The Foundation Center's Training Program

• Getting started
ITPreparing the proposal
Organizing, writing, and packaging It
Submitting the proposal
• What happens next?

Proposal Writing Basics 1

The Foundation Center's Training Program

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• Are you a credible nonprofit?

• What kind of support do you need?
• Do you have enough time?

" Information gathering

• Project concept and relevance to
mission
• Time frame
" Outcomes
" Cost

Proposal Writing Basics 2

The Foundation Center's Training Program

Es;tabhrsiting tho match

~ What you do: "Field of Interest"
~ Where you do it: "Geographic Focus"
• Type of Support

Pl8S0urces
Print directories
The Foundation Directory Online
, Funderweb sites
IRS informational returns

A vaiiaLile at Foundation Cent(H and

Coooerc1fir"G Coilection libraries
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Proposal Writing Basics 3

The Foundation Center's Training Program

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Title page and table of contents

• Executive summary - 1 page
r,Narrative
-- Statement of need - 2 page
Project description - 3 pages
- Organization information - 1 page
- Conclusion - 2 paragraphs
• Budget
• Appendices and supporting materials

• Begin with an outline

• Name your project
• Keep language clear and simple
r,Use action words
• Avoid jargon and acronyms
• Revise and edit

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• Problem or issue to be addressed

• Audience/community
Supporting facts and statistics

Proposal Writing Basics 4

The Foundation Center's Training Program

<' Goals
Objectives
_. S (pecific)
M (easurable)
- A (chievable)
R (ealistic)
-- T (ime-bound)

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~ Methods
" Staffing
• Collaboration
.• Replicability

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• Evaluation
- Formative: analyzing the process
Summative: measuring the outcome or
product

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Proposal Writing Basics 5

The Foundation Center's Training Program

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• Sustainability
-; Is the project finite?
Could it move toward self-sufficiency?
Will it be attractive to other funders?

H Expenses
Direct costs
«'Personnel
v Non-personnel

Indirect costs
• Income
• Budget narrative

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F' ,ipdire'ct Costs Calculation , " <~

Each year XYZ Inc" a nonprofit organization, spends

$400,000 on its programs, and $100,000 in overhead
costs,

What is the overhead rate?

$100,000 I $400,000 = ,25

The overhead rate is 25%, meaning that for every

dollar the organization spends on its programs, 25
cents is expended for overhead,

Proposal Writing Basics 6

The Foundation Center's Training Program

• Mission and history

Programs
Board and Staff

• Final appeal for your project

What you will accomplish
Why it's important
Who will benefit

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, When to write it
• What to include

Proposal Writing Basics 7

The Foundation Center's Training Program

• IRS determination letter

Financial documents
, Board and staff
• Supporting materials

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o Cover letter
- Reference recent contact
Request for funding
Proposal contents
Offer to meet, answer questions, and
provide additional information
> Proposal
, Appendices and supporting materials

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• Common grant application form?

• Funder's own application form?
Initial contact
Telephone calls?
Letter of inquiry?
- Full proposal?

FO//Oi/l/ the funder's quide/iniss!

Proposal Writing Basics 8

The Foundation Center's Training Program

• Telephone conversations
• Information updates
« Board contact?

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• Send a thank-you letter

• Keep the funder informed
, The renewal request

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Proposal Writing Basics 9

The Foundation Center's Training Program

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• It's not personal

• Find out why?
, Ask about future funding?
• Move on; seek other prospects

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• Libraries including Cooperating
Collection libraries
• Funding research resources
• Proposal Writing Seminar
• E-Iearning courses
• Sample documents

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Proposal Writing Basics 10

 FOUNDATION
CENTER

Proposal Writing Basics

Wisdom Exchange Project Outline

Need 1¥ Many students are reading below grade level
it- Senior citizens are in need of meaningful work opportunities
Project Local senior citizens tutor elementary school students in reading
Description
Goals 1P Increase reading ievels for students
,> Provide meaningful, rewarding volunteer work opportunities for seniors
Objectives Recruit 20 students, grades 3 thru 6, who are below grade level in reading
Increase reading levels of at least 75% of the participants to their grade level in 1 year
4> Recruit, train, and retain at least 20 seniors as tutors for one year

