PNM Reduce Your Use Grants
Tips for Writing a Successful Grant

Make sure that your project fits well with the funding priorities

• We typically stick to our funding priorities and guidelines.
• Review the funding guidelines before you submit an application.

Funding guidelines. What's funded, what's not?

Contact us if you still have questions

After you’ve reviewed the literature or information on the Web site, communicate with us.

Most of the time we are able to answer questions about your proposal before you submit it.

Contact the PNM Fund

The project description should be clear and to the point

The grant summary is a paragraph that sums up what your proposal is all about. It should touch clearly and briefly upon the major concepts we will need to know as we consider your project for funding.

• Be clear, brief and specific.
• Write persuasively. A grant proposal is a piece of salesmanship. Keep your readers foremost in mind as you prepare documents.
• Explain your proposal in laymen’s terms.
• Make it easy, exciting and enjoyable to read.
• Pitch your ideas as convincingly as you can.
• Use positive, active language.

Write a detailed grant proposal

• Describe how your nonprofit's project meets a critical need.
• List the expected contribution to the community.
• Explain how the energy-efficiency measures will be implemented.
• Explain how your stakeholders (volunteers, staff, clients, community served) will learn from your Reduce Your Use project.
• Give a solution to a problem.

Provide a plan for how you will evaluate the project

• Set specific and measurable goals and objectives.
• Discuss measurement strategies such as pre and post tests or surveys.
• Talk about the amount of data you expect to gather.
• Give realistic examples.
• Track the results.

Tell us how you plan to spend the money

• Report in-kind donations/time (if applicable).
• Make sure the costs in your plan are reflected in the summary and narrative.
• Take everything into account and provide realistic costs.
• We review your request based on the dollar amount of these grants. If the project will cost more that the allotted dollars, list additional funding sources.

Get feedback from a friend who doesn’t work for your nonprofit

• Avoid acronyms, jargon or terms that may not be understood by the general public
• Use spelling- and grammar-checking tools
• Proofread for errors

Submit your grant application early

• You will not be able to access the Reduce Your Use Grants online application after the closing date, June 1, 2009.
• When planning your project, keep in mind the deadlines, and when funds will be available and dispersed.
• Don't wait till the last minute to start writing your proposal.

Save your media materials for other stakeholders

• Provide only what is requested.
• If additional information is needed, we will ask for it.
• Typically multiple people review the grant applications and the information is sent out to a committee. Information is requested in a certain format so it is easy to disperse.

Working with online applications

• The Reduce Your Use Grant application must be completed and submitted online. We're sorry, paper applications or hard copies of supporting materials will not be accepted.
• If you are not familiar with how to electronically attach a file to a document, seek technical assistance.
• Create your project description, objectives, and evaluation and community awareness sections in a separate document. Spell check them and then copy and paste into the application.
• Save your work frequently.
• Most information on the status of your grant is provided by e-mail. Confirm that your e-mail address is correct.

Funding guidelines. What's funded, what's not?
Learn about applying for a Reduce Your Use Grant
Reduce Your Use Grants general information
Still have questions? Contact the PNM Fund