4 steps to a strong grant application

Applying for grants is often time‑consuming, competitive, and confusing. Many nonprofits navigate application processes that reward familiar approaches over innovation, emphasize short‑term outputs, or offer limited insight into what funders are looking for.

At Lever for Change, we partner with funders to host open calls to solicit proposals from a wide range of nonprofits working to address problems that need to be tackled at scale. After reviewing thousands of proposals, we’ve identified elements that strengthen applications, as well as common pitfalls. While these insights come from applications to our open calls, they reflect dynamics seen across the sector.

Whether an organization is pursuing a large, multiyear award or a more traditional grant, successful applications share a common foundation. Here are four steps nonprofits can take to strengthen their proposals, grounded in what funders we’ve worked with prioritize.

1. Assess the fit before you commit to a grant application

Before applying, it’s worth asking a simple but critical question: Is this opportunity the right fit for our organization right now? From a funder’s perspective, readiness matters as much as the idea or program itself. Even compelling solutions can fall short if an organization lacks the capacity, alignment, or timing to carry them out well. For instance, a promising program, however well designed, may raise flags if the applying organization’s core work is with one population but the proposal targets a community the organization has no existing relationships with or demonstrated experience serving.

Nonprofits would benefit from pausing to assess three core questions:

• How well does this opportunity fit your mission, strategy, and long‑term goals?
• Do you have the infrastructure and staff required, and if not, what is your plan to build them?
• What will this application and potential award require in terms of time and organizational resources?

The grant landscape is competitive, and applying to multiple opportunities can be effective. But volume alone is not enough. GrantStation’s 2025 State of Grantseeking report shows that applying to more funding opportunities correlates with more awards only when organizations have the time and staffing to pursue grants strategically.

A selective approach helps nonprofits focus their time and submit more competitive proposals.

2. Prioritize clarity and accessibility

Across thousands of proposals Lever for Change has assessed, clarity consistently separates top grant applications from the rest. Clarity helps reviewers quickly understand not only what an organization wants to do—but also why it matters and how it will work.

Strong applications clearly answer three questions funders ask:

• Why this organization? What makes the team uniquely positioned to carry out this work?
• How does this proposal fit the broader landscape? Who else is working on this issue, and how does this approach complement or differ from existing efforts?
• Why now? What makes this moment urgent, and how will funding now lead to meaningful impact?

It’s also important to present these answers in accessible language. Reviewers bring varied backgrounds and perspectives, including from outside the specific issue area. The most effective proposals translate complex challenges and solutions into language that is concise and easy to understand for a broad audience. In competitive funding environments, clarity and accessibility determine whether an idea is understood, remembered, and ultimately funded.

3. Show a thoughtful path to scale

For many funders, what stands out in a grant application is not whether a solution works today or scales at the outset but realistic thinking about growth and long‑term impact.

Funders look for signals that organizations have considered how a solution could be broadened or adapted, what infrastructure or partnerships would support growth, and how quality and impact would be maintained as reach expands.

This doesn’t mean organizations need to have everything figured out. What matters is demonstrating a credible, evidence-informed vision for sustainability and growth.

4. Use the application review criteria as a roadmap

Understanding how proposals will be reviewed remains one of the most practical and most overlooked steps in the application process.

A surprising number of applications fall out of consideration because they fail to meet basic requirements. Exceeding word counts or ignoring video time limits can result in automatic disqualification in the interest of equity and consistency.

Successful applicants use the application review criteria funders share as a roadmap. They structure responses around what reviewers will be assessing in the applications.

Turning preparation into impact

Strong grant applications are rarely about having the most novel idea or the flashiest language. They succeed because they demonstrate alignment with the funders’ stated priorities and readiness to make the most of the funding opportunity. The most effective proposals make it easy for reviewers to understand the problem, the solution, and the reason your organization is well-positioned to deliver results.

In today’s crowded grantseeking landscape, strategy matters as much as storytelling. While these steps do not guarantee funding, they help organizations put their best ideas forward clearly and strategically.

Photo credit: Lever for Change