All of the resources cited in the bibliography provide information on the basics of grantseeking. Andy Robinsonıs book, Grassroots Grants-An Activistıs Guide to Grantwriting, gives particularly good advice on acquiring social service grants.

Developing Relationships
Experts on grantseeking seem to agree that if you want to raise money through grant proposals, one of the most important things you can do is to establish and maintain strong, ³peer-to-peer relationships with the decision-makers² (Robinson, 56). Building a quality relationship becomes the biggest challenge. Although power inequities exist in the grantseeker- grantmaker relationship, grantmakers generally appreciate being treated as equals. They value being part of an on-going dialogue with real people who want their input about many issues. Grantmakers lend support to people they come to know; they provide funds to those they see as having the ability and drive to successfully pursue and complete innovative projects.

Grantseekers for projects for important social causes must acknowledge and address the need to secure funding. Anne Firth Murray of the Global Fund for Women says that ³we need to begin to feel empowered to gain access to those resources for our causes² (Robinson, 1). Grantseekers must be professional. Thorough and accurate preparation should be coupled with courtesy and respect. Grantwriters should be both project developers and critics. Their goal is for grantmakers to see your causes as their causes. John Powers of the Educational Foundation of America uses the following five criteria to evaluate a proposal:
*Is the issue important to me?
* Does this project have realistic and effective goals and approach?
*Is the timing appropriate (urgent and important)?
*Is this the best group to undertake this issue and project?
*Given limited resources, does this group really need our money? (Robinson, 15)

Advocacy for the project should continue long after the proposal is submitted. Grantseekers, along with colleagues and others with influence, need to continue to communicate that the project will be completed by individuals who are competent, knowledgeable, and easy-going. There must be evidence of a commitment to move ahead on the project, whether or not the grant is awarded; however, it should always be inferred that the grant is crucial to the advancement of the project.

Writing a Proposal
Grantwriters should be careful to follow application guidelines. Careful consideration should be given to words and layout. A clear and concise proposal is one that avoids unnecessary jargon and is easy to read in 12-point or larger type. Employing a variety of techniques, such as italics and bullets, helps to keep the readerıs attention.
Stories in the voices of people who will benefit from the program are effective and appropriate additions to a social action proposal.

Basic components of a grant proposal include:
*Cover page and executive summary
*Organizational history
*Problem statement
*Program goals and objectives
*Strategy and implementation
*Timeline
*Evaluation
*Personnel
*Budgets
*Attachments
*Cover letter

Cover page and executive summary comprise the first page. The cover page includes the title of the project, submission date, beginning and ending dates for the project, total project budget, amount requested, and contact persons and phone numbers. The executive summary describes the need and the proposed ways to address the need.
Organizational history tells something about the group and why it is uniquely prepared to do the proposed project.
Problem Statement explains the problem in such a way as to show how your particular group would be successful in constructing the best possible solutions. The problem is clearly defined, creates empathy for real people, and is broken down into specific issues and reasonable strategies.
Program goals restate the need in terms of long-range benefits of the project and objectives list measurable outcomes of the proposed project.
Strategy and implementation describes how you are going to carry out the plan to create change. It gives a detailed explanation of the methods to be used.
Timeline indicates when your objectives will be met. It is sometimes helpful to state workable deadlines within the timeline.
Evaluation shows the success or failure of the program in measurable terms. Grantmakers should see the impact of their funding; grantwriters should use what they have learned to promote other projects.
Personnel gives short biographies or resumes of main project staff.
Budgets should itemize expenses, show monies on hand, and project expected revenues. It should include the amount requested from the particular grantmaker.
Attachments include other items such as an IRS tax-exemption letter, a list of board members, a current newsletter, or letters of support. Only those items requested should be included with a proposal.
Cover letter is the first thing the grantmaker sees. It connects grantmaker to grantseeker. This letter reminds the reader of any previous communication, states the amount of money requested, describes the mission of the organization and why the project is important, and offers to provide additional information. It should never include information not given somewhere else in the proposal.

Bibliography

Bauer, David. The How-To Grants Manual. Series on Higher Education, Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press, 1995.
Bauer gives good general information on grants.

Geever, Jane and McNeil, Patricia. The Foundation Centerıs Guide to Proposal Writing. The Foundation Center, 1997.
Advice on preparation of master proposal before approaching funders.

Golden, Susan. Secrets of Successful Grantsmanship: a guerrilla guide to raising money. Jossey-Bass Nonprofit Sector Series, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1997.
This book presents guidelines for preparing grants and gives examples of grants.

Miner, Lynn. Proposal Planning and Writing. Phoenix, Arizona: Oryx Press, 1998.
Miner provides a step-by-step approach to writing proposals.

Robinson, Andy. Grassroots Grants-An Activistıs Guide to Proposal Writing. Oakland, CA: Chardon Press, 1996.
This book provides a wealth of information for acquiring social service grants.

Watkins, Christopher, ed. ³The Grant Advisor² monthly newsletter. Linden, Virginia.
This newsletter gives ideas for developing, evaluating, and budgeting for successful proposals. It includes a list of common problems to be avoided when writing proposals.

Resources on the Internet (from Robinson, Andy. Grassroots Grants listed above)

http://fdncenter.org The Foundation Center
http://www.cof.org The Council on Foundations
http://www.foundations.org Foundations On-line
http://www.nsfre.org National Society of Fund Raising Executives
http://www.nptimes.com The NonProfit Times
http://www.clark.net/pub/pwalker/ Nonprofit Resources Catalogue
http://www.igc.org Institute for Global Communication
http://www.webactive.com Web Active
http://www.nonprofits.org Internet NonProfit Center