How to Export Your Grant Proposal as a Professional PDF

Why Presentation Matters in Grant Proposals

After spending hours crafting your need statement, refining your objectives, and calculating your budget, the last thing you want is for your proposal to look unprofessional when it reaches the reviewer's desk. Formatting errors, inconsistent fonts, misaligned tables, and poor document structure can undermine even the strongest content. The GrantCraft Proposal Builder includes an export feature that transforms your completed proposal into a clean, professionally formatted PDF ready for submission.

Grant reviewers read dozens or even hundreds of proposals during each funding cycle. A well-formatted document that is easy to read and navigate creates a positive first impression and ensures that reviewers can focus on your content rather than struggling with your formatting. A poorly formatted proposal, by contrast, signals a lack of attention to detail that reviewers may assume extends to your program management as well.

Completing Your Proposal Before Export

Before you export, make sure all eight steps of the Proposal Builder are complete. The export feature compiles every section into a single document, so gaps will be immediately apparent. Use Step 8's review function to walk through each section and verify that no fields are empty or incomplete.

This is also the time to do a final proofread. While the Proposal Builder helps with structure and content guidance, you are responsible for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Read through each section carefully, or better yet, have a colleague review it. Common errors that slip through include inconsistent use of your organization's name, mismatched numbers between the narrative and budget, and verb tense inconsistencies.

The GrantCraft Readiness Checklist provides a final verification step to ensure every required element is in place. Run through the checklist before exporting so you can make any last adjustments within the builder rather than trying to edit the exported document.

Using the Export Feature

Once your proposal is complete and reviewed, the export function generates a PDF document organized by the eight proposal sections. The exported document includes clear section headings, consistent formatting, and a logical flow from organizational information through the final review notes.

The export produces a document formatted with professional margins, readable fonts, and clear section breaks. This matters because many funders specify formatting requirements such as minimum font size, margin width, and page limits. The GrantCraft export uses standard professional formatting that meets or exceeds most funder requirements.

What the Exported PDF Includes

• Organization information and contact details
• Need statement with supporting data
• Goals and SMART objectives
• Project design and methods description
• Detailed budget with justifications
• Evaluation plan
• Organizational capacity statement
• Any additional notes from the review step

Customizing for Specific Funders

Different funders have different submission requirements. Some accept PDF uploads directly. Others require you to paste content into online forms. Still others want specific sections submitted as separate attachments. The exported PDF serves as your master document from which you can extract and adapt content for any submission format.

For federal grants submitted through Grants.gov, you may need to reformat certain sections to match the required SF-424 attachment formats. The exported PDF gives you a clean, complete draft that you can then format according to specific agency templates. For more on federal submission requirements, see our guide on the federal grant application process.

For foundation grants that accept PDFs directly, the exported document may be ready to submit with minimal modification. You might add a cover letter, attach required supplementary documents like your IRS determination letter or board list, and ensure that page limits are met.

Formatting Best Practices

Whether you submit the exported PDF directly or use it as a basis for further formatting, these best practices will help your proposal look professional:

Font and Spacing

Use a readable serif or sans-serif font no smaller than 11 point. Many federal funders require 12-point font. Use single or 1.15 line spacing unless the funder specifies otherwise. Consistent spacing between sections helps reviewers navigate the document.

Margins

Standard margins of one inch on all sides are safe for most submissions. Some funders allow narrower margins, but going below 0.5 inches makes the document feel cramped and difficult to read.

Headers and Page Numbers

Include your organization name and the grant program name in a header on each page. Add page numbers to the footer. These details help reviewers keep your proposal organized, especially in large review panels where they may be handling physical printouts of many proposals.

Tables and Charts

If your budget or evaluation section includes tables, make sure they display correctly in the exported PDF. Tables should fit within the margins, use consistent formatting, and be clearly labeled. Charts and graphs should be high resolution and easy to read in black and white, since some reviewers print proposals on monochrome printers.

After Export: The Review Cycle

The exported PDF is your draft, not your final submission. Plan to circulate it for review by at least two to three people before submitting. Reviewers should include someone familiar with the program, someone with grant writing experience, and someone outside your organization who can evaluate clarity and persuasiveness.

When you receive feedback, return to the Proposal Builder to make revisions, then export again. This iterative process ensures that your final submission reflects collective input while maintaining the structured format the builder provides. For strategies on peer review and revision, see our guide on grant submission, peer review, and resubmission.

Export and Submission Checklist

• Complete all eight steps of the Proposal Builder before exporting.
• Proofread every section for grammar, spelling, and consistency.
• Run the Readiness Checklist for final verification.
• Export the proposal as a PDF and review the formatting.
• Check that the document meets the funder's formatting requirements.
• Circulate the PDF for review by colleagues and external readers.
• Make revisions in the builder and re-export if needed.
• Compile all required attachments before submission.
• Submit at least 24 to 48 hours before the deadline to allow for technical issues.

Learn more about grant writing strategies at Subthesis.

Ready to build a complete grant writing skill set? The Complete Grant Architect course covers everything from needs assessment to budget construction to post-award management.