How to Create a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (+ Templates)
Securing grant funding is no easy feat.
In fact, research by Instrumentl revealed that only about 43% to 46% of grant proposals are successful, meaning more than half don’t make the cut.
So, how can you improve your odds of securing funding and prevent those opportunities from slipping away?
One of the most effective ways to learn is by examining winning grant proposal examples. Seeing actual proposals that worked gives you a clearer sense of what funders look for, including the structure, language, and level of detail that set winning submissions apart.
In this article, we’re sharing eight real-life grant proposal examples from both nonprofits and researchers that successfully secured funding.
You’ll also find helpful grant proposal templates you can customize to build yours easily.
Grant proposals are documents that individuals and businesses submit to funders (government agencies, philanthropists, foundations or organizations) to request support or funding for a specific project, program, or research.
A good grant proposal should:
Consider these important supporting documents to help funders understand your project and increase your chances of winning a grant:
Some grantors provide a specific structure to follow, while others don’t. Here’s the usual structure your grant proposal will have:
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Looking at real, funded grant proposals can give you practical insight into what works.
Here are some strong examples to take notes from:
If you're preparing a research-based grant, this proposal, submitted to the University of Northern Colorado’s Office of Assessment Mini-Grant Program, will provide valuable insight.
The project examined how specific activities within the Center for Human Enrichment (CHE) influenced first-year students’ academic and social success.
Instead of listing outcomes in isolation, the proposal connects program activities and timelines to specific, measurable student experiences. A concise table breaks this down in a way that’s easy to scan and understand.
Bold headings, short paragraphs, tables and lists make the document clean and easy to follow.
The proposal titled “Building Capacity for a Research Partnership to Optimize Physical Activity in Lung Cancer Survivors” was submitted to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The aim was to bring together researchers and community partners to improve physical activity outcomes for lung cancer survivors.
A notable element of the proposal is the use of a map to highlight areas in Chicago with high lung cancer prevalence. This visual element grounds the proposal in a real-world context and local need.
The rest of the proposal is equally solid, moving logically from background and significance to objectives and methodology. Strategic formatting choices like bold headings and italics also make it easier to navigate, despite its technical depth.
Our next pick is a great example of how to approach niche or overly technical grant proposals. It was submitted to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Travel and Supply Grant for Student Researchers.
The aim was to explore the role of the bolA gene in bacterial cellulose production. While there’s some technical language, it’s always tied back to real-world relevance. This is key for impressing technical reviewers while demonstrating meaningful application beyond the lab.
Structurally, the proposal is well-organized. Each section builds on the last, which helps establish the student’s competence and vision.
The budget section also stands out. Rather than just listing items, the applicant includes a detailed table showing the supplier, purpose, quantity and unit cost for each resource. That level of clarity demonstrates strong planning skills and shows the reviewers that the applicant knows exactly what’s needed to carry out the project successfully.
This proposal is also submitted to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse travel and supply grants for student researchers. It addresses a community challenge: improving access to food resources in La Crosse County through the creation of a user-friendly digital map.
What makes this proposal compelling is its simplicity and clarity. It begins with a detailed title that signals the local impact, followed by an abstract that succinctly describes the project’s purpose. The introduction then builds on this by outlining a straightforward plan from collecting and verifying data to mapping and developing a website. Throughout, the language is free of jargon and keeps the reader grounded in concrete steps, making it easy to understand the project’s scope and feasibility.
Because the grant funds conference travel rather than the project itself, the proposal smartly emphasizes the significance of presenting the research at conferences and includes specific logistical details. The budget section includes a comment column, which adds clarity to certain line items and helps prevent questions that could delay approval.
This grant proposal requests funding to establish a fitness and wellness center within the Summerville Police Department. The goal is to reduce officer absenteeism caused by cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal injuries by introducing preventive health measures.
It opens with a quick cover letter that references the funding request. This sets a respectful tone and feels well thought out.
The introduction provides background on the Summerville Police Department—how it was formed, how it has evolved and the current qualifications of its officers. This context helps reviewers understand why the department is a strong candidate for investment.
The problem statement is compelling. It draws from both national and local data to show how officer health affects not only their well-being but also public safety. That framing makes the need feel urgent and grounded in reality.
The layout of the proposal is clean and easy to read. With alphabetized lists, bold section headers, and ample spacing between paragraphs, it ensures an engaging and reader-friendly experience.
