Persuasive Project Proposal Writing for Effective Fundraising

PERSUASIVE PROJECT PROPOSAL WRITING–
FOR EFFECTIVE FUNDRAISING

Biography
This course on “Persuasive Project Proposal Writing – for Effective Fundraising”
is developed by:
Emmanuel Tokpah Barrow, BSc, MBA
His undergraduate major is in “Business Management & Communication”.
His graduate major is in “Non-Profit Management”.
He also has training in “Grant Proposal Writing”, “Personal Leadership”, “Organizational Development”, “Annual Fundraising Strategies”,
“Marketing & Public Relation”, “Development Agriculture”, among other areas in development studies and leadership
Mr. Barrow
has traveled widely and studied in the
United States of America and the Peoples Republic of China respectively,
where he obtained his BSc from ‘Concordia University in Madison, Wisconsin, USA;
MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, and
Graduate Certificate from Fujian University of Agriculture and Forestry, in the Peoples Republic of China.
Mr. Barrow
has many years of experience working
with international and local NGOs, USAID,
institutions of higher learning, and government agencies.
Currently, Mr. Barrow is the Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator
at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, implementing the
Legal Professional Development and Anti-Corruption Program in Liberia (LPAC), a USAID funded project
Mr. Barrow
is a Facilitator & Lecturer at the Access Training Institute,
an astute international human capacity development learning center.
He teaches “Project Management” and “Project Proposal Writing”.

Introduction

Course Overview:
The purpose of this course is to train
participants in the art of writing a persuasive
project proposal that will win funding to enable
the implementation of projects and the overall
continue viability of their respective
organizations/institutions.
The course is designed to be taught through
Power Point presentation and slides with
interactive visual of photos, clip arts and icons
depicting meaningful connotation for each topic.

Introduction cont…
Course Objectives:
- To train participants in exceptional persuasive
writing skill that stands out and win donors
interest to support their projects and institutions;
- To teach participants how to organize and arrange
the components of a project proposal in a standard and
professionally best practice method;
- To teach participants key fundraising strategies
that can be apply to raise funds for their
organizations/institution;
- To teach participants key terminologies associated
with writing project proposals;
- To be able to develop budget line items for a project proposal.

Learn
Course Benefits:
After the training, participants will be able to:
- do persuasive writing for project proposal;
- Identify, organize, and arrange components
of a project proposal in an orderly manner;
- Learn different fundraising strategies;
- Learn how to develop a concept note;
- Learn how to write grant solicitation letter;
- Lear key terminologies associated
with project proposal writing.
- Learn how to develop budget line items in
Project proposal.

Course Audience:
This course is designed for:
- Project managers;
- People who are actively involved in
NGO related work;
- Church/religious leaders;
- Community leaders;
- Researchers, students, and
- Others professional who wants to be
able to write project proposals

Course Prerequisites:
Prior to attending this course, participants should:
- Have completed high school level education with at
least 2 or more years of college education;
- Be able to read with comprehension and
write constructively;
- Know the basic concepts as necessary for
understanding what a project proposal means;
- Must be able to participate in class discussion
and express h/her idea without being intimidated;

Course Duration and Schedule:
- The duration of this course is
6 weeks, 4 hours a day, once a
week, on every Saturday
- A course outline and schedule is
prepared separately and made
available to participants
during the first day of lecture.

Course Evaluation:
- Participants in this course will be asked to
fill in an evaluation questionnaire at the
end of this course.
- specific and detailed feedback
will be anticipated and all participants
will be encouraged to answer
the evaluation questionnaire.

