Practice writing a vision statement or a summary of goals before beginning the grant process. Have a precise and focused vision or idea before you begin to attempt writing your grant proposal. The more specific you are in your proposal, the better your chances of success. This principle holds true regardless of the technical writing requirements for the individual institution. All grant organizations look for targeted goals and concrete objectives. Simply wanting to digitize parts of your collection, or put information online, is not a compelling enough reason for granting funding.
Research available grants that best match your specific proposal. Use the resources listed below to focus your search on those institutions that have funded similar projects in the past. Sign up for email alerts that are keyworded to your specific project. Log on to resource sites that regularly post new information regarding upcoming grants. Often these sites will highlight recently awarded grants with useful details about the grant and the granting institution.
Choose the grant and the grant agency most suited to your project. Study the website of the grant agency directly and obtain specific guidelines for how to write a proposal for that particular institution. Follow the instructions for writing your proposal exactly to the letter. Applications can be rejected on technical grounds. Pay attention to deadlines and observe them.
Print out sample forms and templates and practice with them. Create draft applications and have someone proof them before you submit your final proposal.