Build the section that explains why your project matters: the problem, the evidence, the gap and what happens without help. Each part has an example, a full sample follows, and you can download a Word file. It slots into your grant proposal.
0 of 5 sections written. Your draft saves in this browser as you type.
01The problem
One or two sentences: who is affected, where, and what happens to them. Name the people you serve, not your organization's shortfall.
Example Working parents in east Riverside cannot get to a food pantry while one is open, so many skip meals or buy groceries at convenience-store prices.
[to write]
02The evidence
Two or three facts, each with its source and year. Pair a public figure for your area with numbers from your own records, such as a waitlist, intake counts or a survey of the people you serve.
Example One in six county households is food insecure (county health survey, 2025). 64 families are on our waitlist, and 41 of them say they can't come on a weekday.
[to write]
03Why it happens
What causes the problem and what current services miss. Mention other providers fairly: the gap is what nobody covers yet.
Example Every pantry in east Riverside closes by 3 p.m. on weekdays, and none opens on weekends.
[to write]
04What happens if nothing changes
The cost of waiting, for people and for the community. Keep it factual; reviewers mark down dramatic language.
Example Families who miss pantry hours skip meals or pay more for less food, and children feel it most at the end of the month.
[to write]
05How your project answers it
One or two sentences that lead into the project description: what you will do about the gap and the result you expect.
Example Saturday hours would reach these families on the one day most of them are free, with the goal of clearing the waitlist by June.
[to write]
Statement of need example
Statement of need for a weekend food pantry, for a made-up organization. Use the button above the sections to start your draft from it.
Working parents in east Riverside cannot reach a food pantry while one is open. Many of them work retail, warehouse and health-care shifts that run through weekday afternoons, and when they miss pantry hours their families go without.
One in six households in Riverside County is food insecure, according to the county's 2025 community health survey, and the rate in east Riverside is higher than in any other part of the city. Our own records show the same pattern: 64 families are on our waitlist, and in a phone survey this fall, 41 of them said they cannot come to the pantry on a weekday. Half of the families we already serve tell us they take unpaid time off work to come in.
The four food pantries in east Riverside, ours included, all close by 3 p.m. on weekdays, and none is open on Saturday or Sunday. Volunteer teams have been built around weekday daytime shifts, and no pantry has had a coordinator to recruit and run a weekend team.
When these families miss pantry hours, they skip meals or buy food at convenience stores near their homes, where the same groceries cost more. Parents tell us the last week of the month is the hardest, and school staff see it in children who arrive hungry on Mondays.
Opening the pantry on Saturdays would reach these families on the one day most of them are free. Our goal is to serve 120 families each Saturday and clear the waitlist by June 30.
More statement of need examples
After-school STEM program
Pine County School District (made up)
Students at Pine County's three rural middle schools have no after-school science or technology activities. The nearest robotics or coding club is 40 miles away in Lake City, and the district's late bus runs only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Interest is there: in a spring survey, 212 of our 540 middle school students said they would join a robotics or coding club, and 71% of them have never taken part in an organized STEM activity outside class. On the state science test, our eighth graders scored 11 points below the state average last year.
Without a local program, these students reach high school without the hands-on experience that leads into advanced math, science and career courses. A club at each school, with transport home on club days, would give them that start.
Turnout gear for a volunteer fire company
Cedar Ridge Volunteer Fire Company (made up)
Twenty-two of our 30 firefighters wear turnout gear that is more than 10 years old. Safety standards for structural firefighting take gear out of service 10 years after it was made, so by next July most of our crew will be on calls in coats and pants that should already have been retired.
We answered 418 calls last year, including 37 structure fires, across a 96-square-mile district with no paid department nearby. A full set of gear costs about $3,800, and our yearly budget of $64,000 from township funds and fundraisers already goes to fuel, insurance and truck maintenance.
Replacing 22 sets keeps our volunteers protected and keeps the company able to answer calls. Without it, we would have to limit who can enter a burning building.
Questions
How long should a statement of need be?
Usually one to two pages in a full proposal and one short paragraph in a letter of inquiry. Federal notices often set a page or character limit for this section; stay within it, because reviewers may stop reading at the limit.
Where can I find data for a statement of need?
For your area: the Census Bureau's American Community Survey at data.census.gov (income, poverty, language, age), County Health Rankings for health measures, and your state education department's school report cards. Then add your own numbers, such as waitlists, intake counts and surveys of the people you serve.
Is a statement of need the same as a problem statement?
Mostly, yes. Funders use statement of need, needs statement and problem statement for the same section. A needs assessment is different: it is the research behind the section, such as surveys, interviews and data review, and some funders ask you to describe how you did it.