Proposal Development for Community Based Organizations

Brenda D. Hayes, MSW, MPH, DSWDirector of Grant and Proposal DevelopmentOffice of Sponsored Research Administration

Morehouse School of Medicine

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A successful grant proposal is one that is well-prepared, thoughtfully planned and concisely packaged. …………………………..CFDA

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In Language, clarity is everything.

-Confucius

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ALPHABET SOUP +

RFPs = RFAs = LOIs = NGA = Grants vs. Contracts “My” Award, grant, supplement

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Things to Remember

You can be successful You do not have to know everything but You do need to know who might know Colleagues, friends and successful associates can

help you given enough advance notice Practice, practice, practice Take advantage of “free” workshops, the Internet

and consultation Start Early!

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Three Essential Laws

Do your homeworkFollow InstructionsUse Common Sense

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Write first

Funding Second

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Goals of the Organization

Initial ProjectIdea

Assessing Capability

Assessing NeedFor the Idea

Submitting theProposal

Planning ProposalWriting

Writing theProposal

Identifying AlternativeApproaches

Gathering NecessaryData

Building Support& Involvement

Selecting FundingSource

DEVELOPING THE IDEAMODEL FOR PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

This handout taken from

Mary Hill. Getting Funded:

A Complete Guide To Proposal Writing

Continuing Education Publication,

P.O. Box 1491, Portland, OR 97207

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Twelve Basic Principles*

1. Match your ideas to the potential funding source and thoroughly understand the goals of the grant program as described in the formal solicitation.

The proposal/application must meet the grant program’s

needs.

Read all solicitation materials and FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS!!!

*Source: USDHHS/PHS/SAMHSA. Snapshot: Overview of Grant Funding Opportunities. Rockville, MD. March 2001.

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Basic Principles

2. Use the designated resources listed in the solicitation for technical assistance and advice.

Consult with the Program Contact prior to submission of the proposal since the staff cannot comment after you have submitted your proposal. These staff members are generally under-utilized.

Participate in any technical workshops offered by the funding source.

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Basic Principles

3. Begin the proposal before the published notice or funding opportunity.

Some organizations/associations highlight their funding priorities before the official notice.

Develop a network of contacts that may provide support to the project.

Develop a team of key participants who will assist with developing the proposal.

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Basic Principles

4. Establish a timetable and organize the needed personnel as soon as funding availability is announced.

Identify the person responsible for writing the proposal or application.

Identify the person (s) to critique the drafts and who will point out questions or gaps in your proposal.

Identify the person who will organize and obtain letters of support (not boilerplate) that are specific to the proposal and to the nature of the support that’s going to be provided.

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Basic Principles

5. Follow the instructions and the format.

“This is not the time or place to be creative.”

“Even if you believe your format is better, don’t use it.”

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Basic Principles

6. Lay out a master plan

This plan is your vision for the project. Therefore, it should answer the key questions of who, what, where, when and why.

The proposal includes goal (s), specific objectives, target population, resources, time frames and a method to evaluate accomplishments. If you have additional funding sources, then explain how they will be used.

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Basic Principles

7. Be reasonable and realistic.

Successful applications find a balance between too much and too little detail.

Justify your goals and objectives with a convincing description. Any unexplained item leaves questions about your credibility and ability.

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Basic Principles

8. Provide information on all of the review criteria.

Be thorough, concise and to the point.

If the application identifies specific criteria, make sure you explain how you will achieve this.

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Basic Principles

9. Explain any omissions, rather than “hope that no one will notice.”

It is important to understand that what is not said in an application can hurt more than what is said.

If it is not written in the application, it does not exist for the purpose of the review

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Basic Principles

10. Make a reasonable funding request and match the budget to the scope of work.

The budget request must relate to the narrative and the proposed scope of work. The justification must match the amount requested.

Be specific and justify each item. Explain and justify the use of consultants (based

on need) rather than internal staff.

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Basic Principles

11. Address items regarding participant protection/human subjects.

This relates to the Institutional Review Board and HIPAA regulations.

Address confidentiality, parental consent/permission if necessary, assent for children, recruitment strategy, etc.

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Basic Principles

12. KISS: Keep the application simple, reasonable, business-like and professional.

The proposal/application should be error free, “presentation-ready,” with the correct forms included.

Finally, have someone check each page of all of your copies to make sure that each packet is complete.

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Skills you must have or ……

Persistence Good People Skills Communication Skills Organizational Ability Conceptualization Collaborations & Sponsorship

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Proposal (Exec.) Summary or LOI

At the Beginning of the Proposal 1 Sentence on Credibility 1 Sentence on Problem 1 Sentence on Objectives 1 Sentence on Methods Funds: Requested or On Hand Should be: Brief, specific and to the point

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What do you wish to achieve? What specific activities/services? Capability and Assets Previous Record Collaborators and Partners Evaluation

Getting Started

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Getting Started

Identify your Goals State SMART Objectives Describe your proposed project What is the history of your organization? Do you have a network of supportive

organizations, people, volunteers? What results do you expect? Can you provide evidence of Impact?

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SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS

Direct, concise, compelling, convincing, capable and resourceful

Addresses a significant/important problem Explicit goals, measurable objectives Comprehensive but succinct background review Methodology fits the problem Appropriate funding mechanism

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Unsuccessful Applications

Failure to follow directions Lack of new or original ideas Diffuse, superficial or unfocused

research; lack of clearly stated hypothesis and rationale

Lack of an overall research goal; uncertainty about future directions

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And these applications

Lack knowledge about relevant literature Questionable reasoning in design Lack of demonstrated experience in methodology

(lacks details) Format issues Over-ambitious

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Proposal Planning

Identify Problem or Need Define the Problem or Need Limit the Problem or Need Consider Target Population Effort and Effect < or > Cost?

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General Tips and Comments

Take sufficient time to prepare a good abstract, LOI, or concept paper

Avoid jargon and acronyms Always include a budget and budget

justification Be careful when you cut and paste: assure

uniformity of font size and type

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Continued…..

Include an adequate and comprehensive literature review, references and citations

Include adequate history of previous projects and programs

Include information about previous grants or partnerships

Include information on outcomes of previous projects or program impact

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A Word about Evaluation

Formative vs. Summative:

“When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative;

When the guests taste the soup, that’s summative.”

…Bob Stake

Evaluation Theorist

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A Word about Budgets

Don’t Worry…… This is the easiest area to find help. Don’t exceed the range given in the RFA/RFP Be reasonable and realistic “Do not bite off more than you can chew.” It is not for a free lunch.. See hand-out material!

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The Burden of Proof

is on you to show, through a clear, succinct, yet detailed proposal, that you understand and are capable of handling the project and reaching the objectives.