fundraising iii: writing successful proposals 6 th annual club mac june 15, 2006 carole v. rylander,...

Fundraising III: Writing Fundraising III: Writing Successful ProposalsSuccessful Proposals

6th Annual Club MACJune 15, 2006

Carole V. Rylander, CFRErylander associates214.348.9086 [email protected]

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TopicsGathering DataWriting the ProposalComponents of the ProposalCompleting Your ProposalProposal Format

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Gathering Data Institutional Information

Brief History Staff & Volunteers Client Profile Facilities & Services Success Stories Annual Report

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Gathering Data (cont.)

Use graphics and tables to display your data in concise form and make it clearer and more interesting.

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After School Program Users by Native Language

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1996 1998 2000 2002

Native Speakersof English

Native Speakersof Spanish

Other

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Where our budget goes --Dallas County Art News

Rent andutilities

Staff

Printing

Computersandsoftware

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Board Roster with Professional Affiliations, Gender and Ethnicity

Program Brochure/MaterialsNewspaper Articles/Publications 501(c)3 IRS Letter(s) of Determination

To document name changes To show DBAs

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Financial Information Most recent monthly balance sheet &

revenue statement Audited financial statement Organization budget for fiscal year Program budget for fiscal year

Letters of Recommendation

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1. Ask well in advance. 2. Request letters from community

stakeholders who will benefit from your project (school superintendents, social service providers, etc.)

3. Offer to provide background material for the letter

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4. Write a strong draft that includes the address and the project benefits

5. E-mail/mail draft to community stakeholder for revision & additions

6. Offer to pick up the letter so you can proof it and have it in time.

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Writing the Proposal

Step 1. Are you SURE You Want To Do This? Ask Yourself . . .

What are we trying to accomplish?Does this project meet a genuine

need?Is the project a good fit with our

mission & strategic plan?

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Who will write the proposal?Can we afford to do the project? Is it

in our budget? If funded, can we carry it out? If we do this project, what other

projects will be delayed or cancelled?

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Writing the Proposal (cont.)

Step 2: Do You Have the Internal Management Systems to Monitor the Grant? Ask yourself:

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Do we have a project manager who can:Manage the project and oversee new

and/or current staff?Track the project expenses and time

spent on the project?Assure compliance with government

regulations?

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Do we have a good accounting system in place that will facilitate:Timely financial reports?Comparison of actual to budget?Cost accounting?Allocation of administrative,

communications, and fund raising expenses to programs/projects?

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If you answered “no” to either of these questions, think again!

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Step 3: Start Early! If You Do, You Will Have Time To . . .

Call the Program Officer and discuss your project.

Talk to organizations like yours that have undertaken similar projects.

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Read & re-read the directionsSend in vital drafts for review, if

allowed

Get necessary “sign-offs” from your board & ED/CEO/boss

Handle the unexpected Delivery problems Colleagues who miss deadlines

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You will be trying to convince funders who may be strangers & who may have no connection with your organization or your project of the value of your project.

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You must:Have an idea worthy of their moneyBe meeting a genuine needHave the skills & organization to

make your project a successHave given it thought and know that it

is feasible

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Components of a Proposal

Private Sector Formatting: There is no one right way to format a

proposal! Choose the format that best responds to

funders’ questions & communicates your story

Public Sector Formatting: Will be prescribed

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Common Private Sector Formats: Letter proposal

Most informalThree pages or less

Narrative with cover letterMore extensiveSection headings & appendices

23


Cover Letter or Executive SummaryStates amount requested & for what

purposeBrief description of problem, impact, &

solutionState what the grant will accomplish in

terms of benefit to target clients

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Introduction / History Problem / Needs Assessment

Population affectedSizeDemographics

Hindrances created by the problemGeographic limitations / boundaries

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Impact of the Solution on the ProblemChange that could be or is being

created by the programDescription of program goals

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Methodology or Action Plan / ObjectivesTotal clients to be served / benefit to be

deliveredLevel of service / benefit provided thus farBalance of service / benefit yet to be

provided Client population Geographic limitations Staffing - professional & volunteer

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SustainabilityFunding needs (program budget)Funding secured to date (sources &

amounts)Funding still required

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RequestStates specific dollar amount

requested Identifies program grant will support Identifies what the grant will

accomplish in terms of benefit to target clients

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EvaluationCriteria by which the program will be

evaluated (related to objectives)QuantitativeQualitative

Describe how evaluation information will be collected

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Evaluation (cont.)Funders may ask for criteria by which

the grant will be evaluatedRelated to program objectives, plusWhat, specifically, will the grant

accomplish? Attract matching gifts? Provide lead gift/initial funding? Why is their funding important?

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Components of a ProposalAppendices

Letters of recommendation Program/project newspaper articles Program/project brochure Brief organizational history Annual report Board roster

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Appendices (cont.)Financial information

Balance sheet & revenue statementAnnual organization budgetProject/program budgetAudited financial statement

IRS Letter of Determination

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Handouts:Packaging the Grant RequestEssential Components of Program

Planning and Proposal WritingProposal checklist

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Good Proposal:Above all else:

Must be written according to the guidelines!

The funding source’s guidelines are your road map to success!

Follow them to the letter!

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Completing Your Proposal:

Write the executive summary or cover letter last

Make the executive summary or cover letter a concise summary of your talking points

Make the type size comfortable for reading - 12 point is best

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Do not exceed page limits & think no one will notice

Pay attention to instructions:Double-sided & single-sided pagesBound or unboundAllowed attachments

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If page limits or space requirements are too tight for you to make your case:Determine if appendices are allowedUse your cover letter to tell your storyAttach letters of recommendation, if

allowed

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ProofreadProofreadProofread!!!!Consider having the application

professionally photocopiedEnclose the required supporting

materials

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Remove any barriers that make it difficult to understand

Follow the “Grandmother” principleRecognize that your proposal will not

be reviewed if it does not meet guidelines

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DisseminationWho needs to know about the

request?How will you tell them?

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Proposal FormatsTitle page - MellonTable of contentsOne-page application - Wray TrustLetter proposals

Mosher Los Barrios Unidos

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Proposal FormatsNarrative proposal

LuceNarrative proposal with cover letter &

appendix page Fikes

Two-phase proposal with “PPQ” Abell-Hanger

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Credits:The Center for Nonprofit Management,

Dallas, TX

Roxann Garcia, HOSTS Corporation

Grants Unlimited, Glenda J. O’Neal, Danville, CA

David Lawson, Norman Beach, FL

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Thank you!

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