Even though the last minutes before the grant is submitted are often hectic, it's important to leave time in your grant development activity to read and re-read your final proposal. Here's some writing tips to keep in mind when you do the penultimate check.Vocabulary. Use language appropriate to your sense of the reviewers' level of expertise and depth of knowledge in the subject. In general, shorter words are better than long ones. Define all acronyms and avoid buzzwords and slang phrases.
Writing Style. Use simple sentences (no more than two commas) and short paragraphs (five to seven lines). Begin each section with a strong motivating "lead" sentence. Make sure your writing style won't be construed as cute or offensive to the reader.
Visual Attractiveness. Enhance the readability by bold headings, different typefaces (but limit variety), use of bullets and lists, pictures (if relevant), charts and graphs, TOC (if proposal is long or has many appendices), ragged right margins, good margins (sufficient white space to make reading easier).
Funder Guidelines. If funder has rules regarding font, number of characters per inch, line spacing, make sure you follow these exactly. Do a final check of all the required items and their format before sending it off.
Appendices. These are not necessary for the proposal exercise we have done in class but sometimes they can be useful. For example, backup documentation (studies, tables, diagrams), vitae of key personnel, list of board members, letters of recommendation or endorsement or commitment, copies of your agency's publications or descriptive publicity.
Abstract. One of the last things you will write but one of the first things the reviewer will read. The abstract should be a succinct summary of the proposal containing a concise description of the need for your project, your project's goals and objectives, the general approach you plan to use, and plan for evaluation. Determine which of these components to emphasize in the abstract by reviewing the evaluation criteria the funding source will apply. Some funders have explicit requirements for number of words or characters in the abstract. Some require key words be underlined or subject headings be provided. Make sure you follow any requirements exactly.
Title Page. Federal grant applications have a required title page. A required format ensures that all necessary information is included and found in the same place on each proposal. Most academic institutions have an internal grant processing form that must accompany the proposal but doesn't go off campus.
Title.The title of your proposal should capture the attention of reviewers and should be descriptive, expressed in end results rather methods, describe project's benefits to clients, and be short and easy to remember. The best titles are like newspaper headings, descriptive and to the point. Be careful about choosing literary references in your title (the reference may be unfamiliar to the reviewer and he/she will miss the point). In general use acronyms cautiously in a title. Titles will vary in length -- from one or two up to 10-13 words but shorter is better (as long as it's somewhat descriptive).