Proposal Writing the SMART Way

Effective grant writing demands precision and strategy in today’s competitive funding landscape. To maximize your grant writing effectiveness, implementing SMART goals is essential. This powerful goal-setting framework encompasses five key objectives that can be easily implemented and monitored throughout the grant-writing process. In this article, we’ll explore how to leverage Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) objectives to elevate your grant proposals and increase your chances of funding success.

S – Let’s be as Specific as Possible

M – Provide a Measurable Outcome and Impact

A – Achieving a Goal

R – Relevant to the Involved Parties

T – Timely, efficient, and under deadlines

Specific as Possible

The most effective way to stand out from the competition is to be as specific as possible. Funders want specific details about your project. As clearly and as concisely as you can, tell the funder what you are going to do, the program goal, and/or the specific activities involved. In the simplest terms, funders want to know: what do you do?

Measurable Outcomes and Impact      

Before funders feel comfortable writing that big check, they want to know that their financial contribution will actually make a positive difference. What is the impact of your work? Is it quantifiable? How many people are being helped? What difference does your organization make? These are critical questions that your proposal must answer to be considered for a grant award.

Impact measurement strategies are crucial to the program planning process, which every successful organization needs. Data for the measurable impact of an organization highlights needs within this community and demonstrates that the organization is the solution to meet that need. Measurable impact data helps raise awareness of specific needs and establishes a possible solution or answer to the needs, creating the opportunity for more ‘helpers’ to get involved with your meaningful work. 

Achieving a Goal

Think of your goal as a dream with a deadline. Then, ask yourself the following questions: How will we complete this goal? What will it take to meet the deadline? What tasks/steps need to be completed along the way to move forward to the next? What defines the goal as being complete? Once you have these answered, then you can:

1. Make a list
2. Be proactive
3. Confirm you have the tools needed to start working on the goals
4. Research, evaluate, and re-assess
5. Confirm the goal (s) has been completed
6. Celebrate the completion of your goal

Relevant to the Involved Parties

Relevance in grant writing connects all the pieces of the puzzle. It links the funder, the applicant, the proposal, and the people who will benefit from the grant. A relevant proposal shows how the project will effectively achieve its goals and create positive change for individuals and communities. It demonstrates that your organization’s work aligns with the funder’s priorities. By telling a compelling story, you can highlight why your project matters and how it fits into the bigger picture of solving important problems.

How can you make the most of the readers’ first 20 seconds to engage their interest? Here are 5 Elements to help make your story compelling.

• Know the funder – Show the funder you know and care about who they are by clearly and briefly stating their top priorities/values. 

• Know the need – Show the funder how your objectives align by explaining the unique needs of the population you serve and how your program (Solution to the need) is relevant to their preferred funding area. 

• Know the data – Support the need(s) with clear data to demonstrate your experience and expertise. 

• Know the solution – As clearly and concisely as possible, tell the funder how your project solves this problem. 

• Know the outcomes – Stating clear, measurable evidence of how your organization has helped (or clearly stated achievable goals for how your organization will help and who it will help) solidifies your value. 

Timely, efficient, and under deadlines

Deadlines are critical to ensuring your organization effectively completes both long-term and short-term goals. To encourage a smooth workflow, expectations must be set based on your ability to meet your organization’s demands and the funder criteria. To be efficient and within the guidelines of a deadline, there are three necessary steps in order to keep your priorities realistic.

3 Steps to creating a realistic timeline:

• Set clear expectations by defining the following: What are the goals? Who is involved/roles? What is the deadline?

• Get the right resources. This involves mapping out the work/activities that need to be completed, from identifying potential funders to reviewing grant requirements to completing the proposal.

• Develop milestones as checkpoints throughout the process to stay focused and on track.

In conclusion, when it comes to writing grants, the SMART goals and objectives section of your proposal can make or break your funding request. The content has to be quantifiable and measurable according to the funder’s guidelines and criteria to make a significant impact in the decision-making process. Make sure your story is relevant to all parties involved and it will showcase the strength of your proposal. Adhering to deadlines will allow your organization to be more strategic and efficient when it comes to applying for grants that meet your funding needs. It’s also key to note that relevancy and timeliness are also critical to the success of any proposal. Funders base their decision on granting funds to applicants who tell a compelling story through a written proposal that matches the funder’s focus area. This is where the SMART approach comes into play to assist you with effective planning and embodying your vision of being realistic and adept at submitting the best possible and qualified proposal.  

Need some additional tips? Check out our short YouTube video here: 

SMART Goals Video