10 Tips for Grant Writing for Small Businesses

You will typically be notified when your proposal is pending and when your proposal is approved or rejected. If you aren’t able to find submission guidelines or tracking information, wait at least three to six months before following up. “Judges want to give grants to businesses that will benefit the most,” Prakash said. These come from institutions like banks and have the broadest eligibility criteria. These grants are given based on merit and application materials, like essays.

Your cover letter is the perfect opportunity to capture the funder’s attention and get your foot in the door. You may also need to create the appropriate accounts and go through verification processes before you can submit a grant. To stay on top of all the news impacting your small business, go here for all of our latest small business news and updates.

Types of Small Business Grants

For more business development and operations education, sign up for the Small Biz Ahead newsletter. Grant funding is essential to the success of most non-profits, and is not like other types of writing, it has its own set of conventions. A grant application could take weeks to fill out and submit.

Check out their website and our review of some of their materials as well as links to other useful grant resources here. If you have a community foundation in your county, meet with someone there to ask about the possibility of applying for capacity building funds for your organization. With a capacity building grant, you can contract with qualified consultants for grant writing, fundraising, board training, and volunteer coordination services. Whether your grant applications are funded or rejected, you still spend countless hours on everything grants, from the idea to the production to the management to closeout. Small business grants are sums of money given for a particular purpose by government or nonprofit organizations for economic and business development.

Additionally, a grant may have a stipulated use (e.g., technology upgrades, training, etc.), so you must have a need that aligns with this. You’ll also want to make sure you know if a grant only is applicable for people with certain backgrounds such as veteran business owners. The grant proposal should contain all of the required information and be easy to follow from start to finish. If you have any trouble understanding the stated criteria or other jargon from the call for proposals, be sure to call or email the contact person.

Applying for a small business grant and want to make sure you know what you are doing. Read the detailed article to know everything about it and how you should go about it. Once you’ve decided on a new enterprise, the most important next step is to officially form your business. I strongly encourage you to also visit local small business associations, and pursue other means of small business financing if you need money urgently. If you can, submit your application early – you may look more prepared than those who apply late.

Who is eligible for a small business grant?

This is because grant writing is quite technical in its requirements, but that does not mean that it is the most difficult task in the world. Each grant is different in its requirements, but most of them ask for the same basic things. You only need to follow this general guideline and you are on your way to getting the perfect grant proposal. The project description section is the main section of the small business grant proposal. This section is written best by separating different issues and ideas into separate sections.

Appropriately reference any past accomplishments that verify your ability to succeed and your commitment to this project. Outline any partnerships you have built with complementary organizations and individuals. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.

Educational projects usually involve a team of people who will put the idea into practice. Provide more information about each team member and why this person can perform their duties. You can also explain how you intend to use a specific piece of software to save time or money. This is a dangerous game to play and could affect your individual or company’s brand, community standing, or industry reputation. Many grantors underquote in the hope of hooking the reader and then looking for additional funding at a later stage.

If you’re a minority or female owned business you may try searching for those too. Most startups get funded through family, credit cards and savings. Most business owners are hesitant to use external funding for their businesses. In fact, fewer than 1% of all US businesses use federal or state grants to fund their business.

Private Grants

Your best bet is to visit a Veterans Business Outreach Center, where they can point you to any local grant for which you may be eligible. Each center also offers training, as well as access to other small business resources for veterans. On top of all the grants we’ve looked at so far, there are several grants and resources specifically for women-owned small businesses.

Misspellings and grammatical errors will impede reviewers in understanding the application. Be sure pages are numbered and that page limits are followed. Limit the use of abbreviations and acronyms, and define each one at its first use and periodically throughout the application. Many applications fail because the reviewers cannot follow the thought process of the applicant or because parts of the application do not fit together.

Have Your Proposal Reviewed

However, the SBA and most nonprofit grant organizations have resources to help guide you through the process. If you still run into difficulties, you can always turn to an attorney, business mentorship network SCORE, or nonprofit guide for help. The grant application process varies from grant to grant. For instance, if you apply for a small business grant with the Amber Grant foundation, you can complete your application within a few minutes by submitting a short form.

Before writing your proposal, Reischer said it is important to consider meeting with the funding source. Once you have gathered the necessary materials, it is time to start the grant application. Ebrahimi said the first step in applying for a grant is to identify what type of grant your specific business is likely to receive. Additionally, the Small Business Administration also offers a wide array of grants and funding options.

