Project or Program Narrative

by Cynthia M. Adams, CEO, GrantStation.com

The project or program narrative is a description of the approach you’re taking to address the specific issue articulated in the problem or need statement.

The length and detail of this narrative section depend on the number of pages allowed, the amount of money you are requesting, and the information needed to portray your project or program accurately. A $1,000 request may require only a short description, whereas a $1,000,000 request might call for a much longer narrative. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the project or program narrative should clearly answer the challenge presented in the problem or need statement.

This narrative opens by summarizing what you intend to do, and expanding on it by adding critical details.

Deciding how much information needs to be included should directly reflect who will be considering the request. Having your request reviewed by a panel of peers allows you to add quite a bit of detail and use technical terms known in the business. If your request is being reviewed by a grantmaker’s program officers or board of trustees, consider...