Grant Proposal Skill
Produces structured grant proposals tailored to the funder priorities — the most common reason grants fail is writing about what you want to do rather than what the funder wants to fund.
Required Inputs
- Funder name and grant programme
- Grant amount sought
- Project description (rough notes are fine)
- Your organisation (type, track record, capacity)
- Funder stated priorities (copy from their guidance — essential)
- Word or page limits
- Deadline
Output Structure
Project Title
[Informative and memorable. Should convey the problem being solved and the approach.]
1. Project Summary / Abstract (200-300 words — written last, placed first)
[What you will do, why it matters, who will benefit, measurable outcomes. Every sentence earns its place.]
2. Problem Statement / Need
- The problem: [Specific, evidenced — use data]
- Who is affected: [Population, scale, geography]
- Current situation: [What exists and why it is insufficient]
- Consequence of inaction: [What happens if not funded]
- Why your organisation: [Track record, relationships, expertise]
Funder test: does this problem align with [funder] stated priorities? Make the connection explicit.
3. Project Objectives
3-5 SMART objectives:
- Objective 1: [Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound]
4. Methodology / Approach
Phase 1: [Name] (Months 1-X)
[What will happen, who will do it, what is produced]
Key activities:
What makes this approach innovative or effective: [Why this over alternatives]
5. Impact and Outcomes
| Level |
Description |
Measure |
| Output |
[Tangible deliverable] |
[How counted] |
| Short-term outcome |
[Immediate change] |
[How measured] |
| Medium-term outcome |
[Behaviour change] |
[How measured] |
| Long-term impact |
[Systemic change] |
[How evidenced] |
Direct beneficiaries: [Who and how many]
Sustainability: [How work continues beyond grant period]
6. Evaluation Plan
- Who evaluates, how, when, what is measured, how findings are shared
7. Budget Narrative
| Budget line |
Amount |
Justification |
| Staff costs |
£[amount] |
[Role, % FTE, duration, salary] |
| Travel |
£[amount] |
[Specific journeys named] |
| Equipment |
£[amount] |
[Itemised] |
| Indirect costs |
£[amount] |
[[X]% of direct — check policy] |
| Total |
£[total] |
|
Value for money: [Cost per beneficiary. What could not be done without this grant]
8. Organisational Capacity
[Track record of similar projects, governance, financial management. Name previous grants and outputs — be specific]
9. Risk Register
| Risk |
Likelihood |
Impact |
Mitigation |
| [Risk] |
H/M/L |
H/M/L |
[Specific mitigation] |
Quality Checks
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Write a grant proposal for [project] applying to [funder]"
- "Help me write a funding application for [grant programme]"
- "Turn these project notes into a grant proposal: [paste]"
1---2name: grant-proposal-73description: Write a structured grant proposal or funding application for any grant type. Use when asked to write a grant proposal, funding application, research grant, charitable grant, or innovation fund application. Produces a complete proposal with project summary, rationale, methodology, impact, and budget narrative.4---56# Grant Proposal Skill78Produces structured grant proposals tailored to the funder priorities — the most common reason grants fail is writing about what you want to do rather than what the funder wants to fund.910## Required Inputs11- **Funder name and grant programme**12- **Grant amount sought**13- **Project description** (rough notes are fine)14- **Your organisation** (type, track record, capacity)15- **Funder stated priorities** (copy from their guidance — essential)16- **Word or page limits**17- **Deadline**1819## Output Structure2021---2223### Project Title24[Informative and memorable. Should convey the problem being solved and the approach.]2526### 1. Project Summary / Abstract (200-300 words — written last, placed first)27[What you will do, why it matters, who will benefit, measurable outcomes. Every sentence earns its place.]2829### 2. Problem Statement / Need30- **The problem:** [Specific, evidenced — use data]31- **Who is affected:** [Population, scale, geography]32- **Current situation:** [What exists and why it is insufficient]33- **Consequence of inaction:** [What happens if not funded]34- **Why your organisation:** [Track record, relationships, expertise]3536Funder test: does this problem align with [funder] stated priorities? Make the connection explicit.3738### 3. Project Objectives393-5 SMART objectives:40- **Objective 1:** [Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound]4142### 4. Methodology / Approach4344**Phase 1: [Name]** (Months 1-X)45[What will happen, who will do it, what is produced]4647**Key activities:**48- [Activity — specific]4950**What makes this approach innovative or effective:** [Why this over alternatives]5152### 5. Impact and Outcomes5354| Level | Description | Measure |55|---|---|---|56| Output | [Tangible deliverable] | [How counted] |57| Short-term outcome | [Immediate change] | [How measured] |58| Medium-term outcome | [Behaviour change] | [How measured] |59| Long-term impact | [Systemic change] | [How evidenced] |6061**Direct beneficiaries:** [Who and how many]62**Sustainability:** [How work continues beyond grant period]6364### 6. Evaluation Plan65- Who evaluates, how, when, what is measured, how findings are shared6667### 7. Budget Narrative6869| Budget line | Amount | Justification |70|---|---|---|71| Staff costs | £[amount] | [Role, % FTE, duration, salary] |72| Travel | £[amount] | [Specific journeys named] |73| Equipment | £[amount] | [Itemised] |74| Indirect costs | £[amount] | [[X]% of direct — check policy] |75| **Total** | **£[total]** | |7677**Value for money:** [Cost per beneficiary. What could not be done without this grant]7879### 8. Organisational Capacity80[Track record of similar projects, governance, financial management. Name previous grants and outputs — be specific]8182### 9. Risk Register8384| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |85|---|---|---|---|86| [Risk] | H/M/L | H/M/L | [Specific mitigation] |8788---8990## Quality Checks9192- [ ] Every section explicitly references funder stated priorities (not just generic language)93- [ ] Problem statement includes specific data, not just assertions94- [ ] Objectives are SMART (measurable and time-bound)95- [ ] Budget narrative justifies every line with specific detail96- [ ] Sustainability section explains what happens after the grant ends97- [ ] Word limits respected9899## Example Trigger Phrases100- "Write a grant proposal for [project] applying to [funder]"101- "Help me write a funding application for [grant programme]"102- "Turn these project notes into a grant proposal: [paste]"
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