Writing Powerful Needs Statements that Persuade Funders to Make the Grant
Available via Webinar from Grant Professionals Association
$125 Member / $175 Non-Member
Every successful grant proposal begins with a powerful “why.” Typically called the needs statement, this incredibly important section of your application convinces funders that a problem exists and demands attention, providing the lens through which reviewers interpret the rest of your proposal. Yet most needs statements fall flat, failing to adequately convince the funder to act.
During this interactive session, Dr. Linda Wastyn draws on nearly four decades of experience as a grant professional, consultant, and educator to guide participants through the art and science of writing persuasive needs statements. She demonstrates how to transform routine descriptions into compelling arguments that connect data, logic, and emotion. Participants explore how claims, evidence, and storytelling intertwine to create a clear and convincing case for funding.
Through practical examples, attendees examine how to frame the problem from the funder’s perspective, use credible data to support every assertion, and weave narrative elements that humanize statistics. The session encourages writers to move beyond dry facts and into storytelling that reveals the lived experience of the people affected by the issue. Dr. Wastyn models how vivid language, emotional engagement, and logical progression combine to inspire funders to act. The conversation explores common writing errors, logical fallacies, and rhetorical missteps that often weaken your credibility.
By the session’s end, attendees understand how to focus their needs statements on the change they seek rather than the activities they perform. They leave with a practical framework for crafting narratives that speak directly to funders’ priorities, highlight the human impact behind the data, and build a compelling case for investment.
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will learn to craft persuasive needs statements that balance data and storytelling
Attendees will understand how and why to link evidence to claims through clear reasoning
Attendees will develop strategies to engage funders emotionally and intellectually while maintaining professional credibility.
GPC Competencies:
4: Crafting, constructing, and submitting an effective grant application
9: Ability to write a convincing case for funding
Grant Professional Personas
Federal Focused Farah
Foundation Specialist Fatima
Newcomer Nia
Team of One Toni
Contributors
Linda Wastyn, Ph.D., CFRE, GPC
A frequent presenter at GPA and AFP conferences, Linda has nearly 40 years of grant writing experience in higher education and in multiple sectors as a consultant for the last 14 years. With degrees in communication and rhetoric, she has taught undergraduate communication classes and graduate classes on leadership communication and strategic communication as well as presentations on effective communication and leading change for GPA, AFP, and other organizations.