How To Write A Proposal

Writing a proposal when seeking for a grant or funding for a project is just one step in the grant seeking process, and it is not the first step. Writing a proposal is the result, first, of a careful thinking and planning regarding the program or project that is envisioned and, second, of contacting and cultivating potential funders.

There are six basic elements that most grantmakers expect to see in a proposal, usually presented in the following order:

Introductory Summary — A clear and concise summarized description of the request.
Statement of Need — A documentation of the needs to be met or the problems to be solved with the proposed project.
Project Description — A thorough description of the objectives, planning, resources needed, evaluation strategies, and sustainability of the project.
Budget — A clear delineation of the costs to be met by the grant.
Organization — A description of the organization’s nature and of its qualifications or “credibility”.
Conclusion — A summary of the proposal, the importance of the project and its need for funding.

Photo by Artworks, a non-profit, art-based job training program.

Some of these elements of a proposal may require separate documentation to substantiate them. For example, as part of the description to establish the “credibility” of the organization, a proof of the nonprofit status should be appended to the proposal; that is, a copy of your organization’s 501(c)(3) letter from the IRS, and a copy of your organization’s “not a private foundation” letter from the IRS. To exactly know which documentation should be included with the proposal, it is important to follow the guidelines for proposals of every foundation to which you are going to apply.

Introductory Summary:

The first element to be included in a formal proposal when seeking for a grant is to describe, in clear and concise terms, in a few paragraphs, a summary of the request. The objective of this summary is to call the attention of the reader while introducing the proposal. This should include:

The purpose of the project for which funds are being requested.
Needs or issues that the proposed project will address.
The nature and qualifications of the organization that is requesting the funds.

Statement of Need:

The second element to be included in a proposal is to document the needs to be met or the problems to be solved with the proposed project. The statement of need will enable the reader to learn more about the issues to be addressed by the project. It should present the facts and the evidence which support the need for the project and should establish that your organization understands the problems and, therefore, can reasonably address them. The information used to support your case can come from other authorities in the field, as well as from your organization’s own experience.

Project Description:

The third element to be included in a proposal is a complete picture of the project for which funding is requested. This description of the project should have five subsections: objectives, methods, resources needed, evaluation, and sustainability.

The objectives of the project are a list and description of the benefits of the project in measurable terms.
The methods of the project are a plan of clearly defined steps and activities to achieve the desired results.
The resources needed by the project are dictated by the objectives and the methods. These resources may include human resources such as staff and administration, as well as materials and equipment.
The evaluation of the project is a plan of measures to determine the degree to which the objectives of the project are going to be met.
The sustainability of the project refers to the future funding which will give the project a continuation beyond the grant period and/or availability of other resources.

Budget:

After the complete description of the project, the next logic element in a proposal is the budget of the project. This part of the proposal should include a detailed description of all and each of the projected expenses required by the project. They should be presented in an orderly list of categories that includes for each item a description and the calculations used to arrive to the projected expense. To do this it is appropriate to use worksheets. These worksheets are useful as the proposal is developed and as is discussed with the funders; they are also a valuable tool for monitoring the project once it is under way and for reporting after completion of the grant.

Organization:

Finally, the grant seeking organization should introduce itself to the foundation as a qualified entity that knows the problem or need to be solved with the project. This introduction will help to establish the “credibility” of the organization and should include the following elements:

A description of the organization and its mission or purpose.
A description of the organization’s position and role in its community.
The history of funding by other sources, whether governmental or private.
The names and qualifications of the organization’s board of directors.
The names and qualifications of the organization’s administration staff.
The current budget of the organization.
The legal and tax status of the organization.

It is not necessary to overwhelm the potential donor with a too many details about the grant seeking organization. This information can easily be presented with a brochure or other prepared written statement that will give the reader a thorough view of the nature and qualifications of the organization.

Conclusion:

Every proposal should have a concluding paragraph or two. This is a good place to call attention to the future, after the grant is completed. If appropriate, it can contain an outline of some of the follow-up activities that might be undertaken to begin preparing donors for a next or future request. Alternatively, the conclusion can state how the project might carry on without further grant support.

This section is also the place to make a final appeal for the project, reiterating what the grant seeking organization wants to do and why it is important, emphasizing why the organization needs funding to accomplish it.

For more information on Proposal Writing visit
The Foundation Center