Grants for sports programs exist at the local and national level. However, it takes more than an idea and a request letter to obtain a grant. Creating a grant proposal that's a hit comes down to details and how they are presented. That means you must have a solid grasp on your project, including the explanation of how it will benefit people. You also have work to do in terms of learning about the granting organization's grant process, criteria and mission.
Step 1
Review the procedures for submitting your grant. Knowing the grant cycle is especially important. For example, some organizations have a yearly deadline for submitting grants while other organizations have a quarterly cycle. Many organizations will not consider your grant if you do not follow their application procedures exactly.
Step 2
Check to see what terms and conditions of the grant offered to ensure they are acceptable to your organization. Check the funding time frame as well; some grants take a year for funds to come through.
Step 3
Examine the organization's criteria for qualifying applicants and projects. For example, some organizations only provide money for youth programs that target specific age groups or income brackets while other organizations give funds in only certain geographic areas. Organizations also exist that give grants to promote certain sports, such as golf. In some cases, your organization must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
Step 4
Write a letter of inquiry to the granting agency, review the criteria online or follow any pre-application process the agency offers, such as a worksheet or an online eligibility match questionnaire.
Step 5
Make sure your grant request matches the funding parameters of the granting agency. For example, some grants provide funds for emergency needs that threaten to close down existing sports programs while others provide money for improvements to facilities while still others dole out funds for seed money or sports program scholarships. Also, make sure your request amount matches up with the amount of money the granting agency offers.
Step 6
Define your project. Include cost, time frame and detail the reason you need grant funds to complete the project. Also, gather details on other fundraising efforts that your organization has made. Create an in-depth description of your project and its objectives. Successful applications fit in with the mission behind the grant. You must be able to tell the granting agency who will benefit from the project and how this fits into the granting agency's mission.
Step 7
Prepare information on the anticipated outcome of your project, including information on how your project will be sustained after the time-frame covered by the grant if applicable. This information needs to be specific and measurable, such as the number of people who will benefit and who specifically benefits.
Step 8
Gather supporting materials, such as your organization's budget and project cost estimates. Include information on the organization's ability to gain any additional funding needed.
Step 9
Construct your proposal. Write an executive summary that states your need and provides a summary of your proposal. Follow this with a statement about why you need the grant funds. Then, describe your project. Tell how the project will be put into play and how its success will be evaluated. Next, detail your project's budget. Follow this with information on your organization. Include its history, how it is governed, its primary services, who is served and the organization's mission. Finally, write a short conclusion.
Things You'll Need
- Grant criteria
- Program budget
- Statement of need
- Background information on your organization
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