This proposal was submitted in response to a specific Request for Proposals (RFP) from the U.S. Department of Education. It closely follows the agency’s required format, which shows a commitment to meeting funder expectations.
This proposal is longer than some earlier examples. However, it’s surprisingly easy to navigate, thanks to its clean formatting, consistent use of white space and logical structure.
One of the proposal’s standout features is its strategic use of tables. Rather than hiding key information in dense paragraphs, timelines, objectives, partner responsibilities and evaluation metrics are laid out in tables. This allows reviewers to quickly understand who’s doing what, when and how success will be tracked.
This proposal, titled Publish & Flourish: A Women’s Writers Colony at WPI was submitted to the Women’s Impact Network (WIN) grant program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. WIN grants are designed to support initiatives that promote gender equity and leadership at WPI.
The proposal appears to follow a standardized application format, which helps keep responses focused and easy to review. Even if your grant application doesn’t require this structure, mirroring it with questions and direct answers helps reviewers find essential details quickly.
The project is thoughtfully tailored to WIN’s mission, which signals that the applicant has taken the time to understand the funder’s goals. It articulates the problem, setting a compelling foundation for why the initiative matters.
The proposed solution: boot camps, peer writing groups and targeted workshops directly address the problem. It also draws on internal survey data, adding credibility without overwhelming the reader with jargon.
To help you get your creative juices flowing quickly, here are 5 easy-to-customize templates you can start using right away in Visme:
If you run an NGO or lead a public outreach program, you know how expensive community projects can be. Grants can ease that burden and help you create a lasting impact. This vibrant, user-friendly template gives you an edge when presenting your proposal.
It includes all the essentials: an introduction, objectives, cost summary, detailed budget and conclusion. The financial section is emphasized to ensure no detail is missed. You can also add slides for an impact plan, timeline, or anything else relevant.
Everything is fully customizable. Adjust colors, fonts and layout to fit your brand, or use Visme’s Brand Design Tool to extract them from your website in one click.
Showcase your innovative research with this clean, professional template. It opens by introducing the research council, then walks through your mission, vision and the core purpose of your project.
The budget page is worth mentioning. It presents a stunning pie chart that visually breaks down how funds will be allocated across various aspects of your research. This helps reviewers quickly grasp the financial scope of your project.
You can easily make your budget page even more captivating. Use Visme’s data visualization tools to add charts, graphs, maps, pictograms and 3D widgets. You can also animate them to create a more interactive experience.
This bold, well-structured template is ideal for survey research proposals that aim to drive real impact.
The executive summary delivers a quick, effective overview, while the budget section appears early, perfect for setting financial expectations upfront. There's a cover letter that introduces you and reinforces the project’s value.
Goals and objectives are presented and the methods section offers just enough detail to show strategic direction. You can upload your own visuals and enhance them with Visme’s AI tools and upscaler for a polished, professional finish.
Use this minimalist template to show just how committed you are to creating a more mentally stable student environment. Whether you’re just starting out or already experienced in grant writing, this template will guide you through crafting a strong, persuasive proposal.
This design is minimal but sophisticated enough to complement the content. The budget section stands out, featuring a well-organized table with a column for context. It makes the numbers feel less intimidating, both for you to fill in and for reviewers to evaluate.
Instead of manually adding your logo to every field, use Visme’s dynamic field feature to automatically pull in your branding elements. It saves time, keeps your design consistent and is easy to edit.
This template works great when you need to explain a project in full detail. Reviewers can quickly grasp the purpose from the cover page and easily locate key information using the table of contents.
The cover letter sets the stage nicely. It shares the organization’s mission and makes a strong case for why clean drinking water can make a real difference in a middle school setting.
There’s a solid section on methods and strategy, laying out exactly how the team plans to get things done.
You can add or swap images by choosing from the millions of Visme stock photos or icons to better match your message.
Here’s a straightforward breakdown to help you create a successful grant proposal without breaking a sweat:
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The first step is to start looking for funding opportunities that align with your project’s mission.
You’ll find some opportunities on Grants.gov, FundsforNGOs, GrantWatch, United Nations (UN), Foundation Directory Online and more. We’ll talk about how to find grant opportunities later in this guide.
When considering a grant opportunity, pay close attention to eligibility and application instructions, including scoring criteria if available. Highlight the key requirements to ensure you don’t miss anything. Then, review the funder’s goals and past projects they’ve supported to know if your project aligns with their interest.
