How to Read an RFP

Reeti Mathur, ICG Senior Consulting Specialist - April 1, 2024

Government grant season is round the corner in the US. As a nonprofit, you must be getting geared up for what may seem as a mammoth task. Rightly so!

What if there were ways to make the process of writing a government grant proposal less daunting? We all have our methods that bring out efficiency and help us achieve our goals in the best manner possible. There is, however, one aspect of grant writing that is crucial—and mastering it could potentially level up your game.

We’ve all done it. You know, read an RFP. From short one-pagers to upwards of 50 pages – RFPs are a window into the mind of the grantor and exactly what they expect from your program. Funders spend vital resources putting together these documents. They are created based on careful understanding of community needs, state- county- and national-level budgets, administration priorities, and CSR focus and budgets.

So, what is it about an RFP that can make your proposal more competitive? Believe it or not, its all about reading it – and reading it thoroughly. Simple, isn’t it?

Let’s break it down.

5 Ws and an H

Applying the old writing rule of 5 Ws and an H to reading an RFP is a brilliant way to make the process easier. Breaking down and segregating information helps us become more organized in developing our proposals. It helps in developing checklists and other key reference documents to keep us on top of things—especially when things start to heat up, which they always do!

An RFP will usually begin by explaining Who the funder is, who are the eligible nonprofits for the grant in question, and who are the intended target populations and/or communities. It will talk about the role each stakeholder plays in addressing critical social needs and steps. This helps you understand your funder better, gives you an insight into the issues they are passionate about, and how they envision their partnerships with nonprofits.

The RFP will also tell you Where the project must be implemented, giving you a better idea of whether your nonprofit’s geographic focus aligns with the funders or not.

Next, we find in-depth information on Why the funding agency has chosen a specific thematic area. It provides substantial scientific evidence justifying needs and gaps in the community and the impact funded programs can have in elevating these challenges. As a nonprofit working closely with the target communities, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how your nonprofit and the funding agency align on critical matters.

Further, an RFP also talks about What types of activities are allowed under the grant, the documentation and certificates required by nonprofits to be eligible and successfully complete a submission, and the questions for developing the proposal.

At this point, things start getting a bit technical, and breaking information down is all the more helpful.

You’ll find information on How a proposal must be submitted to the funding agency, how it would be evaluated, how you’ll be informed if you’re received the funding, and how grant amounts will be disbursed. The RFP will also inform you of how funded programs must conform to programmatic and financial reporting as per the funder’s guidelines.

Lastly, there will be a section in the RFP that will inform you When the submission is due, when the project is expected to start and finish. It will also provide dates for any pre-submission webinars or open forums the funder may be offering to assist applicants in their submission process.

Leverage the RFP to Become Competitive

The question you must be about to ask is, how can reading an RFP and breaking down the information it provides help develop a more competitive proposal.

This process allows us to develop a grant writing/submission tracker, list of tasks and those assigned to each, outlines, and checklists for certifications/documentation, attachments, etc.

Reading an RFP in detail gives you a peek into the funder’s thought process, and gives you a chance to pick up on the language that resonates with them. Next time you’re writing a proposal, put across your narratives with hints of the kind of language your funder uses. While staying true to what you believe in, the proposal’s language will also closely resonate with the funder.

Over the last decade, ImpactCurve Global has tried and tested many ways of culling out information from an RFP. We have slowly reached a mastery that our Founder and Managing Partner is now turning into training programs for nonprofits just like yours.

If you’re interested in learning more in-depth about how dissecting an RFP can help you up your game, look no further! Subscribe to our newsletter and remember to sign up for our next training!