Gathering Data for the Need Statement

by Cynthia M. Adams, CEO, GrantStation.com

One way to make time to write grant proposals is to organize your approach to grant writing, in general, and to make a specific plan for each grant request. We covered how to organize your approach to a specific grant request in the last article. Next we'll focus on organizing your overall approach. Right now, we'll discuss gathering data to substantiate your need statement!

Gathering Information from the Internet

Having the latest information to document the specific problem or need your organization seeks to address is critical. Ready access to the Internet demands that the need statement in your grant request quote the latest studies and statistics.

Most organizations focus their programming on a specific area of interest, such as hunger, the homeless, youth violence, main street renovations, environmental education, etc. You want to develop a system for maintaining and updating the latest statistics in your particular area of interest. (This is an excellent job for a volunteer or a board member.)

Today, most people will start their research by using the...