Course Content
I. Project Proposal Writing
1) What is a Project
2) What is a Proposal
3) What than is a Project Proposal
II. The 7 Elements of a Project Proposal
1) Understanding of the Clients/beneficiaries Needs
2) Your approach to solving the Problem
3) How Long is it Going to Take??
4) What Will the Clients/Beneficiaries Get??
5) Who Will Do the Work??
6) How Much is it Going to Cost??
7) The Next Steps

Course Content – cont…
III. How to Avoid Writing Poor Quality Proposal
1) Playing with Resources
2) The “war & peace” Proposal
3) Line Item pricing
4) Self Promotion
5) Cutesy Consultant Bios
6) Endless Appendices
IV. Effective Proposal as a Fundraising Tool
1) Organization and Fundraising
2) Types of Fundraising
3) Why do People Give??
4) Key concepts of Proposals

Course Content – cont…
V. Writing an Effective Proposal
1) Components of Proposal 11) Beneficiaries
2) Cover Letter 12) sustainability
3) The Title 13) Methodology
4) Summary Sheet 14) Organization & Key Personnel
5) Project Description 15) Facilities
6) Goals & Objectives 16) Evaluation
7) Activities 17) Structure of Evaluation
8) Inputs 18) Attachments
9) Outputs 19) Time-Table
10) Impact 20) Budget
VI. Terminologies Related to Proposal Writing

 The PMI definition of a project is:
- “A project is a temporary
group activity design to
produce a
unique product, service
or result”.
 The PRINCE2* definition is:
- “A project is a temporary
organization that is created
for the purpose of delivering
one or more business products
according to an agreed
Business case”.
*PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments)
is a structured project management method.

2. What is a Proposal
 In composition — especially
in business writing and
technical writing — a
proposal is a document that
offers a solution to a problem
or a course of action in response to a need.
 As a form of persuasive writing, proposals
attempt to convince the recipient to act in
accordance with the writer's intent and
includes such as examples as internal proposals,
external proposals, grant proposals,
and sales proposals.

2. What is a Proposal Cont…
 In the book "Knowledge Into Action,"
Wallace and Van Fleet remind us that
"a proposal is a form of persuasive
writing; every element of every proposal
should be structured and tailored to
maximize its persuasive impact."

3. What is a Project Proposal
A project proposal is a document that
request support – usually
money – for work a proposal
wants to do. What makes
a proposal a proposal is that
it asks the audience to
approve, fund, or grant
permission to do the
proposed project.

II. The 7 Key Elements of
A Project Proposal
1) Understanding of the Client’s Needs
- Here’s where you outline and agree upon the
problem statement(s), goals and objectives
for the client. It’s imperative that you establish
this common ground in order to set the stage
for the balance of your proposal.
- By demonstrating that you comprehend the
client’s situation – you establish a baseline
for moving forward.
- If you aren’t on the same page with your client about
what you are going to be doing and why then you have
no business proposing on the work.

A Project Proposal - Cont…
2) Your Approach to Solving the Problem
- Outlining how you intend to meet the client’s goals and objectives is
critical.
- In this section, you’ll document your approach towards the project or
program and walk through the major blocks of work with descriptive
text and ‘how’ statements.
- The client should be able to understand exactly what strategies and
tactics you’ll employ to help solve their problems and achieve their
objectives.

3) How long is it going to take?
- Everyone loves a good timeline slide.
- So here’s your chance to build a road map to success and graphically
demonstrate the steps and order in which you propose to tackle the
work.
- Whether you use clunky Gantt charts, swim lanes or whatever – just
make sure it’s clear and not overly colorful and loaded with goofy
emoticons.
- Also, avoid using a ‘key’ or ‘legend’ on your timeline.
- If you need to call out what all the shapes and colors
mean then you’ve already confused everyone in the room.

4) What will the client get?
- Believe it or not, this is where many fall down.
- All this good work is put in describing the problem, the approach and the
timeline – but then the key deliverables get left off.
- Don’t be that guy or gal who forgets to tell the client what they are
getting for their money.
- Make sure you clearly state what the client gets from this engagement in
tangible terms.
- The last question you want to hear during your pitch is “So, I’m spending
X million dollars for what?”
- You don’t need a laundry list of everything you’ll provide but make sure
the big ticket items are outlined and easily understood.

A Project Proposal - cont…
5) Who will do the work??
- You do not need detailed bios and resumes for everyone on the proposed
team.
- But you do need a brief 2-3 sentence summary of the key players.
- Who will lead the engagement?
- Who will be the key point of contact for the client for financials, escalations
and issue resolution?
- Who are the key subject matter experts they are paying for?
- Build a high level project org chart and keep it to the top 3-5 people on
the team and how they will fit into the client’s organization.

