Always read (and follow!) the instructions carefully.
Some competitions use formatting and other rules enumerated in instructions as a way to exclude proposals from publication – don’t disqualify yourself!
Can you find a copy of a successful proposal from a program you’re considering applying to?
Some competitions are idiosyncratic, and it can be useful to have a guide. This is not necessarily for anything to do with the content or ideas of a proposal, but rather to suss out what makes for a good proposal (understood as a genre of writing) specific to the program you’re applying to.
Karen Markin in URI’s research office is a good resource for this
Many competitions name their past awardees, and you can write (politely) to ask to see a copy of a proposal. It’s a good idea to make clear what your proposal is about (so someone you contact knows that you’re interested in the proposal as a proposal, not in the underlying ideas that might not yet be published), that you will not pass along any materials that they provide to anyone else (don’t do that!).
Sometimes the funding priorities of an agency or institution are opaque. Look carefully through the titles, abstracts, or proposals that have succeeded in the past – do they look like what you’re working on?
It’s never a bad idea to reach out to a program officer for the funder (well in advance of the deadline) to pitch your project (briefly!) and see how they react. Program officers are interested in getting promising applications that fit their grant programs well (and they are equally interested in minimizing proposals that don’t fit the call, since those take up staff and reviewer time, too). Sometimes, a program officer is able to offer some guidance about how you might better fit your proposal to their program.
Program officers can be more frank in a phone call than an email!
Funded proposals may also be obtained from colleagues or from some agency websites.
Find the right opportunity. A good fit between program goals and your goals is essential.
Information sources include funding databases and funders’ websites. The SPIN database is available to URI faculty, staff and students.
Have a colleague read a draft. A fresh pair of eyes can identify sections that are unclear or need additional detail.
Don’t wait for the last minute! Complete all proposals sections early so you can catch any errors before the submission deadline. If you miss the deadline, you may have to wait months, or even a year, for the next one.