Three Tips for Crafting Need Statements in Federal Grant Proposals

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration provides a grant writing guide titled “Tips for Writing and Submitting Good Grant Proposals” offering many helpful suggestions, including how to write successful need statements.

Tip #1: Address the need that the funding opportunity is intended to fill — not the organization’s need for funding.

Tip #2: Communicate the organization’s familiarity with addressing the defined need.

Tip #3: Illustrate the need with a concise but concrete story.

Tip #1: The applicant should confirm that the proposed project addresses a need that aligns with the funding opportunity announcement. The applicant should then make sure to define the need from the perspective of the funding agency.

Tip #2: Getting specific about the applicant organization’s track record in the defined area of need helps to establish its credibility with the funding agency. This can be done in many ways, including listing the names and relevant accomplishments of key team members, and/or explaining how partners will contribute and play key roles in addressing the defined need.

Tip #3: Stories can help application evaluators to visualize the defined need and to grasp the challenges facing a project’s potential beneficiaries.

Excerpted from Grants.gov Community Blog Grant Writing: 3 Tips for Crafting Need Statements in Federal Grant Proposals