6) How much is it going to cost?
– The money slide gets a lot of play – and for good reason.
– If you are selling a consulting engagement you’ll want to show the total cost
with perhaps a breakdown by major milestone or phase.
– A lot will depend on the desired structure of the deal, the pricing model
(fixed vs. hourly vs. risk-based or other) so pay attention to your client’s
needs and outline the proposed cost in terms they have requested and will
understand.
– And for the love of Pete – please don’t break down the hourly rate for each
individual or each deliverable on the project.

7) Next Steps
– The last and final slide in your deck should be next steps.
– I know it seems simple but listing out the expected decision points,
timeframes and accountable parties sets expectations equally across teams
and also tees up the follow up schedule.
– You do not want to be that person waiting for the phone to ring with
resources in queue and partners breathing down your neck for answers.
– Sure, not every timeline is adhered to but by setting a follow up schedule up
front you at least have some basis to communicate on next steps.

III. How to Avoid Writing
Poor Quality Proposals
 Playing with resources – It’s always the A-team
that you’ll be providing for the engagement.
The minute you start throwing in things
like ‘blended resource model’, ‘junior analysts’ or ‘
shared personnel’ you start to lose the
trust and confidence of the client.
 The “War and Peace” proposal – As written earlier,
you are going for concise, short, sweet and to the point.
You aren’t getting paid by the slide or for the weight of
your deck. I’ve closed more deals with quality proposals
that are less than 10 slides than I have with 60 slide volumes.

Poor Quality Proposals – cont…
 Line-item pricing – If you start to break down every single
element of cost in a proposal then you need to be prepared
to defend every estimate and argue for every nickel now
and down the road. Boil up your pricing model so it’s clean and easy to
understand. If there’s a discussion about a specific block of
work, be prepared to discuss the associated cost and have
supporting data at the ready. Avoid debating about minor cost
elements like the plague.

I
Poor Quality Proposals – Cont…
 Self-promotion – Clients do not care how many
‘Best Places to Work’ awards you have won nor do
they want to see a picture of you accepting your
(insert local publication here) award. The fact
that you’ve been asked to propose on the work already
means that you have gained enough trust and
confidence to be considered. Sure, having lots of
case studies and accolades in your proposal looks
pretty but it’s merely no more than chest thumping if
you are nearing the finish line.

 Cutesy consultant bios – Am I interested in that fact that
Consultant Rob is a world traveler, loves cats and surfs in his
spare time? Maybe, once I get to know him personally.
But I’m not reading a Match.com profile here. Keep it
business-like and everyone will be happier. I can learn
about Rob and the rest of the team when we build a
relationship through our work.

 Endless Appendices – The Appendix section of every
deck is where slides go to die. Be decisive and get rid of them.
Have them in your back pocket if you need them but save
some ink and keep those to yourself.

IV. Effective Proposal
As a Fundraising Tool
 Fundraising and the organization •
 Sources of money •
 Why do people/organizations give? •
 “The Effective Proposal”
--Components
--Critiques

1) Organization and Fundraising 1
 Institutional objectives
should be established
 Development objectives
should be established
 Support should reflect
institutional needs
 Start fundraising with
natural prospects
 Search for sources of money

Organization and Fundraising 2
 Case for funds should reflect mission of granting institution
 Needs
 Involvement is key to support
 Prospect research should be thorough and…
 Realistic
 Cultivation of key donors and partners
 Solicit when previous principles followed

2) Types of Fundraising 1
 Individual versus organization as donor
 • Proposals - specific requests
 • Annual campaign
 • Capital campaign
 • Corporate and business support
– in kind
– cash
– partnership

Types of Fundraising 2
 Non-profit support
– in kind
– cash
– partnership
 Foundation or philanthropy
 Specific benefit event
 Major gift - money, land, stock, other
 Deferred or planned gift

3) Why Do People Give? 1
 Needs, motivations benefits to
persons or…
 Institutions who give
 Communitarian - doing good
makes sense
 Altruist - doing good is an
obligation
 Devout - doing good is G-d’s will