Many people get stuck here, especially if they aren’t confident with their numbers. However, having a rough cost estimate upfront helps guide the rest of your proposal.
List all possible expenses and check local prices. Your estimated expenses should include:
Detail the budget in a spreadsheet. If you’re building your grant proposal in Visme, you can easily connect your sheet to a customizable table. This way, it’s not only easy to understand but also engaging.
Don’t jump into writing full paragraphs yet.
Begin your draft by creating a simple outline based on the funder’s required sections.
The most effective way to develop this draft section is through team collaboration. Bring together your project leads, finance staff, and other key contributors for a brainstorming session.
During the session, consider asking yourselves questions like:
You can achieve this step with your team members using Visme’s online whiteboard. Just invite your team members to your Visme workspace and start your brainstorming session together.
Now it’s time to expand your outline into full sections.
Each section of the proposal should achieve a purpose as we’ve highlighted earlier in the “Anatomy of a Grant Proposal section.”
Keep your writing concise and make every word count. Remember that the funder will be reviewing a wide range of proposals. You don’t want to lose their attention with unnecessary detail.
Once all sections are written and reviewed, compile them in a professional format. For efficiency, use any of the Visme templates above or create a unique one with our AI document generator.
You can easily adjust the colors and fonts to match your brand. Better still, set up your brand kit and use the Brand Wizard to pull all the brand assets from your website.
Be sure to include visually engaging images and data-visualization tools such as graphs, timelines, tables and icons to support your points and engage readers.
If writing isn’t your strength, our AI writer can help you frame your ideas, summarize long texts, or help refine your copy.
Even though it’s optional, a strong cover letter can make a good first impression. Think of it as a personal handshake at the front of your proposal. It should briefly introduce your organization, state the purpose of the proposal and express enthusiasm for the opportunity.
Before submitting, have someone who is not involved in writing the grant review the proposal for clarity, flow and any missing details. Visme's collaboration tools make it easy for team members to comment and edit content based on their assigned permissions.
If the application guidelines specify a required format, ensure that you follow it to the letter. In Visme, you can share your proposal as a live link or download it as a PDF or PNG. If there’s no format restriction, sharing a live link is a better option. You can easily make updates even after submission.
Plus, you can track analytics to see who viewed it, when they viewed it and how long they spent on each section.
Here are some practical tips to help you create a strong winning proposal:
Before you start writing, dig deep into the agency’s priorities and the shortcomings of past grantees. This context can help you position your proposal as the stronger, more relevant solution.
As Olivia Barrow, a professional copywriter and grant writer, explains:
“It’s critical to understand the specific problem the agency is looking to solve and to know the history of previous grant awardees. In many cases, the agency is looking for a new provider who will overcome those shortfalls, which might be related to a lack of cultural relevance to the target audience, inadequate staffing, inability to engage the target population, etc. The more your grant narrative indicates you’ll bring a new, more successful approach to solving the problem than the last vendor did, the more success you will have.”
Break your grant writing process into micro-deadlines: outlining, writing, editing, collecting support documents, budgeting and submission. Then schedule deadlines for each step.
This helps you avoid last-minute scrambling and gives you time to refine your story, budget and tone, all of which can make or break your chances.
Meredith Noble, founder of Learn Grant Writing echoed this insight:
“It's important to have lots of micro deadlines and really map out when things are going to get done, because a really common pain point people run into is they run out of time to apply right, so you don't want that to be you.”
In nonprofit grant writing, mixing real-life stories with solid data makes your proposal stronger. Stories help funders connect emotionally, while numbers show that your work is effective and reliable.
As Dionne Jayne Ricafort, Marketing Manager of CSO Yemen, shares:
“One best practice I swear by is storytelling with data—balancing compelling human narratives with concrete metrics. A memorable example: we once included a case study of a single mother impacted by our program alongside hard stats on improved health outcomes. That blend of emotional and factual resonance helped us secure a major grant.”
Most proposals lean heavily on text, but visuals are sometimes better for quickly conveying the scope and emotional weight of your work.
Instead of listing activities, use a flowchart or infographic to show the participant’s journey from recruitment to transformation. It’s easier to grasp and more compelling.
Working with vulnerable communities? A before-and-after snapshot, growth timeline, or impact map can add instant clarity and empathy.
