The devil is in the details.
 
If you are responsible for developing new programs, you no doubt have thought of this idiom more than once. A burst of creativity often gives birth to a new program. Details make that creative thought a successful program.
 
When you are seeking funding for a new program, it is important to balance the creative idea with a heavy dose of details. Details that are sometimes so difficult to determine help funders understand your program and gain confidence that it can and will be successful. Carefully chosen details help a funder understand why your new program is important to those you serve, how it fits in with your mission, how you are going to achieve the results you propose and, most importantly, why your particular project merits funding.
 
How do you capture these elusive details? Asking key questions helps to ensure that the right details are included to make your grant proposal compelling. Traditionally, journalists pose six basic questions. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Here’s how you can use this journalistic approach as the basis for researching your next grant proposal.

• Who? Start by thinking about the individuals the new program will serve. Consider their needs, how your program will assist them and how your organization will reach out to them to engage them in the program.
• What? Determine what you want to accomplish through your new program. Establish clear goals and measurable objectives that relate to the identified needs of your constituents.
• When? Develop a timeline for your program covering the entire funding period. Include key activities from development through implementation. Be as specific as possible.
• Where? Provide pertinent information about the community where your program will be offered. Describe the facility you will use.
• Why? Help funders understand the need for your program and why it is important to your constituents and the community.
• How? This question covers the nuts and bolts of your program, detailing the strategies and tactics that allow you to accomplish your goals and objectives.

While it may be true that the devil is in the details, details also are the foundation of a successful grant proposal. Use them wisely to create compelling and fundable grant proposals.
 
©2011 Joan B. Marcus