Summer is a season of opportunity for nonprofits. With many foundations opening new grant cycles and fiscal years turning over, it’s a great time to sharpen your grant writing skills and set your organization up for funding success. Whether you’re a seasoned development professional or just getting started in the grant writing world, these fundamentals will help you craft stronger applications and build lasting funder relationships.
Start with a Template
Strong grant writing rarely starts from a blank page. Develop a core template that captures your organization’s mission, key program descriptions, and standard boilerplate language. This becomes a living document you can tailor to each funder’s specific priorities and requirements and is a great opportunity to bring your program into a development project. A good template saves you time, ensures consistency across applications, and helps new team members ramp up quickly. Update it at least twice every year to reflect your latest impact data, program updates, and organizational milestones.
Use the Funder’s Application as Your Outline
Before you write a single sentence, read the grant application in full then let it guide your structure. Draft your responses directly in Word or a similar app, using each application question or section as a built-in outline. This keeps your writing focused and ensures you answer exactly what funders are asking, rather than defaulting to a generic organizational narrative.
Lead with Outcomes, Not Activities
Funders aren’t investing in what you do, they’re investing in what changes because of what you do. Shift your language from activities (“we provide weekly classes”) to outcomes (“87% of participants reported increased confidence and job readiness”). Ask yourself: What is measurably different in someone’s life because of this program? Ground your answers in real data wherever possible and be specific. Vague outcomes like “improve community wellbeing” are less compelling than concrete, measurable results.
Before founding Nonprofit Made Easy, my colleague Karla and I worked together at a grantmaking foundation, sitting on the other side of the table. I watched review committees pour over stacks of applications, and time and again, the ones that rose to the top weren’t necessarily from the largest or most well-known organizations — they were from the ones who could clearly articulate what changed in people’s lives because of their work. It’s something Karla and I still talk about today:
“When I read an application that went beyond the numbers and showed me the real human impact, I knew the organization truly understood their mission. That’s who we wanted to fund…that’s the language donors respond to.” — Karla Wallack, Founder, Nonprofit Made Easy.
Tell the Story of Client Transformation
Data alone doesn’t move people… stories do. When possible, illustrate your outcomes through the lens of a real client journey (with their permission, or anonymized appropriately). Describe where they started, what they experienced through your program, and where they are now. You are acting as a trusted voice on behalf of the people you serve. Write with dignity, specificity, and heart. A well-told story of transformation makes your statistics come alive and reminds reviewers why this work matters.
Be Clear and Concise about Existing Programs
Grant reviewers often read dozens of applications in any given cycle. When describing your programs, be direct and efficient, explaining what it is, who it serves, how it’s delivered, and why it works. Avoid jargon, acronyms without definitions, or over-complicated descriptions of established work. If a program has been running for years, lean into that track record. Longevity and sustainability are strengths. Demonstrate that your approach is proven, your team is experienced, and your model is replicable.
Have Your Budgets Ready
Most grant applications will ask for both a program budget (costs specific to the funded project) and an operating budget (your organization’s full financial picture). Have both prepared and up to date before you begin applying.
When preparing your budgets, keep these principles in mind:
- Align budget line items directly with the program activities described in your narrative.
- Be prepared to explain and justify any line items a reviewer might question.
- Include indirect/overhead costs where appropriate as funders increasingly recognize these as legitimate.
- Show diversified revenue sources in your operating budget to demonstrate organizational stability.
A well-prepared, clearly labeled budget signals organizational competence and builds funder confidence.
Build a Relationship with the Grant Funder
Grant writing is not just a transaction, it’s the beginning of a relationship. Whether your application is approved or declined, how you engage with a funder afterward can shape your organization’s funding future in meaningful ways.
If you receive a declination, don’t simply move on. Reach out graciously, thank the program officer for their time, and ask if they’re open to sharing feedback. Many funders will tell you exactly what was missing or what would strengthen a future application. That conversation is invaluable, and you should treat it as a roadmap, not a rejection.
If you’re awarded, the relationship is just getting started. Keep your funder informed with timely reports, updates, and impact stories. Pay close attention to the requirements and document them appropriately (e.g. adding a deliverable in Salesforce and assigning each to a team member!). Invite them into your mission in a personal way, if they’re local, consider welcoming them to volunteer, attend an event, or tour your facility.
The most powerful funding relationships grow over time. A grant that starts at $5,000 can double, triple, or evolve into a multi-year partnership when a funder feels genuinely connected to your mission and trust has been built through consistent communication and demonstrated impact. Invest in these relationships with the same care you invest in the communities you serve.
Ready to write?
The more intentional and organized your process, the stronger your applications will be. Use this summer to build your template library, update your impact data, and get your financial documents in order so when the right opportunity comes along, you’re ready to make your strongest case.
Your mission is worth funding… Now go make that case!
