PRDV009: Writing Grant Proposals

Grant reviewers frequently use a scoring rubric to evaluate their proposals, making their judgments according to a common set of benchmarks and minimum standards. The funding agency assigns a certain point value or range to each question based on the relative importance of these elements with respect to the proposal as a whole. The reviewer scores each response you provide to each RFP question and awards points based on the benchmarks your response meets. This helps readers evaluate each proposal fairly and ensures each applicant covers all necessary components.

For example, if an important goal of the grant program is to support higher education institutions that serve low-income students, a proposal from a college that serves students living in a poverty-stricken community will receive more points in that particular section of the rubric than one that serves a wealthy district. Similarly, a proposal that partners with a specific type of entity or several other organizations may receive more points than one with only one partner.

The grant reviewer assigns a numeric value according to the scoring rubric the funding agency has provided. Each proposal receives a final "grade", which makes it easier for the funding agency to compare the scores of all of the applicants. These rubrics are often publicly available, so be sure to ask the funding agency for a copy of this scoring rubric to ensure you address all of the required questions appropriately. A winning proposal earns more points and prevails over applicants who fail to address the questions properly, even if everything else in the other proposal is perfect. Be sure to respond to every question so you do not fall short in one area, compromising your overall grade.