Grant Proposal Template
Use this template to lay out the full shape of a grant proposal before you start writing. It covers the sections most funders expect to see, in the order reviewers usually read them — a blank outline, not a filled-in example, because the actual content always has to come from your organization's real program, numbers, and story.
Copy the outline below into a Google Doc or Word file and fill in each bracketed instruction with your own content. If your funder provides its own required format, a specific page or word limit, or an online portal with its own fields, follow those instructions instead — this template is a starting shape, not a substitute for what a specific funder asks for.
How to read this page: section headings are plain text you keep. Italic text in brackets is an instruction for what to write in that spot — replace it with your own content and delete the brackets. Nothing below is pre-written proposal text.
Grant Proposal — Template
Cover Sheet
[Project title]
[Organization name and address]
[Funder name]
[Date]
[Amount requested] | [Total project cost, if this is a partial request]
[Contact name, title, phone, email]
Table of Contents
[Include only if your proposal is long or the funder requires one — list each section below with its page number]
Executive Summary
[3-5 sentences: who you are, the need, what you're proposing to do, the amount requested, and the expected result. Many funders read this first and decide whether to keep reading — write it last, after every other section is final.]
Statement of Need / Problem Statement
[Who is affected, the scope of the problem, why it matters to this funder's stated priorities, and the gap in existing services. Back up claims with sources you can point to — note the source next to each statistic as you draft, so you can verify it before submission.]
Goals & Objectives
[One overall goal — the change this project works toward.]
[2-4 specific, measurable objectives, each with a target and a timeframe. Confirm every numeric target with the staff who will actually deliver the program before you submit.]
Project Methods / Approach
[What the project does, who is responsible for each activity, and when it happens. Connect every activity back to one of the objectives above — funders' reviewers often flag objectives with no matching activity.]
Evaluation Plan
[For each objective: what you'll measure, how you'll collect that data, how often, and who is responsible. Keep it realistic for the staff and tools your organization actually has.]
Organizational Background & Capacity
[A short history of your organization, its mission, and why it's positioned to carry out this specific project — relevant past experience, not a full organizational history.]
Budget Summary
[A short paragraph plus a summary table: total project cost, amount requested from this funder, and other confirmed or pending funding sources. For the full line-item numbers and a written budget narrative, use the Grant Budget Template and Budget Narrative Template, or the free Grant Budget Narrative Builder calculator.]
Sustainability / Future Funding Plan
[If the funder asks how the project continues after this grant period — other funding sources you're pursuing, plans to build the activity into ongoing operations, or a clear statement that this is a one-time need.]
Conclusion
[2-3 sentences: restate the request and the expected outcome, and thank the funder for their consideration.]
Attachments
[List whatever this specific funder's guidelines say to attach — requirements vary a lot from one funder to the next, so treat their instructions as the real list, not a generic one. A few things that come up often: proof of nonprofit status, a recent financial document, and letters of support. Read the guidelines once more right before you assemble the packet, since attachment requirements are an easy thing to miss on a first read.]
Once the shape is filled in, here's help with what goes inside it
This template gives you the shape — the harder part is what goes in each section, especially the statement of need, goals and objectives, methods, and evaluation plan. The Freelance Grant Writer's AI Toolkit ($34) includes a more detailed version of that narrative structure: word-count guidance per section, 7 AI prompts built specifically for drafting each part from your own program's information, a self-check table to catch inconsistencies before you submit, and a full worked example showing the whole process end to end on a sample project. Try 5 of the 30 prompts free first if you want to see the format before buying.
Need help with the budget too? Try the free Grant Budget Narrative Builder — it calculates your totals and drafts a first-pass narrative for each budget category. Or see the Grant Budget Template and the Budget Narrative Template for blank, fillable versions of the budget itself. If this funder doesn't supply its own face sheet or portal, the Grant Application Template covers the administrative cover-sheet details separately.
If you also run the business side of freelance grant writing (rates, engagement letters, client intake), the Pro toolkit ($79) adds a Freelance Business Toolkit module on top of everything above.