Here’s an example of how to show the impact of your work with visuals:
If allowed, reach out to the grant officer with thoughtful questions. This can reveal insights to better tailor your proposal or clarify details not in the guidelines. Avoid asking about things already covered; this shows you’ve done your homework and signals professionalism.
After submitting, keep the relationship alive. If you win the grant, share progress updates. If you don’t, politely ask for feedback. Some funders won’t respond, but those who do can offer valuable advice for next time. Either way, staying engaged builds trust and keeps you on their radar.
Karim Salhani, PhD, Owner & Principal Consultant, Faithful Grants Consulting, contributed this insight:
“The nonprofits thriving today treat every proposal as an investment. This isn't just about one grant cycle; it's about laying the groundwork for consistent funding. We've seen organizations turn an initial "no" into years of recurrent awards. Grant writing isn't just about asking for money; it's about strategically building trust and authentic partnerships that fuel your mission for years to come”
Many strong proposals fail not because of their ideas, but due to avoidable mistakes that turn reviewers away. Here are five frequent errors to watch out for when writing your grant proposal.
A vague or unproven problem statement can sink your grant before the reviewer even finishes the first page. Your problem statement should reveal why your project matters and why it’s important to be addressed urgently.
As Elizabeth Lawrence, Managing Editor of MAGA, emphasized:
“A weak problem statement leaves the reviewer guessing why the project should exist in the first place. It either gets too vague or leans too heavily on emotion without backing up claims. If you don’t quantify the issue or show why it matters now, then you’ve already lost the funding opportunity. Reviewers are scanning for urgency and clarity. If they don’t see it in the first two paragraphs, they move on."
No matter how compelling your idea is, an unclear or unrealistic budget damages your credibility. Funders want to see exactly how you’ll spend the funds and why those costs make sense.
Make sure you’re not underpricing or inflating your budget. If these parts feel disconnected, funders will struggle to follow your logic and may doubt your planning.
Submitting a proposal that doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria is one of the fastest ways to get rejected. If you’re missing a key requirement, like a specific location or organizational status, don’t guess. Reach out to the funder and ask. In some cases, exceptions or clarifications are possible. However, sending in a proposal that doesn’t fit the guidelines will surely hurt your chances.
Finding the right grant can be just as critical as writing a compelling proposal. While it may take time to research the best fit, the payoff is worth it.
Here are practical ways to streamline your search and find grant opportunities that align with your project:
Websites like Grants.gov, United Nations (UN), Foundation Directory Online, GrantStation, GrantWatch, Candid and Instrumentl list thousands of open funding opportunities across sectors. You can filter by location, funder type, eligibility and focus area to quickly zero in on the most relevant grants.
Look beyond the general ones. Platforms like FundsforNGOs, Idealist and Philanthropy News Digest focus on nonprofit funding, international development and specialized sectors. These are especially helpful for grassroots or mission-specific projects.
Search Google using keywords tied to your field and impact area. For example:
Sometimes, small foundations or localized opportunities are only announced via social. Discover grants on social media by:
Many funding bodies have newsletters where they announce upcoming deadlines and tips. Examples are:
Grant proposals typically take 5 to 15 pages, depending on the funder’s guidelines and the kind of idea you’re pitching.
When writing a grant proposal, avoid jargon, vague statements and unsupported claims.
The five R’s of grant writing are readiness, research, relationships, writing and reporting.
The five Rs of grant writing are essential principles that guide the process to increase the chances of success:
Examples of federal grants are: the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant.
The four steps required for a grant proposal include identifying your project needs, finding relevant grants you can apply for, developing the budget early and drafting the proposal.
Yes, you can use the same proposal for multiple grants but tailor it to each funder’s priorities and requirements.
A Letter of Intent is a brief overview that expresses the intention to apply for funding, while a Grant Proposal is a detailed document that outlines the project plan, objectives, and budget for securing that funding.
Winning grant proposals are essential for NGOs and researchers seeking to make a real impact. They help you communicate your project’s goals, demonstrate your credibility, and convince funders to invest in your mission.
With Visme’s grant proposal templates and powerful design tools, you can craft compelling, professional grant proposals that stand out. You can access an extensive library of customizable templates, AI-assisted writing, and features like collaboration and data visualization. Visme streamlines your process from start to finish.
Don’t let funding opportunities slip away. Sign up for a Visme account or request a demo today and take your grant writing to the next level.
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