# Grant proposal executive summary template

Write the summary last, from documents that already agree. Fill the reconciliation table first; every bracketed slot in the template pulls from one row of it, so the summary cannot drift from the proposal.

## Part 1: the reconciliation table

Complete this table from the finished proposal before drafting a sentence. Every number must come from the named source document, not from memory.

| Fact                                                     | Value | Source document                              | Confirmed |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | -------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| Request amount                                           | $     | Budget total                                 | [ ]       |
| Project name and duration                                |       | Narrative header                             | [ ]       |
| Population served (who and how many)                     |       | Program description                          | [ ]       |
| Location or service area                                 |       | Program description                          | [ ]       |
| Core activity and dose (what, how often, how long)       |       | Program description / logic model activities | [ ]       |
| Primary need, in one clause with its strongest statistic |       | Needs statement                              | [ ]       |
| Measurable outcome commitment                            |       | Logic model outcomes / evaluation plan       | [ ]       |
| Who delivers it (staffing summary)                       |       | Budget personnel lines                       | [ ]       |
| Organization credibility fact                            |       | Organizational background                    | [ ]       |
| Other funding secured or requested                       |       | Budget income side                           | [ ]       |

Consistency checks before drafting:

- [ ] The request amount matches the budget total exactly, to the dollar.
- [ ] The participant count is identical in the needs statement, program description, outputs, and any per-participant cost math.
- [ ] The outcome commitment appears verbatim in the evaluation plan.
- [ ] The staffing summary matches the personnel budget lines in role and effort.
- [ ] Every claim in the summary already exists somewhere in the full proposal.

## Part 2: the six-sentence template

One sentence per slot. Expand to two only where the funder's format allows more than half a page.

1. Request: [Organization] requests $[amount] from [funder] for [project name], a [duration] program serving [number] [population] in [location].
2. Need: [Population] face [problem], evidenced by [strongest statistic with source and date].
3. Response: [Project name] will [core activity] at [dose: frequency and duration], delivered by [staffing summary].
4. Outcome: By [date], the program commits to [measurable outcome], measured by [instrument or data source].
5. Credibility: [Organization] has [credibility fact: years serving this population, prior results, relevant partnership].
6. Fit and sustainability: The request covers [what the money buys]; [other funding status], and [one sentence on what continues after the grant].

## Part 3: the format override check

- [ ] Re-read the funder's instructions. If they specify a summary length, section name (abstract, overview, summary), or required fields, their format replaces this one.
- [ ] For federal applications, check whether the opportunity requires a separate project abstract with a character limit and public posting; write that version to its own instructions.
- [ ] Cut anything the funder did not ask for before adding anything they did.