Want to write a winning grant proposal? Here are the 4 key parts of the proposal that you must absolutely lock down:

1. Statement Problem:

This should describe a problem or opportunity to which you are responding. Be as precise as possible on the nature and scale of the problem as this will help funders to understand the extent to which your innovation offers a viable solution. Most grants are based on poverty alleviation, food security or making the lives of your beneficiaries better.

2. Innovation:

How will your solution improve the lives of your target beneficiaries more effectively than existing approaches? An innovation could be a new business model, process, way of working, education, or piece of technology. Outline and detail the project that you wish to start or scale as well as how it will be implemented. Make sure to include information on the activities that will be accomplished as well as what your goals and desired outcomes are.

3. Evaluation Methodology:

Management thinker Peter Drucker famously said “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”. And I couldn't agree more. How will you gather data? How will you analyze the gathered data? How will you measure the effectiveness of the project? How will you track the outcomes?

4. Sustainability:

No funder wants to fund a one time project. Funders want to back projects that can have a significant impact beyond the initial funding. It is very important to show that your project is sustainable and how it will be replicated upon success. You need to have clear strategies on how you will continue to fund this project after the grant money has run out.