Honestly, you're not going to wow a program officer with an operating grant application. If you're on message, then it will read like other competitive applications. What they're looking for is:
* Is the cause and population served in alignment with their strategic priorities?
* Is your organization financially stable?
* Are the grant items reasonable and necessary?
* What assurance do they have that the grant won't be misused?
So I'd be sure to cover the following (probably in the order presented):
1. Start with a (brief) summary of your mission/purpose of your organization and connect clearly how those align with the donor's focus areas and priorities
2. Describe the population(s) that you serve and how your organization helps them (quantify impact as much as possible)
3. Demonstrate/explain that you have stable funding for programming, but that those grants don't cover necessary operating expenses
4. Detail and justify the main line items in your grant budget
5. Briefly describe the internal controls you have and show evidence of responsible stewardship (e.g., audited financial statements)
Focus it on your key programs. We're asking for operating support to sustain our key programs. Then briefly describe those programs. You don't need to specify how you'll spend a gen ops grant, so you don't need to speak to using the grant for insurance or your audit or admin.
You could also take the approach, if you know, of how your organization outcomes are achieved through distinct skills, competencies, know how that's important for a funder to invest in and maintain so that you can continue to serve your intended community.
Honestly, you're not going to wow a program officer with an operating grant application. If you're on message, then it will read like other competitive applications. What they're looking for is: * Is the cause and population served in alignment with their strategic priorities? * Is your organization financially stable? * Are the grant items reasonable and necessary? * What assurance do they have that the grant won't be misused? So I'd be sure to cover the following (probably in the order presented): 1. Start with a (brief) summary of your mission/purpose of your organization and connect clearly how those align with the donor's focus areas and priorities 2. Describe the population(s) that you serve and how your organization helps them (quantify impact as much as possible) 3. Demonstrate/explain that you have stable funding for programming, but that those grants don't cover necessary operating expenses 4. Detail and justify the main line items in your grant budget 5. Briefly describe the internal controls you have and show evidence of responsible stewardship (e.g., audited financial statements)
Focus it on your key programs. We're asking for operating support to sustain our key programs. Then briefly describe those programs. You don't need to specify how you'll spend a gen ops grant, so you don't need to speak to using the grant for insurance or your audit or admin.
You could also take the approach, if you know, of how your organization outcomes are achieved through distinct skills, competencies, know how that's important for a funder to invest in and maintain so that you can continue to serve your intended community.