3) Why Do People Give? 2
 Investor - doing good is good business
 Socialite - doing good is good business
 Person who repays - doing good in return
 Dynasty - doing good is family tradition

4) Key Concepts of Proposals
 Write for the donor, not yourself
 Simple language that is interesting
 Clarity and descriptive text
 Avoid superlatives
 Defense is the worst offense
 Friend-raising, not fundraising

V. Writing an
Effective Proposal

#1: Components of Proposal
Cover Letter Impact
Title Page Beneficiaries
Summary Sustainability
Project Description Methodology
Goals & Objectives Budget
Activities Attachments
Input
Output

# 2: Cover Letter
Includes funder's name, title, and address
 Directed to the responsible individual
 Brief overview of the organization and its purpose
 Reason for the funding request
 The amount requested
 One or two pages
 Name and address of contact
 Signature

# 3:The Title
 Choose a title that
conveys information
about your project.
 Avoid jargon
 Make it brief

# 4: Summary Sheet
 Title of the Project
 Project Type • Location
 Implementing agency
 Donor agency
 Duration of project
 Starting date
 Beneficiaries
 Project Cost
 Contact person name, title, phone and email address
 Narrative?

# 5: Project Description
 This is the first (and could be the only)
part of the proposal that a busy
reviewer will see.
 The PD should be a map of the rest of
the proposal.
 It should be able to stand alone
 give it careful time and effort

# 5: Project Description…Cont…
 Provide a clear statement of the problem.
 Describe the factors that have
contributed to the problem.
 Describe what has and has not
worked in the past.
 Indicate what needs to be
done (by you) now.

# 5: Project Description…Cont…
Never assume the
proposal reviewer
knows what you know.
Convince the reviewer
that the problem is
IMPORTANT!

# 6: Goals & Objectives
Goals:
What does this word mean? Let’s talk!
Objectives:
What does this word mean? Let’s talk!
How are these two words different?
What do they mean to YOU?

#7: Goals vs. Objectives
 Sometimes used interchangeably,
but importantly and in practical
terms, objectives form the
foundation of goals.
 Goals. Think of the word ‘go’; it
has no end. They are usually:
broader, less tangible and precise,
more abstract, more difficult to
measure and validate.
 Objectives. Think of the word
"object." They are usually:
narrower, more tangible and
precise, more suited to
measurement,
evaluation, and validation.
Miyamoto (2002) has said “Think of the goals as
the treasure at the top of a stairway, and the
objectives as the stairs.”

#: 7 Activities
Implementation Steps
 Focus on How the
objectives are to be
accomplished and the
goals are to be met.
 Use “Action” words,
e.g., recruit, analyze,
evaluate

#8: Effective Project Design
Goals, Objectives and Activities Should Always
Relate to One Another

# 9: Input
• Resources (money
materials, time, personnel)

9
# 10: Output
 Goods/Products or services produced, and
competencies and capacities resulting from
the proposed activities

# 11: Impact
 what will be different and better as
a result of the work to be done

# 12: Beneficiary
Beneficiaries
Direct Indirect
Implementing
Partner
Target
Group
People of the
Area

# 13: Sustainability
 Ability to generate results after the external support has been
discontinued.
 While a project is
limited by time,
the benefits should
continue without the
need for external inputs.

# 14: Methodology
 State your method
clearly
 Choose and detail
appropriate policy
 Say something about
evaluation and
monitoring for validity
and reliability
 Answer reviewers’ questions
before they are asked!

#15 Organization & Key Personnel
Describe your organization’s
Strengths and Capabilities
Describe the people that will
help to make decisions in how
the project is carried out.
Provide a description of their
background, training, and expertise.
Highlight everyone’s
accomplishments

#16 Facilities
Describe any special
capabilities or
experiences
possessed by
your agency
to carry
out the
project.

