Grant Writing For Dummies, 7th Edition

Chapter 13

Preparing Preliminary Documents

IN THIS CHAPTER

Knowing how to prepare what a funder requires

Drafting a cover letter

Diving into forms

Creating the abstract and table of contents

This chapter covers critical and standard information-gathering forms and other pre-narrative sections you can expect to see in your grant applications. Remember that every type of funding source has different grant proposal formatting and submission requirements. With so many types of funding applications floating around, determining what goes where can be confusing. That’s why I explain it all in this chapter.

Along with a deep dive into general funder requirements, the chapter also discusses cover letters. Cover letters are no longer a standard requirement of grant applications, but some private-sector funders (that is, foundations and corporations) still require that a formal cover letter accompany a paper grant proposal. What do you write in these cover letters? How long should they be, and should they be formal or informal? What do you do if you have to fill out a cover form (something ...