Nonprofit Fundraising: Proposal Writing

If you’re interested in nonprofit fundraising, then you’re probably keenly interested in proposal writing.  More importantly, you are probably interested in the process of writing successful proposals.  Rightly, so.  Successful proposals are those that not only garner grant funding for your organization, but also help to cultivate lasting relationships with funders.

Proposal writing is indeed a process that involves setting funding priorities, researching potential funders, creating a basic proposal, tailoring the basic proposal to suit a specific funder’s expectations, and following up on any funder inquiries and responses.  Because the basic proposal is an essential part of the process, let’s spend a little time highlighting the key features of a basic proposal.  Generally, the flow of a proposal is as follows—Executive Summary –> Statement of Need –> Project Description –> Budget –> Organization Details and Information –> Conclusion.  The proposal should be free of typos and other errors.  It should be compelling, without being overstated; and it should be realistic.  Also, the basic proposal should be fairly standard and easily adaptable to various other formats and requirements.

The Executive Summary is the opening section of the proposal.  It is generally about a page in length and provides the reader with an overview of the rest of the proposal.  The Executive Summary briefly states the need, a proposed solution, funding requirements, and your organization’s capabilities.

The Statement of Need follows the Executive Summary and is usually 1-2 pages in length.  This section of the proposal expands on the need supposition previously introduced.  This is where you will want to paint a compelling picture for a potential funder; your arguments should be logically presented, factual, and relevant.  You should gather supporting information from sources like stakeholder interviews, government agency reports, and focus groups.

The Project Description introduces the details of the project and how it will address the need.  Key components of this section are an estimate of the projected outcomes, a description of the methods that will be used to achieve outcomes, a listing of staff requirements, an outline of assessment methods, and a sustainability plan.  Plan to spend 3-4 pages describing the proposed project.

The Budget is a description of the financial requirements of the project and should contain any required explanations of proposed expenses.  The Budget should be approximately 1-2 pages.

The Organization Details and Information section of the proposal is a general overview of your organization—the products and services it offers, its mission, how the proposed project aligns with the mission, and any other relevant information.  There is no need to overwhelm a prospective funder with information about your organization, so try to keep this section to 1-2 pages of key information that enhances the proposal’s prospects.

Finally, the Conclusion should be 1-2 paragraphs that restate the need and how your project will help solve the problem.

If you have any questions about proposal writing and how proposals can be used to further fundraising goals, please do not hesitate to contact me at info@cmesolve.com.   You may also find a more detailed treatment of proposal writing techniques in The Foundation Center’s Guide to Proposal Writing, Fifth Edition.

Reference:  Geever, Jane C.  The Foundation Center’s Guide to Proposal Writing, 5th ed.  New York: The Foundation Center, 2007.

Posted by: Tamboura Gaskins at 24 February 2010 7:47 pm | Category: Fundraising | Tags: proposal writing

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