Proposal
Writing Tips
Structure,
attention to specifications, concise persuasive
writing, and a reasonable budget are the critical
elements of proposal writing.
There
are many ways to organize proposals.
Read the grant
guidelines for specifications about required
information and how it should be arranged.
Standard
proposal components are a cover letter, executive
summary or abstract, narratives, budget, conclusion,
and attachments.
1.
Cover Letter
An effective cover letter should:
 Be no more than one page |
|
Succinctly summarize your proposal,
including your request amount |
|
Convey institutional support for your
project in both works and tone |
|
Include a contact name and telephone |
|
Be written on the College’s letterhead
and signed by the College’s President |
2. Executive Summary or Abstract
| Many foundation trustees and corporate officers may not read
your entire proposal. An executive summary
or abstract provides you with the opportunity
to encapsulate your proposal in a few short
paragraphs.
It should: |
|
|
Be no more than one page |
|
Summarize and bullet the proposal’s
key points |
|
Highlight both project need and outcomes |
|
Relate the project to the goals and
priorities of the funding agency |
|
Restate the request amount |
3.
Narratives
An effective narrative includes:
|
Statement of
need – introduces the funder to the
issues you will address.
It explains the purpose, goals, measurable
objectives, and a compelling, logical reason
why the proposal should be supported using
both hard statistics and anecdotal data. |
|
Approach – describes the method and process
of accomplishing goals and objectives, description
of intended scope of work with expected
outcomes, outline of activities, description
of personnel functions with names of key
staff and consultants, if possible. |
|
Evaluation – will demonstrate how to determine
if you have accomplished what you set out
to do. Generally, funders require very technical measurements
of results such as statistical analysis,
pre- and post-tests, surveys or focus groups. |
|
Project Timeline – paints a picture of project flow that includes start and end dates,
schedule of activities, and projected outcomes.
Should be detailed enough to include
staff selection and start dates |
|
Credentials –
contains information about the applicant
that certifies ability to undertake successfully
the proposed effort.
Typically includes institutional
background or individual track record and
resumes. |
Tips on Writing the Narrative:
Narratives typically must satisfy the
following questions:
|
What do we want ? |
|
What concern will be addressed and
why ? |
|
Who will benefit and how ? |
|
What specific objectives can be accomplished
and how ? |
|
How will results be measured ? |
|
How does this funding request relate
to the funder's purpose, objectives, and
priorities ? |
|
Who are we (organization, college)
and how do we qualify to meet this need
? |
The HOOK
There are many ways to represent the same idea. However, the
HOOK tailors
the description of the idea to the interest
of a particular funder. The HOOK
aligns the project with the purpose, and goals
of the funding source. This is a critical aspect
of any proposal narrative because it determines
how compelling the reviewers will perceive your
proposal to be.
4. Budget
| Budgets are cost projections. It is also a window into how
projects will be implemented and managed.
Well-planned budgets reflect carefully thought
out projects
Funders use these factors to assess budgets:
|
| |
|
Can the job be accomplished with this
budget ? |
|
Are costs reasonable for the market
– or too high or low ? |
|
Is the budget consistent with proposed
activities ? |
|
Is there sufficient budget detail and
explanation ? |
Many funders provide mandatory budget forms that must be submitted
with the proposal. Don’t forget to list
in-kind and matching revenue, where appropriate.
Be flexible about your budget in case the funder
chooses to negotiate costs.
5.Conclusion
| Your concluding statement should be brief, reiterate the significance
and the purpose of your project, and invite
the funding source to join with you in ensuring
the project’s success. |
6.Attachments
Most funding agencies will specify what attachments they require
and what they would prefer you not send. Keep in mind that reviewers will be looking
at hundreds of proposals, so keep the unnecessary
clutter to a minimum. Examples of attachments
include:
|
Curriculum
vitae |
|
Audited
financial statements |
|
A
list of the College’s Board of Trustees |
|
A
501 (c)3 tax-exempt letter |
|
College
publications and promotional materials |
Most of these materials are available to faculty and staff
by contacting the Director of Foundation and
Community Relations.
