11 nonprofit grant examples to inspire your next proposal

When it comes to securing funding, the key to success often lies in learning from those who’ve already navigated the path. For nonprofits, reviewing winning grant proposals can provide invaluable insights into what works, what doesn’t, and how to craft a strong application.

After all, the national success rate for grant proposals is only 10%, which means only one in every 10 proposals is approved. Grant writing is highly competitive, so you should learn what it takes to stand out when finding grant opportunities.

To help, we've curated several nonprofit grant examples and will walk through common components that grantmakers require. Whether you're requesting funding for your community orchestra or a new afterschool program for a local elementary school, you’ll gather plenty of grant proposal ideas and strategies to help your applications succeed.

What to look for when analyzing nonprofit grant examples

While each funder has different preferences in writing styles and formats, several common elements consistently appear in winning proposals. By knowing what these are, you can apply more effective strategies to your own proposals.

As you review different grant writing examples for nonprofits, keep an eye out for these elements:

• Effective introduction techniques: Learn how to create a strong first impression with a compelling cover letter that effectively introduces your organization and its project.
• Compelling cases for support: Analyze how successful proposals clearly articulate the problem, present the solution, and establish urgency.
• Adherence to word limits: See how proposals stay within word or character limits without sacrificing essential information, striking a balance between conciseness and thoroughness.
• Emotional storytelling: Examine how narratives humanize the proposal and highlight past successes.
• ‍Integrating data: Pay attention to how data is woven into the narrative to support claims without overwhelming or confusing the reader.‍
• Clear funding requests: Understand how successful proposals lay out budgets, justify the funding amount, and explain alignment with project needs.‍
• Visual aids: See when and how to use charts, graphs, and other visuals to clarify complex information and enhance your proposal.‍

Finally, keep in mind that tailoring each proposal to the specific funder is non-negotiable! When you find grant opportunities, you'll need to stick to the grantmaker's guidelines, whether that's related to word count, formatting, or additional documents. Fortunately, you can use AI grant writing tools to analyze funder requirements, refine your tone, and align your content accordingly.

As you review grant examples, pay close attention to how successful proposals follow funder-specific guidelines and reflect the grantmaker's unique priorities to boost their chances of success.

Common sections you’ll notice in different nonprofit grant examples

While your proposal’s exact structure may vary depending on the funder, most proposals include several core sections that paint a full picture of your mission’s story, suggested project, and your organization's capacity to carry it out.

Our nonprofit grant writing guide dives into these sections found in winning nonprofit grant applications, showing you what to expect when analyzing examples:

1. Cover letter

The cover letter serves as a professional introduction to your nonprofit. It should briefly explain who you are and why you need funding. It's your first opportunity to convey your nonprofit's mission and express gratitude for the opportunity to apply.

The tone should be warm and respectful, and your goal should be to establish a solid first impression of why your organization is a good fit for funding.

2. Introduction/Abstract

Your abstract sets the stage and tells reviewers what to expect from the rest of the proposal. It's a concise summary that outlines the problem you're addressing, your project's goals, and the outcomes you expect to achieve.

3. Organizational background

This section highlights your nonprofit's history, mission, and qualifications. You should establish credibility by showcasing your experience in executing similar projects, reassuring funders that your organization is capable of achieving the proposed outcomes.

See how ArtSmart communicated its unique value proposition in its proposal for a general operating grant:

4. Statement of need

Here, you'll define the problem or opportunity your project seeks to address. Support your case with relevant data, research, and real-world evidence that illustrates why the project is timely and necessary.

5. Project outline, goals, and methods

This section describes what your project will accomplish and the specific activities you'll undertake to meet those objectives. Include timelines and detailed plans to communicate how you'll turn your ideas into tangible results.

6. Evaluation plan

Funders want to know how you’ll measure your project's success. This section should explain your plan for tracking both quantitative and qualitative outcomes. Demonstrating a commitment to measuring impact shows that your nonprofit is dedicated to learning and improving.

