Application Steps

Planning for and writing a grant proposal can be a daunting process. The grants office provides a number of services to help you develop your project. The steps represent a common or, perhaps, ideal framework for the development of a grant from inception to submittal. Please see the program development life cycle for a visual overview of the process.

Step One—Develop Proposal Concept
As you plan your potential project, think about how it corresponds with institutional priorities and how it directly and measurably benefits students.

Step Two—Finding Funding
There are three basic areas for funding: federal agencies, state and local agencies, and private foundations. Each funder tends to have its particular focus and interests. Be sure your project matches the funder’s priorities. Click here to access the funding opportunities webpage.

• Tip: Check funders' eligibility requirements before investing any time preparing the grant application.

Step Three—The Grant Proposal Form (.doc)
The grant proposal form serves as an important tool. It lays out the essentials of your project, lets our office know what you need, and makes it easier for us to help you develop your grant while troubleshooting potential pitfalls. Be sure to fill out the form completely as it will facilitate the development of your project and associated budget.

The grants office cannot begin work on the proposed project until the form is completed, including departmental approval signatures. After your division or department dean signs your application, it will be forwarded to the vice president’s office for final review and possible placement on the master grants calendar.

Download the Grant Proposal Form in Word. (.doc)

Step Four—Write Draft Proposal & Preliminary Budget
You should consider the following as the writing gets underway for your project:

• Refer to the Grant Development Tools page for narrative structures, budget samples, and more.
• Solicit grant facilitation services from the grants office to prepare your project (at least six weeks in advance of the grant deadline). This can be extremely useful in developing your project and budget.
• Contact partners early to tell them about the project and send a one-page conceptual summary of the project.
• Follow the evaluation criteria exactly. See these important tips *(.pdf) from Sinclair Community College on following the directions.
• Be sure to review any budget restrictions carefully and to take them into consideration.
• Be sure to maximize indirect costs.
• Contact the grants office along the way with your questions. 

Step Five—Grants Office Reviews / Edits Proposal
The grants office will review your application and provide editing and feedback once you have completed a draft proposal. Often the editing process requires a back-and-forth between the grants office and the project director.

The extent to which the grants office changes text varies from proposal to proposal. Some times we merely edit for formatting and punctuation, but more frequently we make changes to the organization, text and other elements to ensure you submit the strongest application possible. No matter how much revision is necessary, the end result is a final application ready for submittal.

Step Six—Grants Office Approves Budget
Once you have developed an initial budget, you will want to send it to the grants office for final approval.  Budgets must meet certain administrative guidelines as well as those set out by the grantor.

Step Seven—Submittal
The grants office submits your proposal on behalf of the college once we receive the final draft. Now sit back and celebrate the success of writing your grant.

*(.pdf file requires Adobe Reader)