Tips for Creating a Successful Application

The following are suggestions to assist in preparing a successful grant proposal.

• Proper Email Etiquette – Much of our correspondence will be via email. All emails are saved and may be shared with our board members. They help us to gauge your professionalism, your ability to answer questions and provide information in a timely manner, and your willingness to adhere to our grant process. We found the following link from the Naukri Blog to be informative and relevant  Tips for Email Correspondence. 
• Professionalism and Timeliness – Adhering to our document submission and Application Deadlines demonstrates professionalism and enables foundation staff to perform their jobs efficiently. Complete applications submitted promptly are greatly appreciated. Professionalism and timeliness may be a deciding factor when your grant competes for available funding. Please pay close attention to funding windows and know when your documents are due.

Important requirements for writing a successful grant proposal include:

• Presenting an outstanding cause to fund.
• Conveying your passion for your organization’s mission.
• Clearly convey the benefits of the project/program for which you are requesting funding.

To make your proposal stand out – assume that our staff and board are unfamiliar with your subject. No one is as fluent in your project as you are. We need you to explain it to us. You need to pack a lot of information into sentences that keep the reader engaged while adequately explaining your project.

The Foundation invests in projects that will produce the greatest return/results for the community and the dollars granted, and we evaluate proposals based on that concept. Your winning proposal will be based on several variables, including (but not limited to) the following:

• 501(c)(3) status – you must supply a current copy of your IRS determination letter.
• Your ability to follow our grant request process and provide all of the required documents in a timely fashion.
• Awareness of each phase of our grant cycle and abiding by the deadlines for each.
• Your project/program fits within our gifting guidelines and focuses on benefitting the residents of Eastern Niagara County.
• Your proposal is presented in a clear and concise manner.
• Your ability to make a compelling case for funding and help us envision the anticipated results.
• The organizational capacity and credibility of your organization, your financials, and your project.
• Sustainability of your project beyond the grant.
• Whether or not your project advances the mission of your organization.
• Your project is not a duplication of services.
• Collaborations with partnering organizations.
• Your organization’s track record for establishing and maintaining successful projects.
• The expertise and involvement of your Board of Directors and staff members.
• The need for your project within our community and the level of community support it has received.
• The number of people that will be served as a result of the grant.
• The impact if your proposal is not funded or if your problem is not addressed.
• The support of other grant funding sources, government agencies, businesses, and members from a cross-section of the community can be demonstrated through letters of endorsement.