Free kit · Finance and funding
Grant Proposal Kit: free grant proposal template in Word, Excel and PDF
Check whether a grant covers what the program will cost before anyone writes a word. Then draft the proposal section by section next to a filled example, build a budget that shows the full cost and where the rest comes from, and set up the report before the first payment arrives.
Word, Excel and PDF · 12 pages · For executive directors, grant writers and boards
Your kit is ready
We also emailed these links to .
Your library is open on this browser.
What is inside
- Full-cost and fit check. Whether the program fits, what it will really cost against the award, and the choice to accept, negotiate or decline.
- Proposal template. Each section of a proposal with what to put in it, from the summary to the attachments.
- Grant budget and narrative. A line-item budget with the full cost, what this grant pays and other sources, and a budget narrative.
- Grant report. What you planned against what happened, the results, one participant's experience and spending against the budget.
- Award terms and closeout. The award letter's terms, a report calendar and the closeout steps.
How to use it
- Before you decide to apply: ask the program officer about fit, then run the full-cost check (Form A).
- Before the deadline: draft in Form B next to the filled example, then paste into the funder's form.
- With the proposal: price every line and show where the rest of the money comes from (Form C).
- When the award letter arrives: record its terms and every report date (Form E).
- By each report date: report results and spending (Form D), and close out at the end (Form E).
Questions
Is the kit free?
Yes. Enter your name, email and organization once, and every kit in the library opens on this browser.
Can I edit it?
Yes. The Word and Excel files are fully editable: change the sections, the budget lines and the report dates to match each funder's form and award letter.
Does it work in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs; the tables and ruled lines carry over.
Can I share it inside my organization?
Yes. Copy it, adapt it and share it with your board and staff.
Read the guide
More kits for executive directors
Logic Model and Theory of Change KitBoth tools for one program, filled examples and an evaluation plan for the yearly review
Fundraising Plan TemplateA revenue plan by source, a case for support, a donor and board plan and a stewardship calendar with the IRS gift rules
Nonprofit Budget and Treasurer Report WorkbookBudget, 12-month cash flow and a treasurer report that fills itself
With grants, the template is rarely where it goes wrong. The conversations are: telling a program officer the award does not cover the full cost, and turning down money you need this year. A coach is a thinking partner for those calls; compliance and accounting questions go to your accountant.
Six sessions of executive coaching: $300, $400 or $600, set by your organization's yearly operating expenses.