Methods One senior citizen will tutor one student for 2 days a week for 1 year
" Tutors are trained volunteers from Madison Community Center; students are from
P.S.27
Staff Project Coordinator to oversee project
Responsible Reading Instructor (consultant) to provide training for seniors and to be available as
resource
Collaboration .4p Steering Committee will include representatives from the school administration,
parents and the senior center.
Evaluation " A pre- and post-test to determine reading skills.
<,} Student folders with progressive work samples.
Volunteers and staff meeting logs to evaluate and record the successful procedures
and the obstacles encountered
A survey for volunteering seniors re: their learning experience, satisfaction, etc.
Sustainability "
'* Donations will be solicited from individuals in the community
+ Future support will be sought from United Way and from local government agencies
Budget Proposed Expense Budget for Wisdom Exchange Project

Executive Director 5% Time @ $60,000 $ 3,000

Project Coordinator 1/3 FTE @$42,000/yr $14,000

Fringe @20% $ 3,400
Personnel Cost Subtotal $20,400

Consultant/Reading Spec. 20 days @$500/day $10,000

Consultant Cost Subtotal $10,000

Supplies, reading materials $ 5,000

Printing, copies $ 1,000
Transportation for seniors to school $ 2,000
Snacks for meetings $ 1,000
Phone $ 1,000
Other Than Personnel Cost Subtotal $10,000
Total Direct Costs $40,400
Indirect Costs @15% $ 6,060

Grand Total $46,460

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Proposal Writing Basics

A Resource List
Barbato, Joseph; Furlich, Danielle S. Writing for a Good Cause: The Complete Guide to Crafting Proposals and Other
Persuasive Pieces for Nonprofits. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Call Number: 765 BAR Practical advice
about the art and craft of writing related to fundraising proposals, as well as case statements, newsletters, and
other communications devices used by a typical development office.
Brown, Larissa Golden; Brown, Martin John. Demystifying Grant Seeking: What You Really Need to Do to Get Grants.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001. Call Number: 710 BRO DEM Confronts some common ideas
about the fundraising process and offers the building blocks of a systematic grants effort. The authors present a
five-step grantseeking cycle, and advice about setting up office space, materials, and files for efficient use.
Appendices include worksheets for each step of the cycle, and a complete sample proposal.
Carlson, Mim. Winning Grants Step by Step: The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing and Writing Successful
Proposals. 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2002. Call Number: 770 CAR This workbook contains
instructions and exercises designed to help with proposal planning and writing, and to meet the requirements of
both government agencies and private funders. Provides a special resource section that includes how to research
funders, how to evaluate a proposal through the funder's eyes, and a bibliography.
Clarke, Cheryl A. Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass PUblishers, 2001. Call Number: 770 CLA Clarke puts forward the notion that proposals share much with great
stories: characters, setting, and plot. She shows proposal writers how to craft documents that include elements
of drama. The book also covers the research process and cultivation. Includes a sample letter of inquiry and
sample budgets, as well as information on packaging the proposal.
Clark, Cheryl A.; Fox, Susan P. Grant Proposal Makeover: Transform Your Request From No to Yes. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2007. Call Number: 770 ClA FOX Provides advice on the finer points of proposal writing,
and includes many sample documents.
Collins, Sarah (ed.). The Foundation Center's Guide to Winning Proposals. New York, NY: The Foundation Center, 2003.
Call Number: 780 FC WIN The book reprints in their original form 20 proposals and four letters of inquiry that
succeeded in securing foundation support. Each proposal is accompanied by commentary by the funder who
awarded the grant and proposal writing advice.
Geever, Jane C. The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing. 5th ed. New York, NY: The Foundation Center, 2007.
Call Number: 770 GEE PRO Guides from pre-proposal planning to post-grant follow-up. Incorporates excerpts from
actual grant proposals and interviews with foundation and corporate grantmakers about what they look for in a
proposal. inciudes chapters on researching, contacting and cultivating potential funders, as well as a sample
proposal and a selected bibliography on proposal development.
Geever, Jane C.; Trujillo, Liliana Castro (trans.); Mojica, Marco A. (trans.). Gura para Escribir Propuestas [in Spanish].
3rd ed. New York, NY: Foundation Center, 2003. Call Number: 770 GEE GUI Spanish translation of The Foundation
Center's Guide to Proposal Writing (above).
Golden, Susan L. Secrets of Successful Grantsmanship: A Guerrilla Guide to Raising Money. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass Publishers, 1997. Call Number: 770 GOl Provides a step-by-step method for navigating the grantmaking
process. Offers strategies for conducting effective prospect research; making initial conversations with
grantmakers; and preparing, submitting, and following up on grant proposals. Includes bibliographic references
and index.
Margolin, Judith B. (ed.); lubin, Gail T. (ed.) The Foundation Center's Guide to Winning Proposals /I. New York, NY:
The Foundation Center, 2005. Call Number: 780 FC WIN 2005 A companion to The Foundation Center's Guide to
Winning Proposals (see reference above), volume II includes more than 30 new proposals from some of the
nation's most influential funders. In addition to cover ietters and budgets, volume II inciudes winning proposals for
general operating support, special projects, seed money, evaluation, capacity building and other needs.
 Miner, Lynn E.; Miner, Jeremy T. Proposal Planning and Writing. 3rd ed. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003.
Call Number: 770 MIN Covers the proposal development process focusing primarily on protocols for federal
government grants, but also covering the standard elements of proposals to private foundations and corporate
funding sources. Presents many examples taken from successful proposals.
New, Cheryl Carter; Quick, James Aaron. How to Write a Grant Proposal. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2003. Call
Number: 770 NEW New and Quick include the key elements of standard proposal formats, including the executive
summary, need statement, project description, evaluation, and budget. Each chapter contains examples and
checklists.
Robinson, Andy. Grassroots Grants: An Activist's Guide to Grantseeking. 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Publishers, 2004. Call Number: 770 ROB Presents a pragmatic look at how foundations function and how
grantseeking fits in with an overall fundraising strategy for grassroots activists. Step-by-step guidance on how to
achieve success is provided, and several sample proposals are included.
Scanlan, Eugene A. Corporate and Foundation Fund Raising: A Complete Guide From the Inside. Frederick, MD:
Aspen Publishers, 1997. Call Number: 720 SCA An overview of the various types of corporate foundations and
giving programs, as well as private and community foundations is presented, followed by appropriate techniques
of approaching them effectively.
Teitel, Martin. "Thank You for Submitting Your Proposal": A Foundation Director Reveals What Happens Next. Medfield,
MA: Emerson & Church, 2006. Call Number: 770 TEl. Provides advice to grantseekers about proposal
fundamentals, the use of letters of inquiry, site visits, communications with funders, and the reality of board
decision-making.