#17 Evaluation
 Measures of performance
– input
– process
– output
– outcome
 Structure of Evaluation
 Process of evaluation and timetable
 Form and timetable of reporting
 How evaluation used for program
 Improvement

#18 Structure of Evaluation
 Who will evaluate?
 How will evaluators be
selected?
 Evaluation criteria
Methods and
 instruments
– instruments as attachments
 Process of analysis

#19 Attachments
 Organization, Board
 Staff, with resumes
 Partner organization
 Letters of support
 Documentation as required
– Status documents
– Evaluation instruments
– Bids
 Timetable
 Budget

#20 Timetable
 Schedule of activities
 Use of staff
 Deliverable schedule
 Measurement schedule

#21 Budget
 Line item or program budget
 Budget
 Budget justification
 Budget documentation
 Matching or in kind contribution
 Categories, rates, and documentation

#21: Line Item Budget 1
 Personnel costs
 Salaries and wages
 Fringe benefits
 Consultants
 Contracts

 Non-personnel major costs
 Equipment
- purchase or lease
 Space
 Overhead or indirect costs

 Non-personnel costs - not major
 Supplies or materials
 Travel
 Telephone or fax
 Postage or delivery
 Photocopying
 Books or documents
 Tuition and fees
 Publication costs
 Maintenance and repair
 Other expenses

#21: Budget……Cont……
Code: For better references to the desired item.
Description: The explanation of the expenses.
Unit: Measure for each expense.
Unit Number (#): The number for each unit.
Unit Cost: The price or rate for each unit.
Cost Contribution: Allocation of the cost for different sources.
Total Cost: Total sum of cost contribution
Code Description Unit Unit # Unit Cost Cost Contribution Total Cost
Donor IP Community

#1: What is a Concept Note??
 A concept note outlines the project idea.
It does not have to contain a lot of
details and may only be about 2 to 3
pages in length – in most cases.
The for writing a concept note
before a full proposal is to give an
idea of what we hope to do

#2: The Contents of a
Concept Note
 Background information
 Why the project is necessary
 Who will benefit from the project
 How will they benefit
 An estimate of both the total budget
and the resources needed to carry on
the work
 How it fits with the vision and
strategic plan of your organization

#2: The Purpose of a
Concept Note
 Acknowledge the role of the sponsoring organization
Demonstrate your knowledge of the private or
public organization by summarizing the nature of
its involvement in the project. For example, if the
funders are dedicated to advancing
literacy in developing nations,
acknowledge their successful
history in this area.

Concept Note – cont…
 Describe your team or organization:
Explain the core objective of your
project. For example, you may be
an instructional software company
that uses software programs to teach
reading skills to disenfranchised
populations. Clearly convey your
position as it relates to the goals of
the funding organization.

 Identify the problem:
Funders read your concept
paper because they have a
shared interest in the problem.
Describe the core issue. Explain
the problem in enough detail to
convey your background and
expertise with the issue.
If necessary, include data to
demonstrate the extent of the
problem.

 Include an assessment of previously applied methods:
This may be a report of your past
successes with a similar project.
Or it may be a reference to a history
of successes experienced by various
organizations who have applied your
specific solution to the problem.

 Explain how you will meet the need:
Describe the product, service or
program. Be clear and concise.
Use language that the reader
will easily understand. Avoid using
technical language for a
non-technical audience.

 Outline your intended objective:
Your solution to the problem may save
money, advance learning or prevent
health issues. Include quantitative
details, such as the number of people
who will benefit, how much time will be
saved or the amount of profit that
will be generated.

 List the resources necessary to offer the services:
This may include a list of materials
to build a product or the type of
personnel required to provide the
services. A detailed list will
demonstrate your grasp of the
project's needs and your
readiness to provide the
product or service.

 Establish a time line for
delivery of services:
Explain how long it will take to
build the product, deliver the
service or manage the project.
The time line should be both
realistic and efficient.

 Specify the amount of funds you are requesting.
If possible, research the amount of
money that the funding organization
has available to stay within its budget.
Asking for an amount that exceeds the
available funds may result in an
immediate dismissal of your
program, project or service.

 Summarize the concept paper by
describing the outcome:
Close with a few sentences to
ensure the sponsoring organization
that an investment in your team or
organization will meet objectives and
solve the specific problem.

 Include your contact information:
List your name, address, website,
phone number and email address.

