Writing a grant proposal is usually completed by a team of individuals from one or more agencies. A team consists of a variety of individuals. If a grant proposal is written in collaboration with another agency, the lead agency usually provides at least one main grant writer and one administrative assistant. The secondary agency usually provides one to two grant writers. If one agency is writing a grant proposal, the team may consist of the lead grant writer, an administrative assistant, the program director, one to two program staff, and an executive director or chair. A copy editor may also be included in the team to edit the writing, ensure needed pieces of the grant are included, and to double check budget calculations. The main grant writer is usually the “point of contact;” he or she is the person who ensures that the grant is complied, compiled correctly according to the funding guidelines (he or she carefully reads every detail of the application), and is in charge of gathering any extra materials that may be needed. The person who is going to manage the implementation of the grant should always be involved in the grant proposal process.

When working with a team, organization is essential. Here are some key points to organizing your grant proposal team:

• It is important to organize materials that are needed to write the grant; the materials should be easily assessable to the entire team. Some agencies have a room or work space devoted to grant proposal efforts and different parts of the project are organized by notebooks or boxes. Some teams use content storage systems on the web (e.g., box.net, skydrive.com, etc.) and organize information in folders. It is also a good idea to establish a tracking calendar that includes all items needed (e.g. proposal components, support letter, etc).

• It is important to clarify each persons’ responsibility and information needed from each person. One person should be identified as the primary contact person for the potential funder and all questions and answers should be recorded.

• It is important to be aware of all the deadlines and timelines for the grant proposal (.e.g. grant proposal submission deadline, timeline if agency board approval is needed before grant is submitted, etc). Set individual and team deadlines accordingly.

o Establish a writing timeline with due dates and responsible people. Make dates earlier rather than later to leave a buffer if something unexpected occurs.

• Allow time for final draft to be collated and edited. Each person on the team should edit the final draft.