Review the Requirements

• Before an agency can apply for a grant, it must review the relevant guidelines and/or eligibility criteria to determine if it is able to receive the money. For example, the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) is only available to national or global nonprofit agencies; it is not available to local nonprofits. Additionally, the guidelines list the type of information needed for the grant, such as what format the proposal needs to be in and whom to contact for more information.
  
  

Gather Information

• Grant proposals are very fact-intensive; the drafter must know what information it needs and plan accordingly. For instance, the Second Chance Act, a grant available to help incarcerated individuals transition from jail back into society, requires a 25 percent match of either cash or in-kind services. An organization applying for this grant must be able to secure funding to meet the match requirement; this means the organization must identify funding sources and contact the funders. Additionally, the organization must present its credentials in order to demonstrate that it can successfully complete the project, and be able to explain how it intends to use the money.
  
  

Drafting the Proposal

• Grant-writing is an art. The actual proposal must fit the specific grant requirements -- with regard to format, page limit and application materials, among other things -- and at the same time win over the review board. The information must be set forth in a clear and logical manner. Proposals generally have three main components: a narrative (the who, what, when, where, why and how section), a budget and supporting materials (such as resumes, references and other exhibits).
  
  

Deadlines and Other Submission Issues

• Proposals must be submitted before a certain deadline, which varies by grant. Grant writing is time consuming; the time it takes to complete a proposal/application packet depends upon how much information needs to be gathered. Further, the actual proposal must be free of grammar or spelling mistakes, and the tone needs to be persuasive. Individuals or agencies contemplating applying for a grant should consider hiring professional grant-writers to assist in completing the application packet.