support in advance so you can provide a sample letter with your request.

•  Research statistics and obtain evidence to support your claims in advance of your scheduled proposal deadlines. Maintain a newspaper-clipping file and keep extra program brochures to include with your submission.

•  Develop and maintain programmatic partnerships on a long-term basis. Effective partnerships that demonstrate sustainability and efficient program design are attractive to funders.

Step 3: An Application Specific Game Plan

•  Using your application guidelines as your template, spend valuable time to develop a checklist of all application related tasks.

•  Break down the tasks into a proposal outline that reflects the organization of the application itself and apply a timeline for proposed completion for each task, as well as outline the procedure for completion (i.e. “submit to project manager in hard copy and electronic format”).

•  You may also want to include an area that identifies each task's status (in progress, complete, not yet started).

•  Then, for each task or group of tasks, assign a person and/or department responsible for completing them.

•  Distribute the checklist to everyone on it, as well as to supervisors and program managers.

When developing your schedule for completion, you should carefully consider practical programmatic realities, such as the time it might take to obtain notarized or certified documents and whether the task can be completed internally or will require outside consultation, etc. Remember also that many applications now require electronic submission. Subsequently, you will have to allow time for the electronic submission process.

Include editing and proofreading as part of your Game Plan task checklist and provide time during the Finish Line period for re-writes, programmatic corrections and budget review. The editing/proofreading portion should also include rectifying the narrative with the budget, ensuring that all programmatic claims are adequately delineated in the budget.

Your Game Plan may be modified as you proceed, but should always serve as your primary organizational document and should include everything that must be completed for a successful submission. A well-designed Game Plan will help ensure the successful development of your proposal and will make all the difference.

Step 4: The Competition – Producing your Application

Fully review the program and application guidelines. Make notes and develop your application with the same organizational structure that is provided in the guidelines, making sure to carefully coordinate your proposed project design and budget request together. It is important to remember that any expenditure you propose must be utilized for an approved use and you will have to demonstrate their potential impact upon project design and implementation, as well as upon anticipated project outcomes.

•  Respond to the specific request for funds first and develop your application from there.

•  Don't be afraid to edit and omit in order to remain pertinent to the funder's information request.

•  Remember to answer open-ended questions as specifically as possible within the context of your proposed project and organization.

•  Provide statistics in relation to the project's objectives.

•  Don't modify your entire program or its objectives to make yourself eligible for a funding opportunity. Your lack of infrastructure and program planning will be obvious to the funder and your application will not be successful.

•  Enlist assistance with editing. Your application should be clearly presented and make sense to anyone who reads it, not just your professional peers.

Step 5: The Finish Line

Your Game Plan should be designed with a built-in “buffer”, a little extra time so that any mishaps that may inevitably arise can be absorbed without impacting the overall submission.

Utilizing your Game Plan Checklist, determine which tasks and/or required documents remain to be completed and begin managing the final details for your submission. Without a Game Plan, and without an adequate library of supporting materials, this portion of the submission process can actually take longer than developing the narrative and budget. Don't let this happen to you! If you have fully assessed your documentation needs when developing your Game Plan, the Finish Line will be full of little details, but without surprises, and that's exactly how you want it!

Know who and where your signatories are . Plan ahead to make sure they will be available to approve and/or sign your application.

Check and re-check. Go through your complete application with your submission checklist at least twice. If possible, have a second set of eyes review your application as well to confirm that all required materials are present and in the proper order.

Know procedures for submission in advance. Be sure to consider when, where and how you will be submitting your application. In the case of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, electronic submission is preferred and they would like to eliminate paper applications completely. When submitting electronically, prior to the filing deadline, you may save your “in process” application and retrieve it to continue working on it. Once you have submitted your application however, you cannot change it.

Confirm receipt of your application . Follow standard procedures for confirming that your application was received and will be considered.