Maria Christiani 08.80.

0023

PROJECT PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

Proposal Writing Hints

1. Project Title/Cover Page
  
Check to see if the agency we have in mind has any specifications for the Title/Cover Page Usually the Title/Cover Page includes signatures of key people in our organization If our proposal is built on collaborating with other groups/organizations it is usually a good idea to include their names on the Title/Cover Page. our cover should look professional and neat. The title should be clear and unambiguous (do not make it "cute"). Think of our title as a mini-abstract. A good title should paint a quick picture for the reader of the key idea(s) of our project. The words we use in your title should clearly reflect the focus of your proposal. Make sure our words are in the correct order. Try to remove words from our title that really are not necessary for understanding. Try and use only a single sentence for your title. If the sentence is getting too long try removing some words.

     

2. Project Overview
 Think of the Project Overview as an Executive Summary  The Project Overview should "paint a picture" of your proposal in the mind of the reader  Use the Project Overview to begin to show your knowledge of the organization from which you are requesting funds.  If you will be collaborating with other organizations make sure some of their interests are also highlighted in the Project Overview.  The best time to prepare the Project Overview is after you have completed the entire proposal  Try to keep in mind that someone will be reviewing the proposal and we would like to have this person be very positive about what we have written.

3. Background Information/Statement of the Problem

 It may be easier to think of this section as a review of Relevant Literature. Cite previous projects and studies that are similar to what you are proposing.  Try to be careful in your use of language. It can be very helpful to have a friend, outside of your area of focus/expertise o Position your project in relation to other efforts and show how your project: o will extend the work that has been previously done,

 

  

o will avoid the mistakes and/or errors that have been previously made, o will serve to develop stronger collaboration between existing initiatives, or o is unique since it does not follow the same path as previously followed. Use the statement of the problem to show that your proposed project is definitely needed and should be funded. It is essential to include a well documented statement of the need/problem that is the basis for your project. Check to see that the potential funding agency is committed to the same needs/problems that your proposal addresses Is there a special reason why you and/or your organization are uniquely suited to conduct the project? When you get to the Methods Section of your proposal it will be important to refer back to the needs you have identified in this section. It can really help gain funding support for your project if you have already taken some small steps to begin your project. This is an excellent section to have the reader begin to understand that an ongoing approach to the problem is essential and that short term responses may have negligible effect.

4. Project Detail a. Goals and Objectives

 Try and differentiate between your goals and your objectives - and include both.  Goals are the large statements of what you hope to accomplish but usually are not very measurable.  Objectives are operational, tell specific things you will be accomplishing in your project, and are very measurable.  Your objectives will form the basis for the activities of your project and will also serve as the basis for the evaluation of your project.  Try to insure that there is considerable overlap between the goals and objectives for your proposal and the goals and objectives of the funding organization.  Present measurable objectives for your project.

b. Clientele
   
Include specific information about the population or clientele on which your project is focused. Exactly who are the clientele? Who is included in the clientele group? In what ways have you already had contact with the clientele group? Can you show that you have the support of the clientele group to move ahead with the project? In what ways have members of the clientele group been involved in the preparation of the proposal? What other agencies are involved with this clientele group (and have these other agencies been included in your proposed project)? It is important for the funding agency to see how much the clientele group has been involved with the project and the preparation of the proposal

Be sure to clarify why it is important for the funding organization to be concerned about your clientele.

c. Methods
      
There should be a very clear link between the methods you describe in this section and the objectives you have previously defined. The prospective funding agency will be looking at your methods to see what new, unique or innovative actions you are proposing. Are the specific methods you are proposing for your project very important to your unique clientele? Make sure you clarify this for the funding organization. Do not forget to include the collaborative relationships your project will be developing with othercooperating groups. Your Methods section should clearly indicate how the methods that will be used will allow the outcomes of your project to have value for others beyond your project.

