The Grant Whale
Preparing
a proposal when the funding source guidelines do not specify a
format may seem to be a whale of a problem. One way to approach this
gargantuan task is to use a generic format including the ten elements most commonly
requested in
proposal instructions. (The whale reappears at the end of this story...)
-
Title - Give the reader/reviewer a hint of things to come. Use a short,
self-explanatory title. Control the urge to use colons.
- Project Summary - Give the reader/reviewer an executive summary. Provide a succinct explanation of what the project will achieve how. Write
this last. It should cover the need, the solution, the objectives and
highlight any unique aspects of your project.
- Introduction - Give the reader a frame of reference. Describe who you
are, where you are, what you do and who you serve. Keep this brief. A
thumbnail, one-paragraph sketch is sufficient.
- Problem/Need Statement - Convince the
reader you share in his/her understanding of the problem the funding source has
identified and have a solution. Argue for
the problem's importance
using statistical, historical and/or philosophical arguments. Rely on
studies, publications, expert testimony, etc. Discuss what others have done in
the area. (Begin with national generalizations and end with specific local
descriptors.) Describe why your solution is an appropriate one and provide evidence to
back up why you think it will work.
- Objectives - Tell the reader what you will achieve. Mission,
goals and
measurable objectives describe anticipated results.
Objectives describe the measurable results of the action(s) taken to meet the need or solve the problem.
(An objective is never "to hire staff" or "to buy
equipment.")
- Work Plan - Convince the reader you know how to do it. Describe
specific activities in detail. Outline the "who will do what, when
and how" plan. For complicated projects, use a chart or timetable. Include an evaluation and dissemination
component.
- Staff - Convince the reader you have people who can get things
done. For current staff, focus on appropriate experiences and append
resumes. For proposed staff, provide a "want ad" and append job
descriptions. Describe administrative responsibilities and explain who is
ultimately responsible.
- Evaluation - Describe an
evaluation plan that will prove you succeeded. Explain how you will assess the measurable objectives
(outcome) and proposed activities executed (process). Explain reporting
procedures (within the institution and to the funding source) and describe any
plans for broader dissemination of results – articles, papers, presentations,
etc.
- Conclusion - Reinforce the request. Address the issue of project continuation after the end
of the award period. Offer to provide any other information that might help the
funding source in considering the project.
- Budget - Justify the amount of the investment. Provide a budget narrative that explains every item in the budget, both the amount requested and the institution's financial contribution. If there are no hard cash contributions, focus on in-kind contributions and person hours that have been or will be committed to the project. Identify other external funding sources secured or ones that may be approached. Append a detailed budget broken down with specific expenses for the following categories: personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, construction, other and Facilities & Administrative Costs (if allowable).
These ten elements do not exist in independent vacuums.
They are inter-related and build upon each other. Rather than
floundering around trying to remember what goes where, here are two memory-jogging diagrams.
For those of
you who think linearly, the usual order of presentation is given in the diagram
below. Arrows indicate the interrelationships between the different
elements. Note for the most part, each element builds on the one that has
gone before, but many of them have multiple interrelationships (making for a
rather confusing diagram).
Hence, we return to the great grant whale.
Project Title (1.) – The plume announces a whale's
presence, providing a hint of things to come.
Project Summary (2.) – The tall dorsal fin
announces an orca whale is surfacing, letting you know what kind of
whale (I mean, proposal) is coming. It touches on the major points:
Problem/need addressed, work plan's central activities, what's unique (a
"hook") and objectives and consequences. (Leads into
proposal.)
Introduction (3) – The blowhole from which the plume
spouts provides a frame of reference. By the time you see this, you
have a pretty good idea of what's coming. (Leads into the need/problem statement.)
Problem/Need Statement (4.) – Seeing-eye-to-eye establishes a
connection, a shared understanding of the nature of the problem. We're
prepared to see the great belly of the beast. (Leads into objectives.)
Objectives (5.) and Work Plan (6.) and Evaluation (7.)
– The white-patched belly is the core of the proposal. The three
elements are interrelated.
- Objectives are anticipated measurable achievements that address all the needs identified and lead into the work plan and evaluation.
- The work plan describes how the objectives will be met and leads into the evaluation.
- The evaluation explains how you'll measure progress in the work plan and success in meeting your objectives.
Staff (8.) – Staff are the paddle-like flippers that steers the
project through rough seas. Without them, the work plan goes nowhere
(and our whale flounders around).
Conclusion (9.) – The mouth with large, cone-shaped
teeth, is the last thing the prey sees, a last chance to snag the reader
with a reminder of the shared understanding
crafted in the need/problem statement.
Budget (10.) – The flukes (dollars) power the project. You have to justify how much you
need to feed the beast (what it's going to cost) to keep it going.