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The first pages of the Small Grant Application template

Small Grant Application

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
6 · US Letter
Style
Friendly
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
October 31, 2026

Every page (6)

Overview

Small funders reject applications that tell the group's story but skip their criteria, or that carry a budget that does not add up. This template is organized around what a panel scores: who you are, the project plan, who benefits with measurable targets, and a budget with the calculation behind each line.

The sample is a fictional repair café asking for £12,000 of a £15,000 project, with £3,000 matched locally, 40 sessions and 250 residents, so £60 each. Replace the need, outcomes, budget lines and dates with yours, and copy the funder's own criteria into your headings.

Useful for

  • A community group applying for a local fund of £5,000 to £15,000 for the first time
  • A treasurer rebuilding a budget so each line shows quantity times rate and matches the request
  • A volunteer coordinator turning a pilot's results into measurable targets for a funder

What's included

  • Cover page naming the funder, the applicant and the submission date
  • Summary page with request, match funding, share of cost and a short account of who you are
  • Project plan as a grouped checklist with owners and dates, plus a pre-submission checklist
  • Who benefits page with first-year targets, a baseline note and three highlight cards
  • Budget page with a line-by-line table, a quarterly spend chart and a note on match funding
  • Make it yours guide page with five replacement steps

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Read the funder's guidelines and copy their criteria into your headings, then replace the need statement with local data and cite the source and year.

  3. 3

    Rebuild the budget line by line with quantity times rate, and check the lines add up to the request and the total cost.

  4. 4

    Rewrite the outcomes as three to five measurable targets with a baseline, and ask someone outside your group to read the summary.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the application or export it as a PDF in the format the funder asks for.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

How much should I ask for and how much match funding do I need?

Follow the funder's rules. The sample asks for 80% of the total cost and shows 20% match funding, with the match listed against the lines it pays for.

What share of the budget can go on staff and overheads?

Staff often take 55 to 70% of a small project budget, overheads 10 to 15% and evaluation 5 to 8%. Explain any line that sits outside these ranges.

Are the group, people and figures real?

No. Havenbrook Works, the Eastvale Community Fund, the people and all figures are fictional sample data. Replace them with your own before you apply.

  • #grant-application
  • #grant-proposal
  • #small-grant
  • #community-grant
  • #budget-justification
  • #charity-funding
  • #google-docs

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