d. Staff/Administration
 
Use this section to describe the roles of the different people associated with your project and the importance of each. Make sure to clarify how each of the roles are essential to the success of the project and how each role clearly relates to operationalizing the methods you have described. make sure you include name, title, experience, and qualifications. Include other information if you feel it is important to the success of your project. The descriptions of your personnel should let the funding agency know that you have excellent people who are committed to the project. Working together as a part of a team is something that funding agencies often like to see. If you will be using a Steering Committee to assist in your project, this is a good place to describe how it wil l be organized and who will be included. enlist the support of a variety of other agencies/organizations by placing a representative of theseagencies/organizations on your Steering Committee. Make sure you define the length of service for the members of the Steering Committee (so that membership can rotate and you can minimize the length of service of someone who may not be helpful!). Members of a Steering Committee can greatly help in identifying and linking to other resources. A viable Steering Committee can suggest to a funding agency that the project has strong links to the local situation and the project has a good chance of continuing after the funding period is over.

         

5. Available Resources
 Collaborative efforts are usually considered very favorably  Look carefully around you because there are certain to be resources that you have available that you may not be noticing  It is very impressive to a prospective funding agency if local resource s have already been contacted and  plans to include them in the project have already been made.

6. Needed Resources

a. Personnel
Refer back to your Staff/Administration section and identify those people by name who will actually be paid from the grant - these are the ones to be identified in this section  The descriptions should clarify in the mind of the potential funding agency that these people are ideally suited to conduct the project.  Instead of having all full-time staff on the project, consider having a number of parttime staff - especially if the part-time staff currently work with other cooperating organizations.  Make sure you notify people who you identify in your Personnel section and receive their approval before you send in your proposal.

b. Facilities
 Though you may not be requesting funds for the purchase or rental of facilities, it can be helpful to provide a brief description of the facilities that will be used for the project.  Consider describing existing facilities that will be used for the project as in-kind contributions to the project.

c. Equipment/Supplies/Communication
 Be careful in listing the equipment that will be needed for your project.  The following are the types of equipment that may be needed for a funded project:  tape recorder  video cassette recorder and television monitor  computer/monitor/printer  desks/chairs/tables  lamps  intercom/office telephone system  telephone conferencing equipment  photocopy machine  specialized equipment for fulfilling project objectives  It will help if you've really done some research on the actual cost of the e quipment you specify.  It is easy to overlook many of the office supplies that will be needed for your project.      


Coffee, cups, donuts or other supplies for morning and afternoon breaks are usually not included in the proposal. These are personal (not project) expenses. The more open you are and willing to help others learn from your experiences the more likely a funding agency will be interested in assisting. Consider including in your proposal additional funds for hosting some form of workshop or institute where you can bring together other professionals who are interested in conducting a similar type of project in their area.

d. Budget
 

Make your budget realistic. Have someone else in your organization review your budget to see how realistic you are.  Do you really need a large amount of funding at the beginning of the project or will your project be  "phased up" over a period of time?  A good strategy to use with a potential funding agency is to ask for a small amount




    

of funding for the first phase of the project. Check with the agency to see if they have suggested/required budget categories that they want you to use. organize your budget around a set of meaningful categories that work for the project you are proposing. Try to include both a concern for formative evaluation/process evaluation and summative evaluation/product evaluation It is easy to create a summative evaluation/product evaluation plan if you have done a good job of clearly stating your project objectives or expected outcomes. Make direct reference to your objectives in your evaluation plan. Try creating two separate evaluation plans - one for formative evaluation and the other for summative evaluation. A good evaluation plan should include some sense of concern for what goes on following the conclusion of the funding period. How will the initiatives that have been started under the project be sustained

8. Appendices
Appendices should be devoted to those aspects of your project that are of secondary interest to the reader. These are some includes on appendixes:  Dissemination Plan - An important aspect of your proposal will be the plan for disseminating information of/from the project to other audiences..  Time Line - A clear indication of the time frame for the project and the times wheneach aspect of the project will be implemented.  Letters of Support - Funding agencies would like to know that others feel strongly enough  about your project that they are willing to write a letter in support of the project.  Cooperating Agency Descriptions - If you have referenced in your proposal different  cooperating agencies that you will be working with, it is a good idea to provide a more detailed description of each of these agencies in the appendices.  Evaluation Instrument - Include a draft copy of the actual evaluation instrument we plan to use.