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MARCH 2005: SPECIAL FEATURE
Fundraising for Refugee-Serving Agencies - Part 4
PROPOSALS 101: HOW TO PLAN AND
WRITE A PROPOSAL FOR FUNDING FROM FOUNDATIONS
Nobody really ‘writes’ a
grant. They write proposals in order to get a
grant. To do that
well, they need a thoughtful plan for a necessary
program or
service. – Norton Kiritz, The Grantsmanship Center [1]
Asking grantmakers for money to support your program involves more
than just writing a proposal. As we discussed last month,
grant-seeking organizations should research the prospective donor
foundations as thoroughly as possible via database searches,
foundation Web sites, letters of inquiry and personal contacts.
This month we will focus on the next step, how to request foundation
support - from planning, to developing a proposal, to following-up
with the funder regardless of their response. We conclude this
month's Special Feature with a section on useful resources for
pursuing this topic in greater depth.
Planning -
Assembling Background Information
By this point, the information you have collected on the
prospective funder should already have convinced you that this
donor’s criteria for making a grant match your own organization’s
mission and program goals. Now it is time to convince the funder. Funders want to know, first, that a project will further the overall
programming direction of the organization seeking funding. You will
therefore need to pull together additional information on the
history, governance and mission of your own organization to show how
their particular contribution would move your organization further
down a well planned development path.
In addition, the funder "…may need to be convinced that the case for
the project is compelling.” [2] You will therefore need to present
sufficient data to show that the programming need to be addressed is
indeed a vital one. For example, if your organization seeks funds to
further the education of refugee children or to support continuing
education for refugee parents, you must present a strong case for
the importance of this objective. You should be able to show that
your project outcomes will have a measurable impact on the lives of
your program participants. You must also convince the prospective funder that your organization is key in addressing that need.
The next step is to develop a clear, well-organized description of
the program for which funding is being sought, including:
- project objectives and approach,
- implementation timeline,
- expected outcomes, evaluation measures and procedures, and
- staffing and volunteer needs.
A
logic model such as the one described in the
guide by the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation can be used to help you develop a detailed description of your
program and its effectiveness. Another guide to the use of logic
models is
Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach which can can
be purchased from The United Way of America for a nominal fee.
These and other tools can be used as a
starting point for creating a detailed work plan that includes
activities, responsible personnel, target dates, milestones and
process and outcome measures. See the BRYCS
Targeted Resources for Professionals
web page for more information on tools for
program managers and
administrators.
Finally, you should create an initial summary budget of expenses
associated with the project for which you are seeking funding. This
financial information will eventually require greater detail, but
for now you only need to determine whether expected costs are in
the range of the funding provided by the potential funder. If these
costs are significantly greater, then you must: 1) show how other
funders are currently supporting, or could support, these additional
needs, and 2) describe the specific component of the project for
which you are seeking funds. For more information, see “Proposal
Budgeting Basics” on the Foundation Center’s Web
site.
Developing a Proposal - Putting It Down
on Paper
Once this background information has been collected, it’s time to
sit down and write the proposal. Basic components include the
following:
- Executive Summary - an overview of your organization’s case for
funding and a brief summary of the proposal; usually no longer than
one page and it is easiest to write last
- Statement of Need - description of who you are trying to help (the
target population) and why (documentation of the need); it often
helps to add a real-life example or quotations from clients that
clearly demonstrate the issues and provide an emotional connection
- Project Description - details about your project, or the specific
components of the project for which you are seeking funding,
including how it will be implemented and evaluated
- Budget - a detailed financial description of how much the project
will cost
- Information about Your Organization - an overview of how the
organization was formed, its governing structure, key activities and population(s) served, including unique capabilities and strengths
that will ensure your success with this project
- Conclusion - a brief summary of primary points contained in the
body of the proposal.
One of the best and most concise overviews of what to include in a
project proposal can be found in The Foundation Center’s free
"Proposal Writing Short Course".
However, each foundation will have its own requirements concerning
the specific form that a proposal should take. Formats range from a
short-form letter to a medium-length standardized application to a
very lengthy and detailed format that is tailored to the needs of
that specific grantmaker.
You can review sample cover letters, proposals and budgets, among
other useful proposal tools, at a variety of Web sites including:
-
School Grants provides education-focused, sample proposals
directed to corporate or government funders.
- The Non-Profit
Guides Web site offers “free web-based grant-writing
tools for non-profit organizations, charitable, educational, public
organizations and other community-minded groups”.
According to Jane S. Englebardt, executive director of the Hasbro
Children’s Foundation, the proposals most likely to succeed are
those that:
- Use the foundation’s grant money to bring in additional funding.
