Grant proposal template
Write each section with what reviewers look for and a worked example beside it. When you're done, download a Word file or print. Need the numbers? Use the grant budget template.
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01Summary
Three or four sentences: who you are, what you will do, for whom, the amount you are asking for and what it will achieve.
Example Riverside Food Pantry requests $25,000 to open a Saturday pantry serving 120 working families a week in east Riverside, cutting the waitlist to zero by June.
[to write]02About the organization
Mission, year founded, who you serve, size (staff, volunteers, budget) and one or two results that show you deliver.
Example Founded in 2011, the pantry is run by 4 staff and 90 volunteers and served 18,400 people last year.
[to write]03Statement of need
The problem, with local numbers and a source, and why it matters now. Keep it about the people you serve, not about your organization's needs.
Example One in six Riverside households is food insecure (county health survey, 2025); our weekday hours miss parents who work shifts.
[to write]04Project description
What you will do, step by step: activities, who does them, where and when. Match each activity to the need above.
Example From January, open every Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., add a client-choice shelf and text reminders in English and Spanish.
[to write]05Goals and outcomes
Two to four measurable outcomes with a number, a date and who benefits.
Example By June 30: 120 families served each Saturday; waitlist reduced from 64 to 0; 80% of clients rate the hours as convenient.
[to write]06Evaluation
How you will measure each outcome, who collects the data and how often you report.
Example Sign-in counts each week; a two-question survey each quarter; a report to the funder in July.
[to write]07Timeline
Key milestones by month or quarter.
Example Jan: hire coordinator. Feb: first Saturday. Mar-Jun: weekly service. Jul: final report.
[to write]08Budget summary
The total project cost, the amount requested, other funding sources and the main cost lines. Attach the full budget.
Example Total cost $41,000; request $25,000; committed: $10,000 city CDBG, $6,000 donors. Largest costs: coordinator (60%), food (30%).
[to write]09Sustainability
How the work continues after the grant: other funders, earned income, partners or a plan to scale down gracefully.
Example Saturday hours will move into our core budget in year two, backed by two new corporate sponsors.
[to write]
Questions
What sections does a grant proposal need?
Most funders ask for a summary, an organization background, the statement of need, the project description, goals and outcomes, evaluation, a timeline, the budget and how the work continues. Always follow the funder's own outline when it gives one.
How long should a grant proposal be?
As long as the funder allows and no longer. Many foundations ask for 3 to 5 pages; federal applications set page limits per section.
Should I send the same proposal to every funder?
Reuse your sections, but rewrite the summary and the opening of the need and project sections for each funder's priorities and wording.