VII. Terms Related to
Proposal Writing
• Attachments: Documents appended to the proposal narrative
that complete the proposal package. Most grant makers will
expect to find the IRS tax-exempt letter of determination, list
of board members, brief staff profiles, current operating
budget, and audited financial statements among the
attachments.
• Budget narrative: An optional section of a proposal’s project
budget used to explain unusual line items in the budget or to
provide more detail.

Terms Related to
Proposal Writing – Cont…
• Capital support:
Funds provided for endowment purposes, buildings,
construction or equipment.
• Challenge grant:
A grant that is paid only if the done organization is able to raise
specified additional funds from other sources. Challenge grants
are often used to stimulate giving from other donors.
• Common Grant Application Form:
A formal adopted by groups of grant makers to allow applicants to
produce a single proposal for a specific community of funders,
thereby ensuring consistency and thoroughness, and saving time.

Terms Related to
• Community foundation:
An organization that makes grants for charitable purposes in a
specific community or region. The funds available to a community
foundation are usually derived from many donors and held in an
endowment that is independently administered; income earned by
the endowment is then used to make grants, some at the explicit
instruction of the donor (alive or deceased) and some at the
discretion of the community foundation’s board. Most community
foundations are 501(c)(3) public charities and are thus eligible for
maximum tax-deductible contributions from the general public.

Terms Related to
• Company-sponsored foundation (also referred to as a corporate
foundation):
A private foundation whose assets are derived primarily from the
contributions of a for-profit business. While a company-sponsored
foundation many maintain close ties with its parent company, it is
an independent organization, often with its own endowment, and as
such is subject to the same rules and regulations as other private
foundations. See also Private foundation.

Terms Related to
• Conclusion:
The final section of a proposal narrative, summarizing the main
points. Usually no more than two paragraphs in length, the
conclusion offers the grant seeker a final opportunity to make the
case for support, and to portray the benefits and the
beneficiaries of the project.
• Corporate giving program:
A grant making program established and administered within a
for-profit corporation. Because corporate giving programs do not
have separate endowments, their annual grant totals generally are
directly related to company profits. Corporate giving programs are
not subjective to the same reporting requirements as corporate
foundations.

Terms Related to
• Cover letter:
The first page in a proposal package. The letter is usually one page
in length, and contains the funding request, reason for approaching
the funder, reference to any previous contact, description of the
application contents, a brief project description, and an offer to
provide additional information. The letter is usually signed by the
organization’s chief operating officer.
• Done:
The recipient of a grant. Also known as the grantee or beneficiary.
Donor: An individual or organization that makes a grant or
contribution to a (usually nonprofit_ done). Also known as
grantor.

Terms Related to
• Endowment:
Funds intended to be invested in perpetuity to provide income for
continued support of a nonprofit organization.
• Evaluation plan:
A proposal component that describes how the project’s impact will
be measured to determine how well its objectives have been
achieved. This can be done by informal monitoring reports or by a
formal plan to measure the product or analyze the process,
depending on the nature of the project.

Terms Related to
• Executive summary:
A proposal component that provides the abstract of a grant
seeker’s case for a project or organization and a summary of the
key information in the proposal that follow.
• Family foundation:
An independent private foundation whose funds are derived from
a member or members of a single family. Family members often
serve as officers or board members if family foundations and have
a significant role in grant making decision.

Terms Related to
• Fiscal sponsorship:
An individual grant seeker’s affiliation with an existing nonprofit
organization for the purpose of seeking, receiving, and
administering grants. The fiscal sponsor may charge a small fee
for this service.
• 501(c)(3):
The section of the U.S. tax code that defines nonprofit,
charitable, tax- exempt organizations; 50(c)(3) organizations are
further defined as public charities, private operating foundations,
and private non-operating foundations.

Terms Related to
• From 990:
The information return that public charities file annually with the
internal Revenue Service.
• From 990-PF:
The information return that all private foundations are required
by law to submit annually to the Internal Revenue Service, and
that are part of the public record.

