Finding funding sources
UW maintains a Grants and Funding Information Service specifically to help UW graduate students identify sources of funding.

• Its website is http://www.lib.washington.edu/gfis/ .
• It's located on the Ground Floor of Suzzallo Library, with print and computer-based information available during library hours.
• You can also make an appointment, during a more limited set of hours, for one-on-one assistance.
• GFIS maintains a website of Internet-accessible grant-seeking resources.

Writing the proposal
The language of Bob Hilsden's Beginner's Guide to the Research Proposal is very straightforward.  It's on a medical-research site, but I think it's general enough to be very relevant.

The Foundation Center's overview is useful for research and practical grant-proposal writing (refer to Parts 1 and 2).