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if you do not receive feedback. Some foundations receive
hundreds of LOIs and don’t have enough staff to provide
detailed critiques for each denied application.
WHAT IS IN A PROPOSAL?
All funders will need the same basic elements. You
will use these materials over and over in proposals and
conversations about your programs and projects, so
develop a general proposal package that you can adapt for
different funders and projects.
Narrative Proposal
Budget
Attachments (Legal documents such as nonprofit
status, financial statements/audit)
References: Some funders will want to know
you are respected in your community – so it’s
good to have ready reference letters or contact
information for allies who can speak favorably
about your group and its work. A reference can
be from a professional colleague in your field or
another funder.
DEVELOPING A NARRATIVE PROPOSAL
If the funder provides an application form or template,
use it! Don’t send along a proposal you’ve written for
somebody else if the funder has its own, different
proposal guidelines.
Make sure to clearly state how much money you are
requesting from the funder, for what purpose and
for what time period at the beginning and end of
your proposal.
TYPICAL PROPOSAL SECTIONS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This is a short
summary of your entire proposal. Although it
appears first, it’s best to write this last. It’s usually
one paragraph or one page long, depending on the
overall length of the proposal. This may be the only
part of your proposal that some of the people at
the foundation reviewing your application actually
read, so make sure it includes key information and
concepts, including the amount you’re requesting
and the project period. Edit this section so it’s
concise and polished.
VISION/PROBLEM STATEMENT: The issue
you’re addressing and why it’s important; explain the
problem but focus on your solution.
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION: Your
mission, how you work, who you are, what you do.
Keep this very short and to the point, no more than
two or three paragraphs in length.
GOALS, OUTCOMES, AND OBJECTIVES:
Goals, outcomes, and objectives are often used
in proposal writing. Sometimes they are used
interchangeably and it can be difficult to understand
the difference.
Goals: What do you hope to achieve in the long
term (beyond the grant period)? These are broad
statements about what your organization or
programs hope to achieve. Ask the question, “What
would a better world look like?” Your organization
may have one to three big picture goals that guide
your overall work. While these numbers are not
hard rules, having too many goals in a proposal can
make your organization look unfocused and can be
confusing to the funder.
Outcomes: What do you hope to achieve in the
short term (within the grant period)? An acronym
that can help you form strong outcomes is SMART
– Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and
Time-bound. For each goal, you may have one to
three outcomes. Again this is not a steadfast rule,
but a general guide to help you stay focused.
Objectives: What do you plan to do in order
to achieve the outcomes? These are the specific
activities you will undertake to reach your outcomes
(and eventually goals).
Another helpful tool to help you understand the
pieces needed to achieve a long-term goal is called a
Theory of Change. Visit www.theoryofchange.org for
a more detailed description of Theory of Change,
samples of Theory of Change charts, and other logic
model tools and frameworks.
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