Securing funding through grants isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. From tackling climate change to advancing social equity, sustainability grants are the fuel for projects that matter. They support everything from renewable energy initiatives to groundbreaking conservation efforts. But let’s face it, the process of applying can feel like navigating a maze of deadlines, requirements, and endless paperwork.
That’s where we come in. At Written Progress, we’ve helped organizations secure millions in grants for sustainability. Writing these grants doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right approach, some clear storytelling, and a little strategy, you can successfully navigate the process and secure the funding you need to make your vision a reality.
Why Grants Matter
Grants are about more than just money—they’re a game changer for organizations that are serious about making a positive, sustainable impact. These grants help bridge the gap between a great idea and the resources needed to make it happen. Whether you’re a nonprofit, a social enterprise, or a government agency, the right grant can set your project in motion.
Think about the work being done around the world: protecting ecosystems, building renewable energy infrastructure, creating employment and housing, and producing high quality food. Grants are essential for scaling these kinds of efforts.
You might not realize it, but you’re probably working on sustainability, too! The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals highlight 17 key areas of sustainability:
- No Poverty
Ensuring everyone has access to basic resources and opportunities to live a decent life. - Zero Hunger
Eliminate hunger, achieve food security, and improve nutrition while promoting sustainable agriculture. - Good Health and Well-Being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all people, focusing on reducing illness, ensuring access to healthcare, and improving quality of life. - Quality Education
Provide inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, regardless of gender or background. - Gender Equality
Achieve gender equality by empowering all women and girls, ensuring they have equal opportunities and protection from discrimination. - Clean Water and Sanitation
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, reducing water scarcity and improving hygiene practices. - Affordable and Clean Energy
Expand access to reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy, while increasing the use of renewable energy sources. - Decent Work and Economic Growth
Promote sustained economic growth, higher productivity, and decent work opportunities for all, ensuring fair pay and safe working conditions. - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation to drive economic growth and improve living standards. - Reduced Inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries, ensuring fair opportunities and social inclusion for marginalized groups. - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, with better housing, transportation, and resource management. - Responsible Consumption and Production
Reducing waste, improving efficiency, and promoting ethical practices. - Climate Action
Combat climate change and its impacts by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting resilience. - Life Below Water
Conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas, and marine resources, protecting ecosystems and reducing pollution. - Life on Land
Protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, combat deforestation, and halt biodiversity loss. - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, ensure access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable institutions. - Partnerships for the Goals
Strengthen global partnerships and cooperation to achieve the SDGs, sharing knowledge, resources, and technology to address global challenges.
These goals serve as a blueprint for global development, aiming to create a better, more sustainable future by 2030.
If you’re working in one of these areas, then grants are about making sure that your work can grow, scale, and have a lasting impact on the communities and ecosystems that need it most.
Key Benefits of Winning Grants
Grants are more than just a way to fund your project. They:
- Build Credibility: Securing a grant boosts your organization’s reputation and shows that you’re a trusted player in your field.
- Open Doors to Partnerships: Funders often have connections to other organizations that might be a good fit for partnerships.
- Enhance Capacity: With the right funding, your organization can scale its initiatives and amplify its impact.
- Drive Measurable Impact: These grants enable you to achieve concrete outcomes that benefit communities and ecosystems – and help you win the next grant.
Sustainability Grants – Taking the Right Steps
Step 1: Identifying the Right Grant Opportunities
You can’t just throw a dart at a list of grant opportunities and hope it lands on the right one. Identifying the right grant is the first step—and it’s crucial. You want to make sure your project is a natural fit for the funder’s priorities. Here’s how we do it:
- Assess Your Goals: What exactly are you trying to accomplish with your project? Whether it’s reducing carbon emissions or expanding green infrastructure, take the time to define your goals clearly.
- Research Your Funding Sources: There are databases, networks, and websites that can help you find the right grants. But you have to dig deep, beyond just the big-name funders, to uncover hidden gems.
- Match Your Project to the Funders: Every funder has specific eligibility criteria. Make sure your project fits within their framework, otherwise, you’re just wasting time.
- Determine What You Can Use: Too much money can be a bad thing for a small team – especially if it comes with heavy reporting requirements and strict time limits for spending and achieving goals.
Step 2: Building Relationships with Funders
Once you’ve identified potential funders, it’s time to build relationships. You can’t just apply cold. Funders are more likely to take your proposal seriously if they know who you are and what you stand for. Here’s how we do it:
- Attend Their Events: Many funders host webinars, workshops, or conferences. These events are a goldmine for understanding their priorities and establishing a connection.
- Engage on Social Media: LinkedIn is an ideal place to start conversations with funders. It’s professional, and it gets your name on their radar without being pushy.
- Pick Up the Phone: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Scheduling a call to chat about your proposal or get clarification on requirements is a solid move.
Funders like to feel that their grantees are part of the solution and that they’re working with people they can trust. Start the conversation early, and don’t wait until the deadline is looming.
Step 3: Crafting a Compelling Proposal
Writing a winning sustainability grant is part art, part science. It’s about telling a story that connects with the funder and persuades them that your project is worth their support. Here’s how to do it:
- Define Your Vision: The first thing funders need to know is what your project is all about. Be clear on your goals, the long-term impact, and how you plan to make it happen. Use real data, examples, and evidence to back up your claims.
- Address the Funders’ Priorities: Each funder has specific areas they want to support. Your job is to show how your project aligns with their mission. If they care about reducing carbon emissions, make sure that’s front and center in your proposal.