The exact metrics you track will vary depending on the nature of your work. Quantitative data are measurable outcomes that provide concrete evidence of impact. Examples include:

• ‍The number of participants in your program (e.g., 500 students enrolled in a literacy program)
• Academic or professional outcomes (e.g., 20% improvement in test scores or 80% of participants finding employment after completing job training)
• Improvements in health or wellness (e.g., 15% increase in the number of community members with access to clean drinking water)
• Cost savings or revenue generated (e.g., $10,000 saved in healthcare costs due to preventative health workshops)

Meanwhile, qualitative outcomes are more subjective aspects of your project's impact. These help explain the deeper meaning behind numerical data. Examples include:

• ‍Personal testimonials from participants or community members about how the project affected them (e.g., a participant sharing how a music program improved their mental well-being while teaching them valuable musical skills)
• Case studies for individual or group experiences with the program (e.g., an in-depth exploration of a family who received housing support)
• Field notes and observations of changes in attitudes or behaviors (e.g., improved communication skills or greater environmental awareness)

When exploring evaluation plans in nonprofit grant examples, look for instances where grantwriters indicated the exact methodology they plan to use, who will be responsible for collecting data, and how the findings will demonstrate the project's success or refine future programming.

7. Project budget

Each grant writing example you’ll read provides a clear description of how funds will be used. You should include an itemized breakdown of how you will allocate the funds requested. Your budget should demonstrate that every expense is necessary.

8. Project sustainability

The best nonprofit grant examples include a sustainability plan that explains how the project will continue once the initial funding runs out. This section outlines plans for securing ongoing support for your project, whether through:

• Major or planned gifts
• Corporate partnerships
• Individual donations
• Future grants

It might also describe who will be in charge of maintaining the project long-term, such as volunteers or staff members. Check out this example of a sustainability plan from Camp Twin Lakes:

9. Appendices

You’ll notice that in some of the grant proposal examples, nonprofits append documents that support their application and reinforce their credibility. These might include:

• Letters of support from partners or community leaders
• Official documents like your Form 990 or IRS determination letter proving 501(c)(3) status
• Impact reports highlighting your nonprofit’s previous achievements
• Annual operating budgets or more detailed project budgets

Funders will typically request these materials, so follow specific instructions for appendices and reference them in your proposal where appropriate.

Grant writing examples for nonprofits

Now that you know what components and strategies to look for, let’s review proposals from real organizations. We’ve curated these from various sources. Many of them are winning proposals, while others were deemed “honorable mentions” by judges.

For example, we explored these sources, which you can use to gather additional grant proposal ideas:

• GrantStation: This well-known grant database provider holds a recurring competition for successful grant proposals to recognize excellence in grantseeking. They also know it’s helpful for nonprofits to see examples of winning proposals, so they publish strong entries.
• Public funding requests: For example, the Chester Community Foundation primarily distributes grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs). However, they also publish proposals to encourage major donors to fund initiatives.
• Grantmakers: Some foundations and government agencies, like the Florida Division of Arts & Culture, publish samples of funded proposals. This isn’t a common practice, but it’s worth looking for these nonprofit grant examples to gain insight into what specific funders expect in successful applications.

With that in mind, let’s explore sample applications written by different types of organizations.

Nonprofit grant examples for health, community, and social services

1. ACT in Faith - This proposal requests $5,000 to support a rebranding initiative to more accurately reflect the organization’s intention to serve its whole community. Funds will cover hiring a consultant for stakeholder engagement and creating new marketing materials. The proposal includes detailed background information explaining the need for the change and how it will better serve the community and attract donors.
2. The Capital Good Fund - This proposal requests $60,000 to support a Crisis Relief Loan program in Texas, providing 120 low- to moderate-income families with small-dollar loans over one year. The initiative seeks to serve communities severely impacted by the pandemic, particularly BIPOC families, veterans, immigrants, and individuals with disabilities. The proposal is well-structured, clearly defines its audience, and outlines impact measurement methods.
3. Volunteer Community Clinic - The Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic (VBA) requested $750,000 to establish a Mobile Medical Clinic and provide primary, semi-urgent, and wellness services to uninsured residents in Charlotte County, Florida. The initiative involves operating a coach bus as a fully equipped medical facility. As an honorable mention in GrantStation’s 2023 competition, this proposal effectively uses visuals, highlights urgency, leverages data, and includes a detailed budget (with some details redacted for privacy).

