Grant Narrative Guidelines for a Program/Project Support Request
Please use the following as a framework to ensure that the grant narrative contains critical elements
that will enable DF to make an informed funding decision on all grant requests. Use the headings
below to organize your Grant Narrative.
If there is information that we have not requested that you think will be important for DF to know,
please feel free to include it. Please be careful, though, to avoid unnecessary repetition.
Please note that some of the new questions in the narrative are designed to help the Foundation learn
more about the employment services offered in our community. We thank you, in advance, for taking
the time to help us understand the context that you and your colleagues at other agencies are
working in.
Organization Background:
State the organization’s mission and give a brief history of the organization, including the year and
circumstances of its founding and how it has evolved since them.
Programs and Services
List the agency’s programs, including a brief description and service statistics for the most recent fiscal
year.
Organization Strategy:
If your organization has a strategic plan that is in active use, summarize it briefly.
If your organization has identified organizational goals or objectives, summarize these, and describe how
you will evaluate the agency’s progress.
Organization Environment:
Describe the environment in which your agency operates. Address opportunities and challenges, and
describe the distinctiveness of the organization.
How does your organization work with employers? Give examples, if relevant.
Organizational Capacity – Leadership:
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Provide background on the qualifications and experience of your top management and information
about the existence of a succession plan.
How does your Board of Directors they support the organization (program oversight, strategic planning,
fundraising, volunteering)? Indicate what skill sets are represented on your Board. If you have a
committee structure, please describe it. What percentage of Trustees made a personal financial
contribution to the organization during the last fiscal year, and what was the total dollar amount of
these contributions?
Organizational Capacity – Staff and Volunteers:
Describe the structure of your organization. Include an organization chart if desired. State the number of
full and part-time staff and volunteers in the organization.
Financial Health/Sustainability:
How would you describe your agency’s financial health? Please address issues such as adequate working
capital, diversified funding sources, strong financial reporting, and innovative strategies for income
generation, and roadmap for future direction. Describe any anticipated changes to the financial health
of the organization.
Program/Project Description:
Summarize the overall program/project to be funded by this request. Explain how the funds requested
will be used.
How does this program/project fit within the overall strategy of your organization?
Which key personnel are required for the design, implementation, and/or delivery of this
program/project? Describe their backgrounds/skills. If support is requested for other staff positions, list
these here.
How many people will your program/project serve during the grant period? If this is an ongoing effort,
how many were served during the most recently completed fiscal year?
What evidence suggests that this approach will be effective?
Goals/Objectives/Outcomes:
If you have identified goals, describe them.
A goal is a broad statement that answers the question, “What does your program hope
to accomplish?” Example: The goal of the program is to empower individuals to achieve
and maintain self-sufficiency through employment.
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If you have identified objectives, describe them.
An objective is narrower in focus and answers the question, “what steps do you intend
to take to accomplish your goal(s)?” Example: We will provide a 4-week job readiness
workshop including soft skills and job search training for 400 individuals over the next
12 months.
If you have identified outcomes, describe them. Include information on what you expect to achieve
during the grant period as well as those that you achieved during the past year.
An outcome is the actual result or consequence that will occur through the achievement
of the objectives. It is nearly always quantifiable and measurable. Example: 70% (280 of
the program participants will complete the 4 week series of workshops. 65% (182) will be
placed into full time jobs.
*Please note: We will ask you to share your progress towards these goals, objectives,
and outcomes in your post-grant reporting*
Describe the tools/infrastructure that exist to track, measure, and report on such goals,
objectives and outcomes.
Program/Project Budget
Attach a budget showing expenses and revenues for the program/project for which support is
requested. If the project represents a portion of a program’s budget, provide the full budget,
not just the line items for which support is being sought. Indicate how support from DF will be
used (i.e. support for a percentage of the entire budget or for certain expenses). Include
expense line items by category (i.e. salaries, benefits, rent, utilities, supplies, etc.). Do the same
for sources of revenue (i.e. government, corporate, foundations, individuals, etc.) and indicate
the status (i.e. committed, awaiting decision/date decision expected, or not yet requested/date
to be submitted).
Alignment with DF Mission:
If the program/project focuses on employment, please answer this question: The mission of Deaconess
Foundation is to increase the ability of individuals in Cuyahoga County with the least wealth and
opportunity to prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment. As DF has deepened its focus on
employment, it seeks to make investments with distinct impact on individuals, communities, and/or
systems. How does this program/project achieve such impact?
If the program/project focuses on strengthening the human services sector, please answer this
question: How does the program/project align with the Foundation’s mission to collaborate in
philanthropic efforts that strengthen the human services sector?
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