- Include a Detailed Budget: Funders need to know exactly how their money will be spent. Break your budget down, but don’t forget to include operational costs. Many grants allow for this, so be thorough in your breakdown.
- Use a Template: Streamline the process by developing a reusable grant template. Once you have one, you’ll save time and reduce the amount of work involved in future applications.
Step 4: Leveraging Expert Support
Writing grants can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. If you’re doing it yourself because of budget constraints, consider a grant writing accelerator. It’s a great way to learn the skills, preserve your budget, and get the professional support you need to ensure your grant is done right.
A good grant accelerator will help you:
- Refine Your Narrative: An outside perspective can help sharpen your message and ensure it resonates with the funder.
- Ensure You Meet All Guidelines: Trust us, the last thing you want is to miss out because you didn’t follow the instructions properly.
- Provide Constructive Feedback: They’ll be your sounding board, giving you practical advice and feedback that strengthens your application.
Step 5: Managing Collaboration in Writing
Writing a sustainability grant often requires input from multiple people: program managers, financial officers, subject matter experts, and sometimes even your external partners. Managing this process can be challenging. Here’s how we keep it organized:
- Do the Heavy Lifting in Advance: Don’t wait until you find the perfect grant to start trying to describe your work in writing. Get your grant template together before you even start looking at opportunities.
- Use Project Management Tools: Platforms like Trello or Asana can help track progress and deadlines. This keeps everyone on the same page and ensures that nothing slips through the cracks.
- Clarify Roles: Assigning clear roles to each team member helps keep the project moving forward. When everyone knows what’s expected of them, things get done faster.
- Centralize Documents: Cloud storage like Google Drive is a must for keeping documents organized and easily accessible to everyone involved in the proposal.
Step 6: Submitting and Following Up
Some funders don’t allow communications. But if they do, follow up in the same way you would with an important friend or colleague:
- Submit Early: If you followed Step 2, the funder already recognizes your name and knows you’re invested in doing good work. If they receive your application early, they may review it and give you the opportunity to fill gaps.
- Send a Thank-You Note: A personalized note goes a long way. It shows you’re professional, appreciative, and serious about your work.
- Provide Additional Information: Sometimes funders will request more details about your project. If that happens, be ready to provide additional materials that support your case.
- Ask for Feedback: If your grant doesn’t get awarded, take the opportunity to ask for feedback. This will help you improve your next application.
Most Common Grant Writing Challenges
The process of writing grants can present challenges, but it’s all about how you approach them:
- Meeting Strict Deadlines and Requirements: Stay organized and set clear timelines to ensure you don’t miss any important dates. Keep a checklist to ensure your submission complies with all deadlines.
- Balancing Technical and Layman’s Language: Write in a way that is clear and accessible, without losing the technical depth needed to support your case.
- Addressing Competition: Stand out by highlighting your project’s innovation and potential impact.
In Sum: Tips for Writing Sustainability Grants
Keep these best practices in mind to improve your chances of success:
- Understand the Funder’s Goals: Tailor your application to align with the funder’s mission and values.
- Quantify Impact: Use data to demonstrate the potential impact of your project.
- Engage Stakeholders: Show how your project benefits local communities and stakeholders.
- Address Indirect Costs: Include operational costs in your budget to ensure the sustainability of your project.
- Plan for Reporting: Outline how you’ll track and report progress to funders.
Making Grants Work for Sustainable Long-Term Change
Sustainability grants go beyond getting a project off the ground. They’re about building something that sticks. When you secure a sustainability grant, think about how that funding can fuel a ripple effect, turning short-term wins into long-lasting change. The most successful initiatives often have a vision that stretches well beyond the initial timeline of the grant, creating value that lasts for years to come.
Take a moment to consider how your project will leave a lasting mark. If it’s a renewable energy initiative, for instance, what does it look like when that program is scaled? Will it empower local communities, create jobs, or foster skills that keep the momentum going? Funders are more likely to bite if they see a clear vision for sustainability beyond the immediate funding cycle. Being able to demonstrate the potential for scale makes your project even more appealing. The ability to show how your success can be multiplied is a powerful way to make your proposal stand out.
And don’t forget that securing a sustainability grant is just a step, not the end. A successful project is a powerful story to tell and can help you attract more funding or build partnerships for the future. Once you’ve delivered, you’ve got a proven track record to lean on, and that makes it easier to secure additional support.
The key to grants is to make them work sustainably for the long haul. It’s about creating a framework that will keep your project thriving long after the grant funds have been spent.
You’re not just applying for funding—you’re inviting the grantor to be part of a transformative effort.
How Written Progress Can Help
At Written Progress, we’ve fully focused on supporting teams tackling sustainability issues. And we’ve guided organizations like yours to securing millions in sustainability funding. Here’s how we can help you:
- Custom Grant Writing Templates: Reusable templates and an opportunity shortlist that save you time and ensure consistency in your proposals.
- Grant Writing Accelerator: Software-assisted writing and actionable guidance from experts to fine-tune your proposals.
- Full-Service Grant Writing: We handle everything from identifying opportunities to submitting applications.
Start Your Journey to Securing Grant Funding
Writing grants goes far beyond filling out forms. It’s about crafting a story that resonates with funders, demonstrating your impact, and securing the resources you need to make a difference. Whether you’re a nonprofit, social enterprise, or research organization, the right approach can unlock the funding you need to scale your efforts.
Let Written Progress guide you through the process. From creating templates to managing submissions, we provide the tools and expertise to help you succeed.