How to Develop a Grant Proposal Strategy

Less Federal Funding = More Competitive Grant Writing = Stronger Justification & Outcomes With federal and state funding becoming increasingly competitive, securing grants isn’t just about identifying a need—it’s about proving impact, justifying every dollar, and demonstrating long-term value. Funders are looking for investments that yield measurable results and financial accountability. To compete, organizations must go beyond writing strong proposals and focus on building data-driven, outcome-oriented programs that stand out in a crowded funding landscape. How to Strengthen Your Grant Strategy in 2025 1️⃣ Set SMART Goals That Prove Impact Funders want to know exactly how their investment will drive change. Set clear, outcome-based goals that align with their priorities. ✅ Specific – Clearly define what you’ll achieve (e.g., “Provide job training to 150 small business owners in 12 months”). 📊 Measurable – Quantify the expected impact (e.g., “Increase employment by 20%” or “Launch 50 new businesses”). 🎯 Achievable – Base targets on past performance and industry benchmarks. 🔗 Relevant – Align goals with funder priorities (e.g., workforce development, environmental resilience). ⏳ Time-Bound – Set a clear implementation and reporting timeline. 2️⃣ Use Data-Driven Storytelling Winning proposals blend compelling narratives with hard data. Funders need both the numbers and the human story to make informed decisions. 📌 Leverage national and local data to quantify the problem. 📌 Showcase past program success to demonstrate credibility and effectiveness. 📌 Incorporate real beneficiary stories to connect funders to the impact on a personal level. 3️⃣ Justify Every Dollar in Your Budget Funders scrutinize budgets for transparency and ROI. Tie every line item directly to measurable outcomes. Example: Instead of requesting a lump sum of “$500K for program expansion,” break it down: 💰 $200K for staff = 300 additional participants served. 💻 $150K for technology = 40% faster service delivery. 📢 $150K for outreach = 25% increase in community engagement. Funders will ask: Why this amount? Why this allocation? What’s the return on investment? 4️⃣ Demonstrate Sustainability & Scalability With fewer dollars available, funders prioritize projects that create long-term impact. Strengthen your case by showing: 🔄 Diverse funding sources (public-private partnerships, earned revenue). 📈 Scalability (how the project can expand or replicate). 💡 Federal and state dollars are shrinking, but outcome-driven, evidence-backed proposals will rise to the top. Winning grants in 2025 requires more than strong writing—it demands a strategic approach. The organizations that secure funding will be those that justify their requests, prove measurable impact, and design programs built for lasting change. #GrantWriting #FundingStrategy #SMARTGoals #Nonprofits #ImpactMeasurement #CompetitiveGrants

You can spend weeks writing a grant proposal—but if it doesn’t align with the funder’s priorities, the chances of it being approved are very slim! I see this mistake over and over again. 🚨 Organizations pour hours, even months into writing grant proposals, only to get rejected—not because their project wasn’t important, but because they never researched what the funder actually wanted to fund.  So, before you sit down to write your next grant, here’s what you need to know:  → Funders don’t fund what YOU need. They fund YOUR impact.They fund what aligns with THEIR mission. Many people approach grants thinking, "I need money for my project—who can give it to me?"  But successful grant seekers flip the script. They look for alignment first. ✅ Research past grantees. What kind of projects has this funder supported before? Do you fit into that pattern?  ✅ Read their funding priorities. If they say they fund education initiatives, do they mean general education, STEM programs, early childhood learning? Dig deeper. ✅ Mirror their language. If they emphasize “economic mobility,” don’t just say your program helps job seekers—show how it advances economic mobility. → Vague proposals don’t get funded. Specificity wins. I see a lot of proposals that say things like: We aim to reduce food insecurity in our community.  That sounds nice, but it’s not compelling. A funder is going to ask: How many people will you serve? What’s your timeline for achieving results? What metrics will you track? Instead, try something like: ✅ We will support 150 families by providing bi-weekly meal kits containing fresh, nutritious produce. Over the course of 12 months, we will track participants' progress through annual surveys to measure the impact of this program. We anticipate achieving a 20% reduction in food insecurity among participants, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in promoting health in the community. See the difference? The more specific you are, the easier it is for funders to see your impact. When you write a proposal, don’t just explain why you need the money. Show them the transformation their funding will create. 🛑 Instead of: We need $50,000 to expand our mentoring program. ✅ Try this: With $50,000, we will expand our mentoring program to serve 300 additional students, increasing graduation rates by 25% over the next two years. The more you frame your proposal around the funder’s impact, the better your chances of winning. Have you ever spent weeks on a proposal only to get rejected? What did you learn from the experience? Let’s talk in the comments.  #GrantWriting #NonprofitFunding #FundingOpportunities

Our fusion start-up, Radical Science Laboratories, is planning to raise $5M in the next 6-12 months in grant funding. Here’s our 10-step strategy on how we’ll do it: 1) 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 • We use Cadenza to find and manage our grants • Segment our opportunities: federal, foundations and corporate sponsors • Follow notifications for newsletters, thought leaders, events, and google alerts 2) 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 • It’s our job to know our sector better than anyone • We’re always learning about trends in the industry, terminology and competitive strategies 3) 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 • I’m constantly talking to everyone I know about their experience with grant funding and if they can help us out (referrals, advice, feedback) • Chicago Booth has incredible resources but it takes effort to engage and take advantage of them 4) 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲! • Every proposal you write will make you realize how much more work you still have to do- embrace this! • The more proposals you write, the more answers to questions you have thought through and the easier the next proposals become • Do NOT wait til the last minute! 5) 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 — In two weeks we’ll be in Austin attending the Capital Factory event during SXSW — Not only do we want to meet the program officers in attendance, we want to spend time chatting with potential customers and learning about THEIR needs and pain points 6)𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 • We are planning to co-apply for a number of grant opportunities, so we’re always connecting with potential partners interested in collaborating • Multi-use projects with dual collaborators have a higher likelihood of success 7) 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬 • We want to have a robust list of friends, mentors and advisors we can go to for help, we’ll need it • Ask for referrals, ask for grant proposal reviewers, ask for help 8) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐋𝐎𝐈𝐬) • Before we apply we are going to establish relationships with program officers to make sure our application meets their standards • We also want to gain insights on the types of projects they’re looking for to not waste our time 9) 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲! • This is the scary part, we’ve been sitting on our NSF pitch for over a month now and eventually we need to just rip the band-aid and apply. • There will always be room for improvement but you’ll never get feedback on an application you never sent 10) 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐩 + 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 • Even if our acceptance rate is ZERO, we’ll still have made a ton of progress. We will celebrate this whether we hit our milestones or not • Progress comes from practice, while we’re excited about all the progress we’ve recently made, we know we have a long ways to go And with that, wish us luck!!