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
Anti-Patterns
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-proposal3description: 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---5
6# Grant Proposal Skill
7
8Produces 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.
9
10## Required Inputs
11- **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**
18
19## Output Structure
20
21---
22
23### Project Title
24[Informative and memorable. Should convey the problem being solved and the approach.]
25
26### 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.]
28
29### 2. Problem Statement / Need
30- **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]
35
36Funder test: does this problem align with [funder] stated priorities? Make the connection explicit.
37
38### 3. Project Objectives
393-5 SMART objectives:
40- **Objective 1:** [Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound]
41
42### 4. Methodology / Approach
43
44**Phase 1: [Name]** (Months 1-X)
45[What will happen, who will do it, what is produced]
46
47**Key activities:**
48- [Activity — specific]
49
50**What makes this approach innovative or effective:** [Why this over alternatives]
51
52### 5. Impact and Outcomes
53
54| 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] |
60
61**Direct beneficiaries:** [Who and how many]
62**Sustainability:** [How work continues beyond grant period]
63
64### 6. Evaluation Plan
65- Who evaluates, how, when, what is measured, how findings are shared
66
67### 7. Budget Narrative
68
69| 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]** | |
76
77**Value for money:** [Cost per beneficiary. What could not be done without this grant]
78
79### 8. Organisational Capacity
80[Track record of similar projects, governance, financial management. Name previous grants and outputs — be specific]
81
82### 9. Risk Register
83
84| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
85|---|---|---|---|
86| [Risk] | H/M/L | H/M/L | [Specific mitigation] |
87
88---
89
90## Quality Checks
91
92- [ ] Every section explicitly references funder stated priorities (not just generic language)
93- [ ] Problem statement includes specific data, not just assertions
94- [ ] Objectives are SMART (measurable and time-bound)
95- [ ] Budget narrative justifies every line with specific detail
96- [ ] Sustainability section explains what happens after the grant ends
97- [ ] Word limits respected
98
99## Anti-Patterns
100
101- [ ] Do not write a generic proposal — every section must be tailored to the specific funder's stated priorities
102- [ ] Do not exceed the specified word or page limits — over-length proposals are disqualified at many funders
103- [ ] Do not leave the sustainability section vague — funders need to know what happens after grant funding ends
104- [ ] Do not use jargon the funder's reviewers won't understand — write for the panel, not the project team
105- [ ] Do not underspecify the budget narrative — every significant line item must be justified with method and reasoning
106
107## Example Trigger Phrases
108- "Write a grant proposal for [project] applying to [funder]"
109- "Help me write a funding application for [grant programme]"
110- "Turn these project notes into a grant proposal: [paste]"
Mohit Aggarwal