How to write a grant application as a small school

Step 1: Check eligibility before you write a word

Most rejected applications were never eligible. Check three things on the funder's own page:

1. Who can apply. Look for the exact words. Walmart Spark Good says "public or nonprofit private schools," so an LLC can't apply. KidsGardening says "Any organization … that serves at least 15 youth," so a co-op can.
2. Where you are. Walmart grants must serve the same area as the store. Dollar General needs you "within 15 miles of a Dollar General store."
3. What it pays for. A garden grant won't pay rent. Toshiba won't fund "Summer projects, club or after school programs."

Our list quotes this wording on every row so you don't have to hunt for it.

Step 2: Pick a small, concrete project

Small funders like a specific thing with a clear result. For example:

• "Library books for our K-5 readers"
• "A raised-bed garden our 18 students plant and tend"
• "Bus costs for a state-park science program"

"Help us open" is hard to fund. "Twenty decodable readers for students reading below grade level" is easy.

Step 3: Write the parts most applications share

Most proposals share the same parts: a short summary, a statement of need, a project description, information about your organization, and a budget. Small-grant forms shrink these into a few boxes, but the logic is the same. (Candid's 1-hour "Introduction to Proposal Writing" course comes with an outline worksheet and a sample proposal; its cost isn't posted on the page we read.)

A need-statement structure you can reuse (fill in your facts):

1. Who: "We serve [number] students in grades [x–y] in [town/county]."
2. The gap: "[Number] of them [specific problem: read below grade level, have no science lab, can't afford field trips]." Use your own records, such as test results, enrollment forms or a parent survey. Cite any public statistic you use.
3. Why it matters: one sentence on what happens if nothing changes.
4. Your fix: "With [$ amount], we will [specific activity] by [date]."
5. How you'll know: "We'll measure [simple result: books read, a pre/post reading check, number of trips]."

Keep it to about 150–250 words unless the form asks for more.

Budget: list each item with its cost and where you got the price, and make sure the total matches what you're asking for. If the grant covers only part of the project, show where the rest comes from.

About your organization: your legal name and structure (and EIN), the year you started, your student count, and who leads. Use the exact legal name on your bank account.

Step 4: Assemble the attachments early

Funders on our list commonly ask for:

• Proof of status: an IRS determination letter (Walmart, Whole Foods, Dollar General), an NCES number (Walmart's alternative), or accreditation (Voya).
• A verification profile: Walmart verifies applicants through Deed.
• The teacher's details: for teacher grants (Fund for Teachers, Toshiba, Society for Science).

Private schools can look up whether they already have an NCES number in NCES's private-school search.

Step 5: Submit, then report

• Submit a few days early. Portals fail on deadline day.
• Save a copy of every answer. You'll reuse them.
• If you win, send the report the funder asks for, on time, with a photo or two if allowed. That's how you get funded again.

Common mistakes

• Applying when you aren't eligible. A for-profit school (LLC, corporation or sole owner) applying to a nonprofit-only grant is a common one. Check eligibility first.
• A vague ask: "general support" or "help us grow."
• A budget that doesn't add up, or doesn't match the request.
• Missing the funder's own rules, such as Toshiba's exclusion of religious projects, or Walmart's line excluding groups that "deny service, membership, or other involvement on the basis of race, religion."
• Calling an LLC a nonprofit, or saying gifts are "tax-deductible" when they aren't.
• Paying for "grant lists." Every grant in our list is free to apply for. Be wary of anyone charging to "unlock" grants.