If you want a funder to support your project or organization with a grant, you have to present a convincing argument to bring them to that conclusion. This is known as making the case for support. Each element that makes up the project description helps make the case for support.

A good case for support immediately captures the reader’s imagination, usually with a bold statement of purpose or a surprising fact the reader might not know. It goes on to describe the problem you plan to solve and how your charity will work to solve it. It must also convey a feeling of urgency to make the reader want to give you the grant right now.

Good cases for support bear a strong relationship to other types of persuasive writing. In their book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Chip and Dan Heath sum up their guide to successful writing with the mnemonic “SUCCES,” which stands for “simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and stories.” That’s the best summary of how to create good fundraising copy I’ve ever seen. As you read on, think about how each part of the case for support fulfills one or more aspects of their principle.

Here are the essential parts of the proposal (or case for support):

Purpose of the program. Stated simply, what will the project accomplish?

Why you are doing this project. Why is the program needed? Does any other organization have a similar program? If so, how does what you will do differ? How does your program fit with your charity’s mission?

How you will make it happen. What resources (personnel, technical, facility, financial) are needed to carry out the program? What are the steps you’ll take to prepare for and to execute the program?

Who will do what. Who will run the program? What staff will be involved, and how much time will each person devote to this project? Will you use consultants? A combination of staff and consultants? What will the roles of each be?

Who will benefit. How many people will the program serve, and who are they? Why is it important to serve these people? Can you illustrate the effects of your program with a story about one of your clients or constituents?

How you will know you’ve done well. What results do you expect from the program? What are its goals and objectives? How will you evaluate the program?

Summing it all up. Can you sum up the proposal in two or three sentences to leave the funder with a simple picture they can really remember? People tend to skip to the end of documents. Can you use a surprising example here to stick in the reader’s memory?

The ability to weave together the answers to these questions into a seamless, readable narrative represents the grant writer’s primary skill. In large organizations, different people conduct research, and still others prepare the budgets, but writing the project description remains the province of the grant writer.

The order you present the necessary information can vary, especially if a funder specifies some other order. Always follow the funder’s instructions to the letter.

You can use this list of elements as a questionnaire to gather information from the people running the program. You’ll probably go back to them several times in the process for more information or clarifications. Be sure to let someone directly involved in carrying out the program read your proposal before you submit it to be sure nothing got lost in the translation.

Now let’s look at each part to delve more deeply into what makes a successful grant proposal.