How to write a successful school grant application
A step-by-step process for school and district applications, from reading guidelines to submitting.
1. Read the guidelines twice
Highlight eligibility, deadline, scoring criteria, allowable costs and required attachments. If there is a scoring rubric, structure your answers around it in the same order.
2. Build the project before you write
Agree the need, activities, staff, timeline and budget with your team first. Writing is far faster when the project is already designed.
3. Lead with evidence of need
Use school or public data (enrolment, free/reduced lunch, assessment results, Census data) and cite sources. Specific, sourced numbers are more persuasive than adjectives.
4. Write measurable outcomes
State what will change, by how much and how you will know. Use measures you will genuinely collect.
5. Align the budget and narrative
Every activity should appear in the budget and every budget line should appear in the narrative. Use current prices or quotations.
6. Get letters and signatures early
Principal, district and partner signatures take time. Request them at least two weeks before the deadline.
7. Review, then submit early
Have someone unfamiliar with the project read it. Submit at least 48 hours early and save your confirmation.
Checklist
- Rubric mapped to sections
- Need statement with sourced data
- Measurable outcomes
- Budget matches narrative
- Letters and signatures collected
- Submitted early, confirmation saved