When a day care opens or expands, a proposal is often written for a day care grant. Day cares require extensive funding, and many times you can obtain a grant by writing and submitting a proposal. Grants are generally federally sponsored sums of money that require no payback. When a day care proposal is written, it is important to understand the grant program you are applying for. Look into the precise details and reasons the grant is being awarded before writing the proposal. It is also vital to familiarize yourself with the eligibility requirements of the grant.

Write the proposal summary. This is a brief summary of the proposal, and it outlines the project. It should be no longer than three paragraphs and should include key points of the proposal. The summary is the first impression of the proposal, so if it is not clear, interesting and well-written, then the proposal itself may never be read.

Introduce your organization. This is where the day care business you are opening or operating is introduced and explained. If the day care is currently open and operating, include a specific and compelling explanation of it. If it is a day care business you are hoping to open or expand, then include details of what you expect the business to be like. You can include the day care’s philosophy and goals, as well as staff member profiles and success stories. This introduction answers the questions who, what, when, why and how much.

Explain the problem. This section explains to the reader why your day care would benefit by receiving the grant. Explain what obstacles will be removed by this money. This section should be very specific and statistics are often used. This section should also explain the benefits this would have on the community.

Describe the project objectives. The project objectives are designed to describe the goals of the project. List the objectives and results you expect to receive from each objective. List the benefits of each too.

Describe the project method. This is an outline of what tasks will be completed if the grant is received. This outline should be listed as a timeline and will show the objectives along with the ways in which they will be obtained.

Develop a way of evaluating the project. This should be methods (or benchmarks) that you will use to evaluate the project as it progresses. You must determine exact ways to measure the success of the project.

Determine an accurate detailed budget. Most grants are not awarded to organizations submitting proposals that are not detailed. The federal agencies offering grants want to know exactly where the money will be spent and what benefits it will create.