Find the funders who fit. Write the proposal they fund.
GrantBridge is a free field guide to nonprofit grants: how to source foundations, corporate and government funders, and how to write every section of an application. Every guide is checked against primary sources and shows them.
A grant proposal, section by section
Standard order.
Pick a section to learn it.
- 1Cover letterWho you are, what you ask, why them
- 2Executive summaryThe whole case in one page
- 3Statement of needThe problem, with local evidence
- 4Goals and objectivesSMART, measurable outcomes
- 5Program designActivities, staffing, timeline
- 6Logic modelInputs to outcomes on one page
- 7Evaluation planHow you’ll know it worked
- 8Organizational capacityProof you can deliver
- 9SustainabilityWhat happens after the grant
- 10Budget and budget justificationLine items, match, indirect costs, and the narrative that explains them
- 11Attachments and final reviewIRS letter, audit, board list, letters of support, and a last pass against the funder’s instructions
Three ways in
Pick the one that sounds like your week.
We’ve never applied for a grant
Get eligible, get organized, and find funders who give to groups your size.
We have a proposal due
Work through the sections in order, then check everything against the funder’s instructions.
We’re going after federal money
Federal applications reward early registration and strict compliance.
Federal grants: what’s in force, October 2026
The rules have moved a lot since 2025. Here is what applies right now.
- The 2024 Uniform Guidance still governs most awards: a 15% de minimis indirect rate, a $10,000 equipment threshold, and a $1,000,000 Single Audit threshold. NIH awards are an exception and keep the older 10% rate.
- OMB proposed a rewrite of 2 CFR 200 on May 29, 2026. Under the current continuing resolution it can’t be finalized before December 11, 2026.
- Executive Order 14332 (August 2025) requires a senior appointee at each agency to review funding announcements and discretionary awards, and agencies are still putting it into practice. Read the full rundown.
The library
Every guide, organized by the job you’re doing.
Grant writing
- Anatomy of a grant proposal
- How to write a letter of inquiry funders say yes to
- How to write a grant proposal cover letter
- How to write a grant executive summary that gets read
- The statement of need
- Grant goals and objectives
- Logic models for grants
- Program design
- How to write a grant evaluation plan funders trust
- Organizational capacity
- Grant sustainability plans
- How to build a grant budget and budget justification
- Indirect costs
- Grant proposal review checklist
- Why grant proposals get rejected, and what to do next
- Using AI in grant writing responsibly
Templates you can use today
Fill-in placeholders, a complete worked example, and a Word download for each one.
- Letter of inquiry template6 min read, .docx included
- Grant proposal cover letter template5 min read, .docx included
- Statement of need template7 min read, .docx included
- Logic model template for grant proposals6 min read, .docx included
- Budget justification template8 min read, .docx included
- Grant report template8 min read, .docx included
- Grant thank-you letter templates for awards, reports, and declines6 min read, .docx included
- Grant writer contract template for nonprofits and freelancers9 min read, .docx included
Free tools
They run in your browser. Nothing you enter leaves this device.
- Grant budget builderBuild a line-item project budget with fringe, match, and indirect costs, then export it with a draft budget justification.
- Indirect cost calculatorWork out modified total direct costs and the 15% de minimis amount, or estimate your organization's own indirect rate.
- Grant readiness assessmentTwenty questions on registrations, finances, programs and capacity. Get a score and a prioritized to-do list.
- Funder fit scorecardScore prospects on mission, geography, grant size, and access, so you spend writing time on the best fits.
- SMART objective builderAssemble a measurable objective piece by piece and check it for the problems reviewers flag.
- Grant pipeline trackerTrack prospects, deadlines and reports in your browser. Export to CSV or to your calendar.