TIPS FOR WRITING A PROPOSAL/GRANT

Proposal/grant writing is important in every organization. Below are a few tips to guide you with your next proposal/grant:

1. Identify about ten companies, come up with a project and write to them for sponsorship for a year. When selecting these companies, choose those that are passionate about the project you are developing. If you are working on a project on agriculture, it will not be too great if you send your proposal to  company whose CSR (corporate social responsibility) is focused in arts or education. Let your project resonate with the prospective sponsor.
2. Scrutinize before you engage and imbibe trust after you engage. Proposals bring two parties together; the donor and the YOU. Once you are able to get a sponsorship or grant, always remember that it is a relationship. There is need for you to build trust and in all you do, be courteous to always make the right decisions.
3. Have a track record. The truth is no organization is ready to spend on ideas. Yes, ideas are great but they want to relate to what you have done and how well you have been doing it. It is advisable you also keep focus on one particular sector. So, a nonprofit that focuses on education should not be having external projects in women empowerment, cancer awareness or the likes. Carve a niche around education and work fully on it. Organizations are looking to spend on masters at their field and not “partakers in every field”. Define your space and work effectively on it.
4. Having a sustainability model. Your proposal must always show a model that tells the organization that you can keep running even after their funds stop coming. The need for sustainability model in your proposal cannot be over-emphasized. Show them that you can independently function if external funds stop coming.
5. Be clear about your vision, mission and objectives. You must be ready to write your mission in such a clear way that it resonates with the reader. And then, having an elevator speech for your mission makes it easier to communicate to just any person, whether in person or in writing.