INTERNET RESOURCES
Foundation Center's FAQs: foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section in the "Get Answers" section of the Foundation Center's Web site
addresses a broad spectrum of questions about the nonprofit sector and the grantseeking process. Start with the
questions on Proposal Writing (fdncenter.org/getstarted/faqs/section_3d.html) which include questions on finding
sample proposals.
Foundation Center's Links to Common Grant Applications: foundationcenter.org/findfunders/cga.html
Proposal Writing Short Course: foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/index.html
The Foundation Center's Proposal Writing Short Course is a free two-part course covering the basic components
of a proposal and important elements such as budget and expenses, administration and the research process
involved.
Spanish-Language Proposal Writing Short Course:
foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/propl_sp.html
Innonet (Innovation Network): www.innonet.org
Step-by-step online help with program planning and evaluation. A simple, free registration process must be
completed in order to use the site. A unique tool called the "Point K Learning Center" allows one to build a
blueprint for designing, evaluating and implementing a successful program.

Foundation Center-Proposal Writing Basics 3/07

Proposal Writing Basics .+.
•••••••
•••••
+
FOUNDATION
PARTICIPANT EVALUATION CENTER
City: _ Date: _

1. The class addressed the stated objectives: 0 Yes 0 No 0 Somewhat

o If no, please explain:

2. I learned something from this class that will help me in my work: DYes 0 No

3. What were the MOST USEFUL parts of the class?

o Tips/ideas I am taking away
o Instructor's knowledge/skills
o Handouts
o Q&A
o Other (describe) _

4. I would recommend this class to others: 0 Yes 0 No

5. What Center services have you previously explored?

o None
o Library
o Other free training classes
o Full-day seminars and workshops
o Meet the Grantmakers/Dialogue with Donors
o Other events and programs
o Center's web site
o Associate Program membership
o Other (describe) _

6. Do you have any COMMENTS or SUGGESTIONS, such as ways to improve this class and/or other
programs that you would like us to offer?