Invest in Neighborhoods Inc. Invest in Neighborhoods Inc. When the narrative is complete and the budget is developed and justified, the next steps are to complete the necessary forms and assurances, duplicate the grant proposal package, and mail or deliver it to the government agency. Each RFP or applicant package will contain a number of forms and assurances that must be completed and submitted with the written proposal. In a recent grant announcement for drug abuse prevention proposals, the Office of Substance Abuse required the following forms:
As can be seen from the number of forms required, a sufficient amount of time should be allowed for the completion of this part of the grant writing project. It is not advisable to go to the final deadline with the proposal; delivering it one day late will eliminate it from consideration.
The grant announcement will indicate the specifics about the grant form, including the maximum number of narrative pages, the number of copies to be submitted, spacing requirements, and order of presentation. Some proposals will request a table of contents preceding the grant. Others will require certain information be provided in the appendices, such as names and occupations of board members, resumes of key personnel, or certification of nonprofit status.
All grant proposals should include letters of support. These will not only establish the organization's credibility in the area but will assure the reviewers that the proposed project has the endorsement of local agencies, particularly those agencies whose services normally complement the applicant's services. The applicant organization should begin the process of obtaining letters of support at the initiation of the proposal writing. Too often, supporting agencies procrastinate on writing a letter of support. They must be informed on exactly what the goals, objectives, and activities of the project will be and how they can interact with the activities, giving various forms of support.
When soliciting letters of support, it is advisable to give the project advocate an outline of the project and a summary of how each solicited agency can support the project. A sample letter of support will offer much appreciated guidance and will help guarantee strong letters of support that will fortify the proposal. For example, a letter of support for a drug abuse prevention program might include how many potential participants the supporting agency can refer to the program, how the two agencies have worked together in the past, and what accomplishments or successes the grant-seeking agency has had in the past. Because a weak letter of support can actually do harm to a proposal, it is vital that the champion receive guidance in how to compose a helpful letter.
Letters of support should be addressed to the applicant organization and included in a separate appendix to the proposal. Under no circumstances should they be sent separately to the funding agency. To ensure that they are credited to the proposal, they must be included in the proposal appendix.
---»THE ABSTRACT/REVIEW PROCESS
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