How to Prepare a Need Statement for Your Grant Proposal

There are many things to consider when writing a grant proposal, one of which is what should you write first. There is the executive summary writing that sets the tone of your proposal, then there’s the goals and objectives which also important to include in any grant proposal.

However, if you really want to make your grant proposal very effective, experts suggest to write the need statement of your grant proposal first or at least one of the main priorities. This is because the need statement of your grant proposal determines the needs that are to be addressed to the project.

What Should Be Included in the Need Statement?

Here are some of the important things to consider in writing the need statement of your proposal.

• The needs of your proposal must be clearly related to the mission statement and purpose statement of your proposal.
• The need statement should focus on the beneficiary or the people you serve.
• It should have statistics, expert views, trends, and other evidence to support the needs.
• The need statement must be easily understood.
• The need statement must avoid circular reasoning. The circular reasoning refers to the claims that the absence of the solution is the actual problem.

Compelling Reasons Strong Needs Statements Improve Grant Proposals

• Funders do not fund the what but the why. Your grant proposal will be more likely to be awarded and funded if it is focused on making the priorities of the funders brought to life rather than seeing what your organization is doing.
• The need statement should anchor on the compelling case. It should clearly define why your proposed solution is urgent and how does it relate to the funders goal.
• Thinking clearly in writing the need statement. By doing this, you determine what matter most to the funders and highlights what is urgent and important in the project plan.

How to Develop a Need Statement for Grant Proposal

• Use statistics, data, and trends to support the need statement.
• Use comparative statistics and research
• Include authorities on the topic such as names and sources to make the information valid.
• Record all your data.
• Include stories and fact sheets.
• Emphasize in the need statement that is urgent.

5 Elements of a Winning Needs Statement

• Learn the funder’s agenda. It is important that you have knowledge about the objectives and purpose of your grant proposal and what the funder wants to do with the money. Relate the need statement to the funder’s goal
• Identifying the main problem. There are lots of problems associated with the needs of your grant proposal. It is best that you should only focus on the main problem.
• Use data and trends. Using data and trends to support the need statement of your grant proposal will make it more effective and stronger.
• Paint a picture. With all the data and trends, do not forget to also include a story about the people that you serve, service that you provide, and the challenges.
• Solve the problem. The need statement should have a clear and strong solution to solve the problem at hand.