It’s often observed in certain circles that there’s more to winning a grant than merely writing a proposal. And indeed there is!
For planning purposes, it may prove useful to other potential grant seekers to consider grant proposal development as a four-dimensional process of:
- Research
- Communication
- Budget
- Writing
How much time each takes separately as part of the overall enterprise of creating a fundable proposal will vary greatly with the grant opportunity. As components of the total time required to develop a proposal – by way of illustration only – Research could take 20%, Communication could take 25%, Budget could take 10%, and Writing could take 45%.
Research Dimension:
Among the core tasks that define the Research Dimension are:
- Locating and selecting grant leads
- Retrieving and analyzing data
- Finding model programs and/or effective practices
- Developing a literature review
Communication Dimension:
Among the core tasks that define the Communication Dimension are:
- Creating and formalizing partnerships
- Communicating with all stakeholders
- Coordinating with proposal team members
- Contacting and corresponding with grant program officers
- Negotiating partners’ participation, objectives, and other key elements
- Holding meetings of any type
- Obtaining signatures and signed letters of commitment
Budget Dimension:
Among the core tasks that define the Budget Dimension are:
- Preparing line item budgets
- Verifying cost items
- Justifying cost items (often in a separate narrative)
- Completing budget forms
Writing Dimension:
Among the core tasks that define the Writing Dimension are:
- Drafting (and redrafting) entire proposal
- Editing and proofreading entire proposal
- Labeling and assembling entire proposal
- Submitting the completed proposal
