Chances are, the proposal has changed a lot since the program officer (or clinic director, librarian, coach, and so on) last saw it. It’s usually a good idea to give her one last chance to review the entire proposal, complete with attachments. (Remember to cover or exclude any confidential salary information when sharing the proposal with anyone who doesn’t already have access to this information.)

Be sure to remind the program officer that you have to present the program in terms that will appeal to the funder. Just because her language has been largely left behind doesn’t mean the program has changed. Offer to translate the proposal back into the original terms if necessary. If you think bringing program staff back into the process at this late stage will delay submission, you might skip this step with your executive director’s consent.

Make notes for your own use that explain how you arrived at each budget line. You’ll be asked to review this with the finance or program staff after the grant comes in, and believe me, in six months you’ll have forgotten how the printing line got to $6,000.

When I discussed customizing the proposal for each funder in Chapter 14, I asked you to create a checklist of the required parts of the proposal and attachments. Use that checklist now to be sure you’ve prepared all the parts. You might even ask a colleague to review the checklist with you. After the proposal has been completely assembled and all concerned have had a chance for a final review, it’s time to prepare your package for the mail.