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Grant Proposal Writing
Subjects > Professional And Technical > Freelance Writing
Proposal Writing
A successful application to a potential donor requires a great deal of
thought and planning. With more and more organizations seeking
access to finite and limited resources being a ‘good cause’ will not
promote your request to the top of the list.
There are a number of steps that you can take to increase the chances
of being successful in your quest for assistance.
Research
First there is the project research that supports and justifies your
request for assistance, for a poorly researched and prepared request
will quickly be seen as such and is unlikely to be successful. The
second phase is that of donor research. This will help you determine if
your organization and needs are a good match with the funding
organization’s interests and priorities.
Project Research
Project research is the process of ensuring that you have done your
homework in determining what your organization needs in the way of
technology. Identifying six staff and then asking for six computers does
not qualify as research. You need to find out your exact needs in terms
of activity and how technology can assist you in achieving your
mission. After all technology is, in and of itself, just a tool. The key is
how that tool will assist you perform tasks and, ultimately, benefit your
clients and users.
It is not uncommon for a technology related request to be incomplete.
For example, an application may indicate a need for several desktop
systems but not address how they will be connected to a common
printer or what training will be put in place to ensure that users can
actually use them to best effect. A potential funder can decline a
request for assistance because the applicant has not asked for
enough. Here we are not referring to seeking the lowest bid for the
hardware but rather the failure to ensure that all the pieces are in place
to do the job properly. It is well worth taking time to undertake a
comprehensive review of your technology needs including installation,
training and other elements even if the final figure is large. Cost
cutting, perhaps by eliminating training, will hinder rather than help
your application. After all, every donor wants to make sure that their
investment has maximum impact on the work of the organization.
If you are unsure what you need and don’t have access to the
expertise that will allow you to find out, consider asking the donor to
provide some seed funds to undertake a comprehensive study. Such
requests are often viewed as a good investment as they provide a solid
foundation on which to build a case for support.
Donor Research
The second step is to look at how your organization matches the
overall funding criteria of the potential donor. Many granting bodies
have specific criteria relating to the types of things they will fund along
with other restrictions or constraints such as geographic area or sector
of the community.
Do some preliminary investigations and find out in advance if you fit the
overall criteria. This will save both parties from wasting time submitting
and reviewing inappropriate requests. Some grant giving agencies, the
Wild Rose Foundation being an example, have a preliminary process
that assists in the determination of suitability. This process has
benefits for both applicant and donor alike. So check the criteria and
conditions and unless discouraged from doing so, get in touch. If you
are still uncertain a short one page summary of your needs and project
will enable the potential supporter to determine eligibility without taking
a lot of your time in preparing the application.
Your research will also provide information on the average gift. If your
research shows that the potential donor provides gifts in the range of
$2,000 to $4,000 then you may want to reconsider asking for $10,000
unless you are seeking a portion of the total.
The Request
Once you have completed your research it is time to put the request
together. Here it is critical that you pay attention to the application
guidelines provided by the potential funder. If asked for a 100 word
summary outlining the project then make sure you provide just that.
Likewise, keep to any restrictions on length and format. By following
the guidelines carefully you will ensure that you have not created any
impediments that will negatively affect your request.
If there is no application form then you have the freedom to set out
your request in whatever way you want. This can be more of a
challenge than following a set format as you may be unsure if you have
covered all the relevant points. If this is so in your case then use an
existing format as a guide, that way you won’t miss any key points.
You should provide a crisp summary, if need be put it in a cover letter,
so that the reviewer can quickly grasp the purpose of the request
without wading through a dozen or so pages.
Depending on the situation you may consider seeking a modest level
of assistance and use this as a means to develop a relationship which,
in time, will provide the opportunity to secure significant support over
the longer term.
Deadlines exist for a reason, so respect them and allow yourself
enough time to prepare a good application. If time is tight you may
want to give yourself some extra time to do the job by delaying your
application until the next deadline.
Ask for Enough
An inadequately funded technology project, perhaps by skimping on
installation or training, will not improve your chances of success.
Certainly you should ensure that you do not ask for more than you
need, but don’t fail to ask for enough. Grant giving agencies are well
able to determine whether or not your request includes adequate
resources for installation and configuration. Funders know that no
matter how good the hardware, if it is not installed properly it will not
perform well and will not provide a good return on the investment.
So if you need a particular piece of software or hardware, training or
support, identify it and provide details as to why.
Emphasize the Benefits
Here is your opportunity to provide a reason as to why your request
should be supported. Remember that technology is simply the tool to
achieve your organizational goals, your mission. So approach your
request for help from this perspective. If you need help with, for
example a voice mail system, don’t start by focusing on the
technology. Refer to need and benefits. In the case of a voice mail
system, benefits might include secure and confidential messaging,
less time spent on transferring calls resulting in more time and
resources available for clients. If you are automating your volunteer
management system you should highlight the reduced administration
that allows more time for direct contact with the volunteers. Enhanced
record keeping and tracking that allows more effective use of
volunteers is another possible benefit.
Keep in mind that donors of all kinds are simply looking for
opportunities that match their criteria and provide a good return on their
investment. It is your task to highlight the benefits and help them
respond positively.
The Budget
Your budget should be of sufficient detail to show the main areas of
expenditure without going into too much detail. It is important to show
other income related to your project, what you have in hand or
committed from other sources and what your organization is
contributing. If you are not able to make any contribution from your
own resources then provide reasons. This is especially so if you have
significant resources in, for example, a term deposit. Explain your
position and if your reserves are limited or designated make sure you
make this known.
Reasons for Failure
The main reasons for failed applications are summarized as follows:
- Failure to follow the funders guidelines
- Poor match to eligibility criteria
- Missing or incomplete information
- Slow responses to requests for information
- Absence of clearly articulated benefits and outcomes
- Poorly prepared budget
- Missed deadlines
- Inadequate explanation of need
- Not seeking adequate funds
- No reference to sustainability
You can see that the majority could have been avoided if even a little
research had been carried out.
You can immediately reduce your rejection rate by paying heed to the
guidelines provided by the funder and the provision of clearly identified
benefits. Remember that it is not uncommon for the value of the
requests for assistance to out number the dollar resources by a ratio of
7 to 1 or even higher. This means that even a thoroughly researched
and well prepared request can be unsuccessful.
Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance on how you might improve your
request. As long as you are not overtly challenging the decision, many
foundations will offer guidance on how to improve your application for
next time.
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How To Write Grant Proposal