Nonprofit grant examples for youth and education

4. Camp Twin Lakes - This grant proposal seeks $70,000 to support medical care for medically fragile campers during the summer. Funds will provide on-site medical facilities, staff, and equipment, enabling children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and life challenges to participate in camp activities free of charge. The proposal clearly defines its target beneficiaries, highlighting a unique need the camp addresses. It also lays out a thorough program sustainability plan.
5. Soccer Without Borders (SWB) - This grant proposal seeks funding to implement SWB’s Education & Leadership Program in Nicaragua. It explains funds will support girls through scholarships, academic assistance, and socio-emotional development. As the winner of GrantStation’s 2023 competition, this proposal effectively defines program goals and highlights broader community impacts.

Nonprofit grant examples for arts, culture, and humanities

6. ArtSmart - This grant proposal requests funding to support youth arts education through workshops, classes, and community events with the goal of fostering creativity, cultural awareness, and personal growth. The proposal clearly outlines core objectives and key achievements, using headings, bullet points, and bolding for easy readability.
7. Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra - This proposal requests support for the orchestra’s upcoming season. The funds will provide top-tier musical training and performance opportunities to young musicians. Notice how the proposal sticks to the funder’s character requirements by being succinct yet informative. It also provides a very detailed budget.
8. Musicopia - This proposal seeks funds for expanding music education programs in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It explains Musicopia’s key programming initiatives and impact in detail, showing off its diverse and proven approach to music education. It also clearly lays out the value of musical discipline among youth.

Nonprofit grant examples for environment and animal welfare

9. Gateway Pet Guardians - This grant proposal seeks a $200,000 general operating grant over two years to support its expanded pet resource center. The funding will help stabilize and enhance services, including a full-service veterinary clinic, pet food pantry, and affordable pet supply retail store. The proposal does an excellent job of explaining the impact of keeping pets with their families in a community facing economic challenges. It also clearly breaks down goals for the initiative.
10. Senior and Paws - The Seniors and Paws program requested a capacity-building grant to strengthen operations and expand support for low-income seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in southeast Pennsylvania. The proposal explains how funding will improve infrastructure, governance, and fundraising to ensure seniors and their pets receive essential care and companionship, demonstrating project sustainability.
11. Wild Rivers Land Trust - The Wild Rivers Land Trust requested $500,000 to clean up and restore an old mill site in Oregon. The project aims to revitalize the contaminated site to support community-led conservation and economic development efforts. This proposal does a great job of laying out a clear timeline and cost estimates.

How Grant Assistant helps craft winning grant proposals

Applying for grants can be time-consuming, requiring extensive research into funders’ priorities and preferences. Craft stronger proposals and save time by investing in nonprofit grant writing tools. These platforms streamline grant research, organize proposals, and make crafting compelling applications a breeze.

Grant Assistant by FreeWill is purpose-built technology designed to support every stage of grant writing. Built on insights from over 7,000 successful nonprofit grant proposal examples, it offers expertise that general AI tools like ChatGPT can’t provide.

Complete tasks within minutes by trusting Grant Assistant to:

• Evaluate and prioritize grant opportunities.
• Plan, research, and draft persuasive proposals.
• Analyze requests for proposals (RFPs) and related documents to identify key requirements.
• Infuse the right tone and essential details into your proposals.
• Navigate varying grantmaker guidelines.

Nonprofits using Grant Assistant write grant proposals in one-third of the time that they historically have. With this tool on your side, you can improve your success rate and refocus your efforts on your nonprofit’s programs and services.

With Grant Assistant by FreeWill, you’ll do more than save time—you’ll gain a powerful partner that elevates the quality of your proposals. Spend less time on paperwork, confident that your grant applications are polished and aligned with funders’ expectations.

Resources to improve your nonprofit grant proposals

Writing successful proposals requires strategy, passion, and a deep understanding of what funders want to see. By learning from winning examples, you can boost your chances of securing funding. Remember, your grant writing skills will improve with practice and the right support, so equip your team with the knowledge and tools it needs.

As you search for new opportunities, continue refining your nonprofit grant writing and management with these free resources:

• Grant management software: Buyer’s guide & top-rated options
• Using ChatGPT for grant writing: FAQ guide for nonprofits
• 9 helpful nonprofit marketing grants & tips to win funds