A grant proposal is a formal document that charitable organizations use to solicit donations (monetary and in-kind) from foundations, corporations, and government agencies.  The goal of the proposal is to persuade the prospective funder that the organization (and its work) is valuable and worthy of support.

Effective grant proposals give a thorough explanation of how the grant will be used and adhere strictly to the prospective funders’ guidelines.  Grant proposals usually include some variation of the following information:

• Proposal Summary
• Introduction/ Organizational History
• Problem Statement/Assessment of Need
• Description of Target Population
• Program Methodology
• Goals
• Objectives
• Evaluation Methods
• Conclusion

Although there are professional grant writers, a lay person can master grant proposal writing (or grant writing). If he has good writing skills, can learn the style and tone that are used in proposals, and has a thorough understanding of the charitable organization, then he can write a grant proposal. It just takes trial and error, and time and patience. 

Definition:

In-kind donation: An in-kind donation is a gift of goods or services.  For instance, a non-profit organization might write a letter (or proposal) to Dell and ask them for computers.  If Dell gives them the computers at no-cost, it is an in-kind donation.