How can you make grant proposals accessible to all?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your grant proposal, you need to know who your audience is. Who are the funders, reviewers, and stakeholders of your project? What are their goals, needs, and expectations? How can you tailor your proposal to address their interests and concerns? Researching your audience can help you avoid jargon, assumptions, and irrelevant details that might confuse or alienate them.

3 Follow a clear structure

A clear structure can help your grant proposal flow logically and coherently. It can also help your audience find and follow the main points and arguments of your project. A typical grant proposal structure consists of the following sections: summary, introduction, goals and objectives, methods, evaluation, budget, and conclusion. Each section should have a clear purpose, scope, and connection to the previous and next sections.

4 Be inclusive and respectful

Being inclusive and respectful means that you acknowledge and value the diversity and dignity of your audience and the communities you serve. It also means that you avoid stereotypes, biases, and discrimination in your grant proposal. You can be inclusive and respectful by using gender-neutral, culturally-sensitive, and person-centered language. You can also seek feedback and input from the people who are affected by your project.

5 Use accessible formats

Using accessible formats means that you make your grant proposal readable and usable by people with different abilities and preferences. For example, you can use large fonts, high contrast colors, and clear images to enhance readability. You can also use captions, transcripts, and alt-text to provide alternative ways of accessing audio and visual content. You can also use tools and guidelines to check and improve the accessibility of your grant proposal.

6 Revise and proofread

Revising and proofreading are crucial steps to make your grant proposal accessible to all. They can help you improve the clarity, accuracy, and consistency of your writing. They can also help you identify and correct any errors, gaps, or contradictions in your grant proposal. You can revise and proofread your grant proposal by yourself or with the help of others. You can also use online tools and resources to assist you.