grant-proposal-builder

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# Grant Proposal Builder

Comprehensive frameworks for developing competitive grant proposals across government, foundation, corporate, and research funding contexts.

## Grant Proposal Structure

### Universal Proposal Sections

```
STANDARD STRUCTURE:

1. COVER PAGE / TITLE PAGE
   - Project title (clear, compelling, concise)
   - Applicant organization name and address
   - Principal Investigator / Project Director
   - Requested amount and project period
   - Funder program name and deadline

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / ABSTRACT (1 page)
   - Problem statement (2-3 sentences)
   - Proposed solution (2-3 sentences)
   - Goals and expected outcomes (2-3 sentences)
   - Budget summary (1 sentence)
   - Organization qualifications (1-2 sentences)

3. STATEMENT OF NEED (2-4 pages)
   - Problem definition with data
   - Population affected
   - Geographic scope
   - Consequences of inaction
   - Gap in current solutions

4. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (1-2 pages)
   - Goal statements (broad, long-term)
   - SMART objectives (specific, measurable)
   - Alignment with funder priorities

5. METHODOLOGY / PROJECT DESIGN (5-10 pages)
   - Approach and activities
   - Timeline and milestones
   - Staffing and roles
   - Partnerships and collaborations
   - Innovation and evidence base

6. EVALUATION PLAN (2-4 pages)
   - Process evaluation design
   - Outcome evaluation design
   - Data collection methods
   - Analysis approach
   - Reporting schedule

7. BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE (2-5 pages)
   - Line-item budget
   - Budget justification narrative
   - Matching/cost-share (if required)

8. SUSTAINABILITY PLAN (1-2 pages)
   - Post-grant funding strategy
   - Institutional commitment
   - Revenue diversification

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY (1-2 pages)
   - Mission and history
   - Relevant experience
   - Key staff qualifications
   - Past performance

10. APPENDICES
    - Letters of support
    - Staff CVs/resumes
    - Organizational chart
    - Tax-exempt documentation
    - Data tables and supplementary materials
```

## Needs Assessment Methodology

### Building a Compelling Case

```
NEEDS ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS:

1. QUANTIFY THE PROBLEM
   - Use local, state, and national data
   - Cite authoritative sources (CDC, Census, WHO, peer-reviewed)
   - Show trends (is the problem growing?)
   - Compare to benchmarks or averages

   Example: "In Jefferson County, 34% of children under 5 live in
   food-insecure households, compared to the state average of 19%
   and national average of 16% (USDA, 2024)."

2. DEFINE THE TARGET POPULATION
   - Demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, income)
   - Geographic location
   - Size of population affected
   - Specific vulnerabilities or barriers

3. DOCUMENT THE GAP
   - What services/solutions currently exist?
   - Where do they fall short?
   - What populations are underserved?
   - What evidence supports the proposed approach?

4. ESTABLISH URGENCY
   - Consequences of inaction
   - Time-sensitive factors
   - Tipping points or windows of opportunity
   - Cost of not acting vs. cost of intervention
```

### Data Sources for Needs Statements

| Data Type | Sources | Strength |
|-----------|---------|----------|
| **Demographic** | US Census, ACS, BLS | Authoritative, granular |
| **Health** | CDC WONDER, BRFSS, NHANES | National benchmarks |
| **Education** | NCES, state report cards | School/district level |
| **Economic** | BLS, BEA, FRED | Employment, income data |

From travisjneuman/.claude, MIT.

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