Qualifying for Funding Evaluations

Funders evaluate the grants they make. Information about evaluations is another item that you may want to pay close attention to in the funder’s guidelines. Evaluations can be broken down into three categories: Program evaluation of individual grants made through data and reports supplied by grantees, performance measures that help grantee’s management reach their short-term, intermediate and long-term benchmarks to determine the progress of their programs and assessment of the funder’s own performance based upon surveys completed by grantees, their own staff and administrative information.

Writing Proposals that Get Chosen

You want to make sure your proposal and program is a good fit with the funder’s criteria and guidelines. Having consistent goals is a good way to increase the chances of your proposal being successful. If it turns out that you are not a good fit after you read through the guidelines, then it is better to apply to another grant than to waste your time and the funder’s time. Your proposal should be written in the format required by the funder’s organization and submitted timely. It is important to submit your proposal to the right person so that you do not miss the submission deadlines or your proposal does not get lost. Be sure to call the funder if you have any questions.

Proposals that meet the following criteria are more often chosen:

• They clearly define the need and address how their program will solve the problem
• Are complete and detailed oriented and show how they will achieve results
• Results are reasonable and obtainable
• Provide a detailed budget entailing how the money will be spent
• A proven track record of success with supporting awards and community recognition helps strengthen your credibility
• Show that your organization has a strong management and stable board and is enthusiastic about implementing the program
• Provide evidence of your management capabilities to see the project through and to continue the project after the grant expires
• Provide links to other community programs that your program will enhance

Making sure that your proposal is a strong and clear one presented in a professional manner that provides all the necessary supporting documentation, including your budget, demonstrates that you are serious about your commitment to implementing your program and makes the funder more apt to give you funding. Once you receive funding, you will need to report on how you used the funds and the success of your program. It is important to keep accurate records and use measurements that are realistic to track your program’s performances so that the funder will renew your funding the next time around.