Below are some useful guidelines to follow as you collect and present data in a grant application:
- If you are preparing a local or regional application, your application should provide local or regional data as well as some state-level data to provide context. Local applications should not rely solely on state-level data.
- Use a combination of raw numbers AND percentages when presenting your data. Using percentages helps the reviewers put your raw numbers in context.
- The majority of your data should come from reputable sources such as government agencies, national associations, or peer-reviewed journals. However, it is okay to conduct your own surveys to gather information when there is no other source.
- Your data should be no more than three years old if possible.
- Unless otherwise required in the application, two to three paragraphs of your strongest data points is sufficient to demonstrate need.
- Consider presenting some of your data in a table to break up the information into manageable pieces and maintain the reader’s interest.
