Grant Proposal Layout
The majority of large organisations and foundations now have a specific template for funding proposals which is necessary to use, however many still only mention certain details that a proposal from your organisation should include. For these cases we recommend that you follow the basic layout that we have included below:
I. Summary
Here you outline your project in 1-2 pages. The summary needs to be expansive enough to outline your project while being detailed enough to demonstrate the probability of its success. Be sure to include the following:- A description of NGO/ organisation, its members and background- A description of the need for the grant money - An explanation on how the grant money or donation will be used - A description of the current plan for sustainability Remember that the grant reader or donor may not read past the first letter and summary. When you write the summary, assume that the reader will have a very general but clear understanding of your project from a 1,000 foot view.
II. Introduction
Here you want to give a historical to present-day viewpoint of your organisation and its members. For example, give the background of the organisation and start-up history. Then offer a view of the current situation (e.g. what has the organisation been able to accomplish and not been able to accomplish). Finally give a quick overview of the future strategy or plan of attack.
Background:
- How NGO started
- Why was there an initial need for the NGO
- Who started the NGO
- Where did the initial funding come from
- Are the original supporters still helping you; if so, how? If not, why not?
- What were some of the initial successes
Current Situation:
- What challenges are still plaguing the organisation
- What are you currently doing now to maintain the organisation
Future Strategy or Plan of Attack:
- What is the plan to overcome the hurdles
- Why do you think you can overcome the hurdles
- How will you manage the implementation
- Who will record success and how will you measure it
III. Cultural and Political Background
This section is optional but can be useful since many foreigners are not familiar with the historical, financial or cultural situation in Guatemala. The newspapers in many foreign countries do not often run reports on the state of Guatemala. The lack of information available often leads to misperceptions or misunderstandings about the state of Guatemala. The Cultural and Political Background, however, would help familiarise readers with Guatemalan issues. Also, it is beneficial to connect how your organisation helps to address social problems that arise from the historical, financial or cultural situation of Guatemala. It will help the reader to understand who and how people are being served (in whatever capacity, be it education, health or counselling) and by whom. For example, you will want answer questions such as: - What political or cultural problem or need does your NGO work to serve - What historically has happened that has created this need - Why has there been no answer to this need previously - What services are currently in place to help address this problem Use researched statistics or facts to support your points here. Adding facts and statistics will obviously add credibility and professionalism to your report.
IV. Mission Statement
Here include the 2-3 line mission statement as outlined by your NGO. If you don’t already have one, the mission statement needs to articulate the driving vision of your organisation. Take time to create the mission statement with your organisation. The vision explains what political, financial or cultural problem your organisation strives to overcome.
V. Goals
We would suggest working with the organisation to develop long-term and short-term goals. Then, we would divide this section into a long-term section and a short-term section. The long-term goals section can be limited to 5-10 bullet points. The points should be over-arching goals that coincide with the mission. The short-term goals should be organised in the time frame you expect to accomplish them. Make sure your goals are "SMART" i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed.
VI. Plan of Action
If grant readers read or pay close attention to any of the sections, they will carefully read the plan of action and the financials. We suggest spending the majority of your time outlining your goals and then identifying the steps and process for making these goals happen. This section will demonstrate to both you and your reader whether or not you have a feasible plan. Do not underestimate the Plan of Action or Future Strategy section. In a time-ordered outline, give explicit details. You want to create processes and goals that can be measured for success in the Evaluation section. For example, if goal A (section V) said: Our goal is to plan and harvest 50 bushels of corn. Then, begin your Plan of Action section as follows:
A. Plan of Action A
1. Buy X seeds from Y buyer at Z cost
2. Co-op members (e.g., Maria, Carmen and Jose) will coordinate activities of other co-op members to plan all seeds in month X
3. Co-op members (e.g., Carlos, Maria and Anna) will be responsible for maintaining grounds through month Y
4. Co-op members (e.g., Jose, Carlos and Carmen) will harvest corn, de-husk it and clean it
5. Co-op members will sell X product through Y channels to Z customers
6. Weekly and bi-monthly co-op meetings will be used to measure the progress of harvest
B. Plan of Action B
1. Goal B will be accomplished through the following methods
2. X, Y, Z
VII. Evaluation
Here you need to describe how you will measure and evaluate the success or failure of your goals and plan of action. Again it would be best to maintain the same outline as in the goals and plan of action section. You can simply note that you will evaluate the project by measuring the success of the Plan of Action steps at the weekly or monthly meetings. If you receive grant money or a donation, often the philanthropist will want a written review of the project. He/she will want to know whether or not you managed his/her money effectively. Also analysing and reviewing the progress will give your NGO a better understanding of how to manage and improve the organisation. Evaluation can simply be a review of whether or not you met the expectations of your goals through the plan of action you described. If goals were met, then the evaluation will document why the plan of action was a success. If goals were not met, provide a review of what worked, what did not work, and what would work next time.
VIII. Budget
Here include an Excel or MS Word table that lists the categories of expenses, monthly or quarterly expenses. Give both the Quetzal and Dollar amounts. Offer an Excel spreadsheet or a MS Word table breakdown of expected income whether it comes from donations, a sold product, or government funding. The grant foundation will not want to be the sole source of an income. If the project is to be sustainable, it needs a diversity of income sources from a variety of income types (e.g., sales, donations, sold services, local fundraisers, etc).
IX. Appendix
The appendix will include information on the key members of the organisation. Key members are members who will be managing the specific project, coordinators (if there is a coordinator from another organisation running said project, important board members). Again a foundation wants to know that it will be giving money to people who can manage and act responsibly. Often it is helpful to find at least one volunteer or board member who has contacts in a political, business or community. Offer biographical information on experience, awards, and education.
Many organisations also accept the National Network of Grantmakers Common Grant Application. For a copy of this please click here Common Grant Application
