Grant Seekers Checklist

The following checklist will help keep you organized once you determine that you want to apply for a particular grant.

• Discuss the project with the appropriate department chair or immediate supervisor and get his/her approval.
• Contact the Grants Coordinator and file a Grant Proposal Form.
• Review the grant maker's guidelines, noting questions to discuss with the Grants Coordinator and the Business Office.
• Create a realistic time line for developing the proposal.
  
  • Is a Letter of Inquiry/Intent (LOI) required prior to writing the full proposal?
  • Allow plenty of time for editing:  revise, revise, revise
  • Allow two weeks for final internal review and signatures prior to deadline.
• Write the proposal, keeping an eye on the grantor's requirements in terms of content and format.
  
  • To review the process of preparing a proposal, check the following resources: 
    
    • Simplified proposal development process
    • Proposal Writing Resources
  • Prepare budget
    
    • Consult with the Grants Coordinator
    • Consult with the Business Office
    • A discussion of budget basics may be found at http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/prop_budgt/index.html
    • Sample Budget
  • Prepare all required forms and attachments
    
    • Sample Letter of Support
  • Develop a cover letter from the President or Provost if required
  • Have project proposal reviewed by advisors, colleagues, and/or the Grants Coordinator.
  • Two weeks before the deadline, submit the completed proposal (MS Word or PDF) to the Grants Coordinator for final internal review, securing of signatures, copying, etc.

To be filed with the Grants Coordinator:

• Foundation guidelines
• Electronic copy of final proposal and cover letter including your date of submission
• Award or decline notification letters or e-mails
• If accepted, please provide the Terms of Acceptance as well as copies of all required reports submitted to grantor and review the directives of the Checklist for Grant Winners.