5 Tips to Prepare Your Proposal for Native American Grants

Native Americans have the opportunity to access numerous scholarships and grants that can help them pursue a graduation degree. If you are a Native American, you should definitely search for these grants before availing student loans. There are a variety of educational grants and once you have selected the one best matching your requirements, proceed with the application.

While preparing your grant, there are many things that can go wrong such as improper arguments, weak proposal structure, missing the deadline etc.

1. Three points to cover in your proposal

When writing your Native American grant proposal, including the following three points will help you present your argument(s) in a more agreeable manner.
First, apply the ‘art of persuasion’; use logic, statistics and sometimes emotion to convince the audience. Second, aim to achieve ‘clarity’; by presenting your argument strategically in a linear fashion and by using easy to understand language, you render simplicity and sensibility to your proposal. Third, ensure ‘cohesion’; you should properly arrange your argument so that it is logically ordered. Following these points will give a better understanding of your proposal, thus increasing the probability of its acceptance.

1. Timing matters

It would be utterly disheartening if your grant proposal was not accepted merely due to missing a deadline for submission. Hence, it is advised to start early, ideally 2-3 months in advance. This way you can successfully prepare efficient proposals that are inclusive of evidences, references and precise arguments. Another factor to keep in mind is that some grants require electronic submission; therefore, you should start early to get enough time to upload all the documents in the appropriate format.

1. Include all documents

You may have prepared a spectacular and exceedingly convincing proposal, but if you’ve failed to attach any mandatory document(s), then there are chances of rejection! Ensure that the required forms are properly filled, free of error and that they are submitted along with your application on time. Moreover, if your Native American Grant type requires online submission, make sure that you’ve uploaded all the documents. Missing even one can cost you big!

1. Establish meaningful collaboration

If your grant is towards achieving a large sum or one that involves working in large groups, then think about creating collaborations. However, if you are interested to work alone, then consider applying for a fellowship instead. Granting agencies are pleased to find evidence of the applicant’s will and provide flexibility to work with other organizations or institutions. Also, it is advisable to be clear regarding the beneficiaries of your grant. To provide a proof for successful collaborations, you can consider partnerships within your Native community, for instance, community schools, tribes, elders or social groups etc.

1. Establish credibility

In order to receive a grant, it’s crucial that your argument is believable. To do this, you first need to know your audience- their work, positions, mission, general preference or nature, etc. By simply reading their website, you can get a rough idea about their beliefs and then you include such points in your argument that may appeal to them greatly. Moreover, research well about the kind of evidence which you can provide to show your commitment to foster cooperation with different groups within and outside the community. In addition to this, knowing your own strengths or weakness can help you present your argument clearly; ask yourself whether you can convince better verbally or through the use of technical means. Whichever medium you excel at, use the same while presenting your proposal.

Native American Grants are available in plenty; all that’s needed is a careful speculation and a step-by-step preparation for availing them. Financial-aid can boost your chances of enrolling in top universities or institutions, so we encourage you to look for prospective grants and get on with preparing your application!