If you need funds to execute a project or initiative, seeking grants is a great solution. However, most charitable organizations are inundated with grant proposals, so yours needs to be exceptional.
So, how do you create grant proposals that stand out from the competition? Whether for research, a social project, business, or further education, the formula is simple — convey your purpose, goals and objectives, implementation plan, expected outcomes and proposed budget.
In this blog, I’ll review compelling grant proposal examples of varying themes you can use as inspiration.
PS: You can make grant proposals using Venngage’s Grant Proposal Maker or edit free grant proposal templates (no design skills necessary).
List of grant proposal examples
In this section, I’ll share winning grant proposal examples covering various industries.
1. Humanities grant proposal example
The Digital Humanities Advancement Grant Proposal from National Endowment for the Humanities proposes a plan for preserving cultural software objects and their development histories. It shows how technology and humanities can work together to solve a real challenge: keeping important digital work from disappearing over time.
Source: National Endowment for the Humanities
This proposal is a great reference for pitching research in interdisciplinary fields. It blends different fields: archiving, computer science and humanities research, into one clear approach.
2. Private grant proposal example
The Grow Food Northampton 2025 grant proposal outlines a plan to tackle food insecurity by expanding its Free Mobile Farmers Market and building community gardens in low-income housing. The project links immediate hunger relief with long-term food sovereignty, while also supporting local farms, many of them BIPOC- and women-owned.
This proposal is a strong example of how community-based grants can combine equity, sustainability and public health. It stands out for centering the voices of food-insecure residents and showing how local systems can replace charity models with lasting solutions.
3. Art grant proposal example
As Herbert Lui, a renowned motion director and author once said: “Artists should be able to create art without worrying about money to focus on the process and serve their artistic practice.”
However, most artists struggle financially, which impacts their creativity. Art grant proposals help artists pursue their passion without constraints.
This art grant proposal template starts with a minimalistic cover page. It then continues with a cover letter expressing the purpose behind the application.
It continues with a cover letter section to demonstrate your skills and highlight why you’re the ideal candidate to receive funding. It also has project details, budget breakdown and artist bio sections.
You can replace image placeholders with your own or customize the colors to match your identity.
In Venngage, you can rearrange or add new pages from other templates to personalize your art grant proposal.
Pick a template you like, select it and it’ll automatically reflect in the initial template.
Real life example: This grant proposal submitted to the Florida Division of Arts and Culture is in a questionnaire format. It asks for funding to provide free piano lessons for kids in underserved communities, making arts education more accessible.
4. Nonprofit grant proposal example
Non-profit organizations rely on financial aid in the form of grants or donations to fund initiatives for the benefit of society. However, creating a nonprofit grant application can be time-consuming.
Use our nonprofit grant proposal template to create a proposal that includes all the necessary details — sections such as ‘about us’,’ ‘our team’,’ project details, required budget and more.
A great nonprofit grant proposal starts with an eye-catching title page.
Once you have a reader’s attention, you’ll want to build credibility and trust by editing content in the ‘about us’ or ‘our team’ page.
Real-life example: The “Read to Succeed!” project proposal (Kurzweil Education) is a nonprofit grant application that seeks funding to help students with reading disabilities by establishing assistive reading workstations (software + computers) in schools.
In this proposal, the nonprofit clearly outlines who they’re serving, what they’ll do (providing equipment, software, assessments), how they’ll measure improvement (pre-/post testing) and exactly how grant funds will be used (lab packs, computers, software).
5. Education grant proposal example
Providing access to quality education is the top priority of most institutions; however, lack of funds limits the ability to hire skilled instructors, build infrastructure and provide students with relevant amenities.
Education grant proposals are designed to fund institutions seeking to create better learning environments and build a better future.
This education grant proposal template includes an engaging title page, cover letter, executive summary that describes challenges faced by the institution and separate pages to discuss its goals and objectives and expected project budget to overcome challenges.
In education grant proposals, the goals, objectives and strategy are your ‘money pages’.
6. Simple grant proposal example
A simple grant proposal can be used in almost every scenario. Simple grant proposal templates start with an executive summary that clearly and concisely captures your request.
Other sections you’ll commonly find in grant proposal examples include organizational background, project overview, key objectives and expected outcomes.
One of the best elements of this simple grant proposal template is the description of project phases. It creates a clear flow so funders can easily understand the project details.
Related: Marketing Proposal Examples: 9 Templates to Win Clients
7. STEM grant proposal example
STEM is an educational approach that combines science, technology, engineering and mathematics to create a cohesive learning experience.
A core principle of the STEM field is that institutions carry out research and experiments.
STEM grant proposals help you fulfill that goal by providing the funding you may need to procure or maintain necessary to be successful, such as equipment or software requirements.
This STEM grant proposal template starts with an appealing cover page.
It also includes a section for a cover letter, organization overview, problem statement, project goals and strategies.