After submitting a grant proposal, it is essential to follow up with the funding organization. This can help demonstrate your commitment to the project and answer any questions the funder may have. It’s not uncommon for inexperienced grant writers to stretch their application too far and create a weak proposal. Some, but not all, granting organizations ask that you include a cover letter to introduce yourself.

It helps to provide some of your financial documents here. Always try to keep your numbers within the funding limits the granting organization provides. The needs statement, also called the problem statement, is the real meat of your grant proposal. Here’s where you detail the problem you plan to solve and how you’ll do it with the grant’s funds. Your executive summary serves as the main overview of why your organization wants the grant, your funding needs, and how you plan to follow through with the project. Remember, you’ll have only a few paragraphs in this section, no more than one page, so put your best foot forward.

Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas’ experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning. Kate L. Harrison is a best-selling author and entrepreneur specializing in ethical business, nonprofit, and startup marketing. Find out how you can take advantage of these government grants to… Occasionally you may find a grant that comes with no strings attached, but this is uncommon. Once you receive a grant, you are accountable for following the guidelines set forth by the grant provider.

If the encumbrance accounting needs specific information or provisions regarding personnel, make sure your personnel planning matches those requirements. Also, make sure that your objectives match personnel planning. Aggressive objectives might have to be matched with substantial growth in employment in certain industries. A good cover letter introduces the grantor to the business and extols its virtues about why the business is ideal for the grant. Make sure to cater to the specific grant and not speak in generalities as if you are applying to every financing source under the sun . As mentioned earlier, if there are keywords in the call for proposals—or in the funding organization’s mission or goal—be sure to use some of those terms throughout your proposal.

The time it takes to receive a small business grant varies depending on the grant program and the application process. Some grants may be awarded within a few weeks, while others may take several months or even a year. Some grants may also be available to businesses that are developing innovative products or services.

• You can also search for grant opportunities on websites such as Grants.gov, the Small Business Administration’s website, and Foundation Center.
• For a grant-making organization, investing in a project, initiative, or organization is an investment in positive change that can have a powerful impact on the issues they care about.
• With many grants, you must provide detailed information on how you’ve spent the funds, including documentation.
• Because grant funding is so competitive, you will likely be applying for several different grants from multiple funding agencies.

You may not have time to meet the eligibility conditions if you wait too long. Many veterans go into entrepreneurship after their service. Unfortunately, while there are a lot of loans that are specifically for veterans, there are very few grants. Any type of business is eligible to compete, but those geared towards women and their social problems typically do best.

It is important to research all of the available options to determine which type of funding is best for your business. By following these tips, you can find the grants you need to start your business. With the right resources and a bit of research, you can find the funding you need to get your business off the ground. According to Ebrahimi, many business owners make the mistake of being too general or unoriginal in their proposals.

If you’re looking to get support for your small business, keep in mind that there are many avenues to explore. Some funds are issued directly by the federal government, while others are distributed through state and local governments or private organizations such as nonprofits. After the funds are distributed, organizations then can use their funding to provide technical or educational assistance on a regional level. As a small business owner, knowing the rules and regulations surrounding your grant funding, including what you need to do after receiving a small business grant, is essential.

To find a fit for your business, here are some places to look. However, competition can be plentiful and opportunities may be limited depending upon your background, industry and company type. Therefore, it’s best to understand the process fully and know what grants are available, to not waste your time and increase your odds for success. In grant writing, a responsive item in a grant proposal’s can be in a section or as a separate document. They can help to support and strengthen the case for funding the proposed project. This course will focus on understanding a responsive item and areas in which responsive items are required.

Be sure you’ve hit all the guidelines, included the required documents, formatted the proposal in the right order, and eliminated simple spelling or math errors. Take the time to lay out your argument, use supporting data, and highlight your company’s plans in detail. As a small business owner, you probably know what it’s like to need financing. Cash flow can fluctuate, and unexpected expenses can put a real squeeze on a budget that’s already tight. Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation.

• Professor Vieira recommends approaching the task of writing a grant proposal with an attitude of wonder and excitement as you strive to turn your ideas into something real.
• You have a great idea, and you think that you’re the best person to achieve a specific goal.
• Limit the use of abbreviations and acronyms, and define each one at its first use and periodically throughout the application.
• The periodic tests will be created by a set of outside collaborators and will take place on a monthly basis for the duration of the program.
• Find a book from your library on grant writing if you want to write better proposals.

By following these steps and carefully researching and preparing your application, you can increase your chances of receiving a grant to help your business grow. The next step in the process of applying for a small business grant is preparing your application. Once you’ve identified a grant that you’re eligible for, it’s time to start preparing your application.