Terms Related to
• General/operating support:
A grant for the day-to-day operating costs of an existing
program or organization. Also called an unrestricted grant or basic
support.
• Grant maker:
A foundation, corporate giving program, or public charity that awards
grants to nonprofit organizations and in some instances to individual
grant seekers. Also known as funder.
• Grant seeker:
A nonprofit organization or individual seeking to obtain
foundation, government, or other grant support for a project or
programs.

Terms Related to
• Guidelines:
procedures set forth by a funder that grant seekers must follow when
applying to that grant maker for funding.
• Independent foundation:
A grant making organization usually classified by the IRS as a private
foundation. Independent foundations may also be called family
foundations, general purpose foundations, special purpose foundations,
or private non-operating foundations. See also Private foundation.
• Letter of inquiry/letter of intent:
A brief letter outlining an organization’s activities and its request for
funding that is sent to a prospective donor in order to determine whether
it would be appropriate to submit a full grant proposal. Many grant makers
prefer to be contacted in this way before receiving a full proposal; some
rely on this letter to make a decision instead of a full proposal. Also called
a letter proposal, and sometimes referred to as LOI.

Terms Related to
• Matching grant:
A grant that is made to match funds provided by another donor.
• Mission statement:
A concise statement in which a nonprofit organization describes
its identity, purpose, and the beneficiaries of its work.
• Need statement:
A proposal component that explains why the grant seeker’s
project is necessary by succinctly and persuasively describing the
problem that exists. The need statement often includes relevant
supporting data and statistics. Also called the Statement of
Need.

Terms Related to
Operating foundation:
A 501(c)(3) organization classified by the IRS as a private
foundation whose primary purpose is to conduct research, social
welfare, or other programs determined by its governing body or
establishment charter. An operating foundation may make grants,
but the amount of grant awarded generally is small relative to
the funds used for the foundation’s own programs.

Terms Related to
• Organization information:
The section of a proposal that describes the mission, history and
governing structure of the nonprofit grant seeker, its primary
activities, audiences, and services.
• Overhead:
A proportion of ongoing expenses such as rent, utilities, certain
administrative salaries, and other cost that some funders will support
as part of project budget.
• Planning grant:
Support for such efforts as goal-setting, information gathering, needs
assessment, consensus or coalition building, or planning for a larger grant.

Terms Related to
Planning foundation:
A nongovernmental, nonprofit organization with funds (usually
from a single source, such as an individual, family, or corporation)
and program managed or age by its own trustees or directors.
Private foundations are established to maintain or aid social,
educational to maintain aid social, educational, religious, or other
charitable activities serving the common welfare, primarily
through the making of grants.

Terms Related to
• Program officer:
A staff member of a foundation who reviews grant proposals and
processes applications for the board of trustees. Only a small
percentage of foundations have program officers, or indeed any
staff at all.
• Project budget:
The document created for a proposal that outlines the anticipated costs of
personnel, non-personnel, and overhead expenses, as well as revenue.
• Project description:
The component of a proposal that provides details about the goals,
objectives, and methods related to a proposed project. Typically this
section also includes details about staffing and administration, a timeline,
a description of project evaluation, and sustainability.

Terms Related to
• Proposal:
A written application, accompanied by supporting documents,
submitted to a foundation, corporate giving program, or
government agency in requesting a grant. Most foundations and
corporations do not use printed application forms but instead
require written proposals; others prefer preliminary letters of
inquiry prior to a formal proposal. Grant seekers should
consult published guidelines.
• Seed money:
A grant or contrition used to start a new project or organization.
Seed money grants may cover salaries and other operating
expenses of a new project.

Terms Related to
• Tax-exempt:
Refers to organizations that do not have to pay taxes, such as federal or
state corporate tax or state sales tax. Individuals who make donations
to such organizations may be able to deduct these contributions from
their income tax.
• Timetable or Timeline:
A graphic representation of the sequence of steps needed to complete a
project, sometimes included in the project description section
of a grant proposal.
• Trustee:
A foundation board member or officer who helps make decisions about how
grant monies are spent. Depending on whether the foundation has paid
staff, trustees may take a more or less active role in running its affairs.

Persuasive Project Proposal Writing for Effective Fundraising

Persuasive Project Proposal Writing for Effective Fundraising

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