You can customize this template by adding your details and images. There is also a separate page for proposing a budget where you can add potential expenses.
Real-life example: The grant proposal for the NYC STEM program by the Mr. October Foundation outlines the foundation’s vision and operational plan to enhance STEM education for underserved youth in New York City. The document covers goals, strategies, program components (e.g. afterschool labs, internship opportunities, mentorship, partnerships) and how they link STEM education to workforce pathways.
8. Technology grant proposal example
Technology grants are beneficial for any company wanting to promote digital inclusion. You can use it to secure funding to provide students access to computers, hire skilled faculty and support staff and promote tech-related initiatives like AI workshops.
Here’s a great example of a minimalist technology grant proposal that can make a strong first impression.
This template has an impactful proposal design and keeps text to a minimum. You can replace the placeholder text and images in each section, which includes the executive summary, project details and budget details.
The project details page has been divided into a listicle format to make scanning easy.
9. Community garden grant proposal example
Recreational spaces are important places in communities as they allow social interaction, promote mental well-being and serve as locations for celebrating culture.
Though private residential communities usually have the resources to provide residents with the best facilities and experience, some public communities struggle to improve services, which is why communities can apply for grants.
Our community garden proposal template has multiple sections, including an executive summary, an area to explain issues faced by residents and a project plan and proposed budget.
You can edit this template to add your information and visuals for maximum impact.
10. Startup grant proposal example
Many startups struggle, especially in initial years, due to insufficient funds. This impacts innovators’ confidence and is a loss to society. Grants help founders scale without worrying about finances.
Entrepreneurs or founders with novel ideas but lack resources to hit the ground running can use our startup grant proposal template to seek financial aid.
Our startup proposal template uses a minimalist gray color theme for a professional look. It has an eye-catching cover page where you can add a quick one-liner on why you’re seeking aid — for example, promoting AI-driven transformation.
Start by editing the template to define a statement of need, business goals and objectives.
Next, define your core business methods and strategies to help investors understand your value proposition and increase the odds of winning the grant.
11. Teen empowerment grant proposal example
Our teen empowerment grant proposal helps any organization wanting to promote youth skill development and empowerment secure financial aid.
In a rapidly changing world, a digital divide can leave the elderly feeling isolated and excluded from essential services.
Digital training institutes or organizations involved in social welfare can use this digital literacy template to convince grant-giving agencies.
12. Small business grant proposal example
Grants are a great way for small businesses to adapt to changing technologies and grow in a competitive market. Our small business grant proposal template helps small business owners achieve success.
This small business grant proposal template is designed for a small business that makes child care affordable for working parents and wants to scale operations.
You can edit this template to replace the placeholder information with your business name, goals and objectives, methods and strategies, project description and estimated budget.
This grant proposal template uses a professional color theme, however, you can replace it to reflect your branding in one click using My Brand Kit (available to Business users only).
13. Digital literacy for seniors grant proposal example
In a rapidly changing world, a digital divide can leave the elderly feeling isolated and excluded from essential services.
Digital training institutes or organizations involved in social welfare can use this digital literacy template to convince grant-giving agencies.
Our digital literacy for seniors grant proposal template uses an evergreen color combination for a sleek and professional look. It has three separate sections to explain your needs.
The budget page helps you provide clear details of the total grant amount, project activities and the budget allocated to such activities.
14. Scholarship grant proposal example
High tuition fees and rising expenses make higher education inaccessible to underprivileged children and young.
If you are an organization helping students get the education they deserve, you can use this scholarship grant proposal to convince grantmaking bodies.
This scholarship grant proposal template includes an executive summary section where you can describe your organization’s mission, achievements and principles.
You can also list your objectives and the strategies you will use to achieve the goals.
How to write a grant proposal
If you’re trying to write a grant proposal and don’t know where to start, start by answering the following “whys”:
- Why have you chosen a particular project or initiative?: Explain the problem statement clearly and the expected outcome of the project.
- Why do you need funding?: Explain why you need funds and provide a breakdown of how you will allocate the grant amount.
- Why should an investor fund your project?: Discuss your project’s potential impact and how it aligns with an investor’s initiatives or goals.
Once you have these answers, it’s time to create your proposal structure. List the sections you want to include and gather details such as project scope, budget, mission statementand team details.
Next, shortlist a grant proposal template on Venngage and use our drag-and-drop editor to edit the template to make it your own.
Related: How to Write a Grant Proposal [Templates Included]
Conclusion: Create winning grant proposals in minutes using Venngage
Creating grants from scratch can be tedious. You have to brainstorm the design of each page and then manually add elements, text, tables and images. Unless you’re a professional designer, your design will probably be mediocre.
Why put in so much effort when you can create grant proposals using grant proposal templates from Venngage? Our templates have professional layouts, proper text alignment, relevant sections and image placeholders that are ready for you to edit.
