Winning Grants: Step by Step, Third Edition

Content of the Need Statement

Here are some basic rules to follow when developing the project’s needs statement:

• The need you address in the statement should have a clear relationship to your organization’s mission and purpose.

• The need statement should focus squarely on those the organization serves and their specific needs, rather than your organization’s needs—unless you are specifically seeking a capacity-building grant.

• Any assertions about the need should be well supported with evidence (statistical facts, expert views, trends found in the experience of doing the work, and so on).

• You must be able to directly connect—and substantiate—the need you describe in the proposal with your organization’s ability to successfully respond ...