In short
An executive summary is a one-page version of the whole proposal that a busy reviewer can read on its own. It states the problem, who it affects, what you will do, the results you expect, the cost and the amount requested, and why your organisation can deliver. Write it last, once the rest of the proposal is final.
Many reviewers read the executive summary first and decide from it how closely to read the rest. Some board members read nothing else. It must therefore stand on its own, without relying on tables or sections that come later.
The five things it must say
- The problem: who is affected, how many, where, with one key fact.
- The solution: what you will do, in two or three sentences.
- The results: the main outcomes, with numbers.
- The cost: the total budget, the amount requested and any co-funding.
- Why you: your track record and relationships in the area.
How to write it
- Write it after everything else, and copy the key numbers from the final budget and results table.
- Use four or five short paragraphs, one for each point above.
- Avoid jargon and acronyms; a reader outside your sector should understand it.
- Keep it to one page, or to the word limit the funder sets.
By the end of the project, 1,500 students will have completed a structured digital skills course, at least 1,200 of them will pass an end-of-course skills test, and 20 young instructors will have earned an income and gained a qualification.
Common mistakes
- Writing it first, so that it describes a project that later changed.
- Spending most of it on the organisation’s history rather than the project.
- Leaving out the amount requested.
- Promising results the rest of the proposal does not support.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a grant proposal executive summary be?
One page, or about 300 to 500 words, unless the funder sets a different limit.
Is an executive summary the same as an abstract?
They serve the same purpose. Some funders, especially research funders, call it an abstract and set a strict word limit.
Written by Gachi Foundation, a non-profit in Jharkhand, India. All proposal-writing resources.