This is a practical how-to guide for community-engaged researchers who want to successfully secure funding for their research. It is organized as a step-by-step process for planning, writing, and submitting proposals.
Step 1: Start With the Community, Not the Funding Call
Funders rarely support proposals where “community engagement” is added late in the process.
Strategies
- Build or deepen relationships before identifying a funding opportunity
- Co-identify the problem or research question with community partners
- Determine what “success” looks like from the community’s perspective
What funders look for
- Evidence that the project addresses a community-identified priority
- Evidence that the partnerships that existed before the current proposal
Step 2: Choose Funders That Align with Your Partnership and Goals
Match your project to the right funder. Not all funders support the same depth of engagement. (See companion guide: Identifying Funding for Your Community-Engaged Research)
Common funders of community-engaged research
- Federal agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF)
- Philanthropic foundations (e.g., RWJF, Spencer)
- Community foundations (local or regional)
- University-based or internal grants (useful for pilot or partnership-building work)
- Apart from the Community-Engaged Research Fellows Program, MSU does not currently have a grant program dedicated to CER. However, MSU does have several internal grant programs, some of which may be used to support your CER projects.
Strategies
- Read funded abstracts from other projects funded by the granting agency or organization to determine the extent to which it supports community-engaged projects
- Be on the lookout for language like co-creation, partnership, stakeholder/community engagement, equity, or community leadership
- Confirm that community organizations are eligible for funding or compensation
What funders look for
- Alignment with their mission and the objectives of their solicitation
Step 3: Design the Project with Community Partners
Strong proposals make engagement visible at every stage of the research.
Strategies
- Specify who is involved at each phase of the project, from the development of research questions to the dissemination and utilization of findings
- Clarify decision-making processes (who decides what and how)
- Compensate community partners appropriately for their time and expertise
What funders look for
- Clearly defined roles and responsibilities among academic and community partners
- Shared leadership (e.g., community co-PIs, advisory boards with decision-making authority)
- Budgets that reflect equitable partnership
Step 4: Make Rigor and Relevance Work Together
A common misconception is that community-engaged research trades rigor for relevance. Funders expect both. (See more here.)
Strategies
- Explain why your methods are appropriate for the community context
- Describe how engagement improves data quality, validity, or utilization
- Anticipate methodological concerns and address them directly
What funders look for
- An explicit argument for how community engagement will produce not just better relationships but better science
- Rigorous methods appropriate to research questions
- Clear justification for participatory or mixed methods
- Credible plans for analysis and interpretation
Step 5: Demonstrate Capacity on Both Sides
Funders will judge whether the partnership can deliver the project.
Strategies
- Describe the strengths each partner brings to the team
- Address prior collaboration or explain how trust will be built
- Include brief bios or organizational descriptions for community partners
What funders look for
- Teams with complementary expertise
- Realistic timelines that account for time to build relationships and establish trust
- Evidence that community partners have the capacity to participate
Step 6: Show How Research Will Benefit the Community
Community benefits must be specific and concrete.
Strategies
- Describe both short-term and long-term benefits for the community
- Specify products beyond academic publications (e.g., reports, tools, training)
- Plan for accessible dissemination (language, format, venues)
What funders look for
- Outcomes meaningful to community members
- Plans to return findings to the community
- Use of results for action, policy, or practice
Step 7: Address Equity Explicitly
Many funders will expect an explicit statement of how equity will be addressed.
Strategies
- Explain how power imbalances are acknowledged and addressed
- Describe inclusive recruitment and engagement strategies
- Discuss how compensation, authorship, and data ownership will be handled
What funders look for
- Intentional strategies to promote equity and inclusion
- Reflection on power, history, and context
- Capacity building for community partners
Step 8: Write for the Reviewers
Reviewers may support engagement in principle but vary in their experience with CER.
Strategies
- Avoid jargon and define participatory approaches clearly
- Make engagement processes visible and concrete
- Use project timeline tables to show who does what and when
What funders look for
- Clarity, feasibility, and coherence
- A compelling narrative that connects engagement, methods, and outcomes
- Evidence that the project can be completed successfully
Step 9: Use Smaller Grants Strategically
If you’re early in a partnership, start small.
Strategies
- Apply for planning, pilot, or engagement grants
- Use early funding to formalize partnerships and co-develop questions
- Leverage preliminary outcomes for larger proposals
What funders look for
- Thoughtful use of early-stage funding
- Clear pathways to future work
Step 10: Treat Proposal Writing as Relationship-Building Work
Writing the proposal itself is part of the relationship-building process.
Strategies
- Co-write sections with community partners where possible
- Share drafts early and often
- Ensure community partners see their voices in the final proposal
What funders look for
- Authentic collaboration reflected in the narrative
- Letters of support that go beyond generic endorsements
Final Advice
Successful community-engaged research proposals demonstrate genuine engagement through:
- Shared leadership
- Equitable budgets
- Clear community benefit
When funders see that engagement strengthens both science and impact, your proposal is more likely to succeed.
Sources
Gartner, D. (2025, December 18). Collaborative grant writing. Community-Engaged Research Fellows Program. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
NIH Community Engagement Alliance. (n.d.) Tips for engaging community in research. https://nihceal.org/resources/tips-engaging-community-research.
NOAA. (2025). A checklist for writing grant proposals that encourage meaningful community engagement. https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/grant-proposal-checklist-community-engagement.pdf
Seifer, S. (2012). Tips & strategies for funding Community-Engaged Research (CEnR). https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/cch/docs/arcc-resources-directory/17-cenrfunding-grantwritingtips-strategies.pdf
