Educational Grants

• Many prospective students want to further their education by attending university, college or professional development courses but cannot afford the fees. Governments and foundations offer educational grants to assist these students. To apply for educational grants, students fill in an application detailing their personal details and educational background and explaining their need for the grant. For means-tested grants, there is a section on family or parental income, which often needs to be backed up by bank statements.
  
  

Nonprofit Grants

• Typically, nonprofit organizations do not have a means of generating income but are reliant on the generosity of donors and grant organizations. Before submitting a proposal, short list grants based on the fit between the grant's eligibility criteria and the nonprofit project. Typically, grant proposals include an introductory section with project overview, which summarizes the nature of the project, followed by a problem statement, which highlights the background to the problem and the need for action. The main section of the proposal gives details of the project, including the goals and objectives, beneficiaries as well as the method of implementation and the staff required. The next section focuses on resources, listing the resources the nonprofit currently has along with the financial, physical and human resources it still needs to make the project a reality. Typically, the final section of the proposal highlights how the project will be monitored and evaluated.
  
  

Research Grants

• Research bodies, such as the American Medical Council or Cancer Research UK, offer grants to academics wanting to undertake a research project in the relevant field. Here, grant proposals outline the hypothesis and nature of the research project, detailing how the project will benefit the research community as a whole. Like nonprofit grants, research grant proposals must give a clear budget indicating how many people and resources are needed along with a time frame for the project.
  
  

Tips

• For all grant proposals, read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. Make sure the statement of need or project description clearly meets the requirements. Ask a friend or colleague to check the application before submitting it.