How do you create compelling grant pitches that get funded?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your pitch, you need to research your potential funders and understand their goals, priorities, and preferences. What are their mission and vision? What are their funding areas and criteria? What are their expectations and requirements? How do they like to receive and review proposals? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your pitch to their needs and interests, and avoid wasting time and resources on incompatible or irrelevant applications.

2 Define your problem and solution

One of the most important elements of a grant pitch is to clearly define the problem that you are addressing and the solution that you are offering. What is the gap, challenge, or opportunity that you have identified? What is the evidence or data that supports your claim? What is your proposed intervention, innovation, or approach? How does it differ from existing or alternative solutions? How will it achieve the desired outcomes and impacts? Defining your problem and solution will help you demonstrate your relevance, uniqueness, and value to your funders.

3 Outline your objectives and activities

Another key element of a grant pitch is to outline your objectives and activities for your project. What are the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that you want to accomplish? What are the main tasks, steps, or processes that you will undertake to achieve them? How will you allocate your resources, such as time, money, staff, and equipment? How will you manage the risks, challenges, or uncertainties that may arise? Outlining your objectives and activities will help you show your feasibility, efficiency, and accountability to your funders.

4 Highlight your qualifications and partnerships

A third essential element of a grant pitch is to highlight your qualifications and partnerships for your project. Why are you and your team the best fit for the project? What are your credentials, expertise, experience, and achievements in the field? How do you demonstrate your credibility, professionalism, and ethics? Who are your partners, collaborators, or stakeholders in the project? How do they complement or enhance your capabilities, resources, or networks? Highlighting your qualifications and partnerships will help you establish your trustworthiness, legitimacy, and sustainability to your funders.

5 Communicate your impact and evaluation

A fourth crucial element of a grant pitch is to communicate your impact and evaluation for your project. What are the short-term and long-term benefits or changes that you expect to generate from your project? How will they align with your funders' goals and indicators? How will you measure, monitor, and report on your progress and results? What are the tools, methods, or standards that you will use for data collection and analysis? How will you use the feedback or learning to improve your project or inform future actions? Communicating your impact and evaluation will help you convey your effectiveness, relevance, and learning to your funders.

6 Write with clarity and persuasion

The final tip for creating a grant pitch that gets funded is to write with clarity and persuasion. Use simple, concise, and precise language that avoids jargon, acronyms, or technical terms. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, or tables to organize and highlight your key points. Use stories, examples, or testimonials to illustrate and support your claims. Use positive, confident, and enthusiastic tone that expresses your passion and commitment. Write with clarity and persuasion to capture and retain your funders' attention and interest.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?