Draft Proposal and Preliminary Budget

Working with the development team, you will begin to put together a draft of your proposal. Depending on the complexity of the project there may be many drafts sent back and forth between you and the grants office. Below are some things to consider as the writing gets underway for your project.

• Use the Grant Development Tools for narrative structures, budget samples and more.
• Contact all partners early in the process, and send them a 1 page concept summary of the project.
• Follow evaluation criteria exactly. The grants office will help you decipher the particular rules of the funder to be sure the proposal is covering all necessary issues.
• Be aware of any budget restrictions.
• Indirect costs must be included. Most federal programs allow 42.8% of wages and salaries, and the grants office asks for a percentage of the total modified direct costs for applications to private foundation.