Attention-getting statements could highlight the fact that: “This
funding will help us match government funding," "This funding will
enable us to utilize volunteers to complement the work of
professionals," or "'This will allow us to create a training program
to expand our services without asking for more money each year."
- Make positive assertions. Instead of stating that “We are running
out of money,” you can note that “We have a wonderful program, but
we want to make it more cost-effective”.
- Show that your organization has other grant support as well. As
Ms. Englebardt puts it, "National foundations look for organizations
that are supported in their communities, so we know they're going to
be strong and sustainable." [3]
Following Up with the Funder
Information on the
foundation’s procedures for reviewing grant applications may be
included in their application guidelines, Web site or annual report.
If you are still unclear concerning the process or timeline for the
review of your application, be sure to ask.
The
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)
suggest that, in the end, patience and persistence pay off.
Follow-up with the foundation even if your application is rejected
so that you can understand why it failed.
When the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (CFGM) declines a
proposal, the letter offers to discuss with the applicant the
specific reason for rejection. According to Andrea L. Reynolds,
chief operating officer of CFGM, "Very few people take advantage of
that [offer]. It's surprising." [4] If the funder sees your
organization as a strong match, you may be able to make a few key
changes based on this feedback then re-apply with increased chances
of success during the next funding cycle.
This month’s Special Feature has focused primarily on the process of
writing proposals to foundations. Next month, we will explore how
organizations can seek support from corporations via social
responsibility initiatives, corporate volunteers and in-kind giving,
among other possibilities.
Additional Resources for Proposal Writers
A variety of regional
grantmaker associations offer very useful tips for applying to their
member foundations:
http://fdncenter.org/funders.
Useful resources about proposal writing in general can be found
on The Foundation Center’s online list of resources for
proposal writers. These include:
- The
Foundation
Center's Proposal Writing Courses and Seminars
In addition to the proposal writing basics
free Web-based short course and one-hour training session
mentioned above, the Center offers
Proposal Budgeting Basics.
For a fee, the Center offers full-day
proposal writing seminars
in many cities across the United States. These courses are
designed to help novice nonprofit grantseekers gain the
experience needed to secure grants from foundations and
corporate sources.
- The
Grantsmanship
Center Los Angeles, CA: The Grantsmanship
Center (TGCI). TGCI provides fee-based proposal writing
workshops. Their Web site includes access to free archived
articles from TGCI Magazine and a list of low-cost publications
about proposal writing.
- Miner, Lynn E.;
Miner, Jeremy T.
Proposal Planning and Writing, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. Guidelines and tips on
planning and writing grant proposals including developing ideas;
identifying and qualifying potential funding sources; setting up
systems and procedures to support grantseeking activities;
developing the proposal; budget forecasting; submission
procedures; and follow-up techniques.
- Geever, Jane C.
The Foundation Center's
Guide To Proposal Writing.
New York, NY: The Foundation Center, 2004. An in-depth
instructional manual covering pre-proposal planning through
post-grant follow-up. It contains excerpts from grant proposals
and interviews with foundation and corporate grantmakers about
what they look for in a proposal.
- Collins, Sarah
(ed.) The Foundation Center's
Guide To Winning Proposals.
New York, NY: The Foundation Center, 2003. Features twenty
real-life grant proposals that have been funded by some of
today’s most influential grantmakers. Each proposal is reprinted
in its entirety and has commentary by the funding decision
makers who awarded that grant. Proposals are included from large
and small, local and national organizations, and for many
different support purposes including basic budgetary support,
special projects, construction, staff positions and more.
1. Kiritz, Norton 2000
Some thoughts
on grantwrting…TGCI Magazine. The Grantsmanship Center. Winter 2000.
http://www.tgci.com/magazine/00winter/thoughts.asp
2. The following information on planning is based on: The Foundation
Center 2005
Proposal writing short course. Available on The
Foundation Center Web site at: http://fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop1.html
3. Marilyn Dickey 2003
Grant makers reveal the most common reasons
grant proposals are rejected. The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s
Philanthropy Careers: http://philanthropy.com/jobs/2003/05/01/20030523-378096.htm
4. Marilyn Dickey 2003 Ibid.
This
featured
search provides additional
resources about fundraising.
Find
out more about how organizations can seek support from corporations
via social responsibility initiatives, corporate volunteers and
in-kind giving, among other possibilities, in next month's Special
Feature on Fundraising.
Read
more in the fifth part
of BRYCS special feature on fundraising. The complete BRYCS series
on fundraising is also available
as a PDF.
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