Proposal Writing 101: The Art of the “Ask”

by Carrie Brodi

A proposal is a form of persuasive writing with a very specific goal—to inspire the reader to take action by making a monetary donation. The most successful proposals do this by connecting the needs and values of a prospective funder with a cause, while answering the ultimate question: What’s in it for me?

There is no secret to writing successful proposals, as no two appeals are the same. For example, government proposals are generally based on lengthy application forms whereas a corporate proposal may not even be looked at if it is longer than two pages. Your audience is everything when crafting written appeals.

Regardless of who you are appealing to and for what, there are four basic fundamentals to keep in mind when preparing a proposal: solid research, knowledge of your key messages, a compelling ask and good writing.

Prewriting: Research and Cultivation

Most of the time the proposal alone will not raise funds. In fact, it is only one piece of a much larger strategy—the last step in a cycle of what fundraisers refer to as “readiness”. Ideally, a proposal is sent only after some initial contact has been made, be it an official meeting or a casual phone conversation. Ideally, you want the proposal to be sent as a summary of those conversations, when a “yes” is almost a guarantee and the proposal is just a follow up mechanism.

If personal cultivation is not possible, some research into a potential funder’s past giving should be done via the Internet, Who’s-Who directories, annual reports and other mechanisms. For government proposals, ministry reports can provide valuable information about research that has been done to evaluate community needs. This knowledge will get you thinking about what connects your organization with a potential source of funding and whether or not the ask is a good fit.

Know your Cause

Now that you have an idea of your prospective donor’s needs and values, it is important to convey who you are through your organizational key messages. Simply, key messages are three to five facts that differentiate your cause from similar organizations. To define yours, ask:

1) What are your major strengths? Do you have expertise in a specific area, or an endorsement from a respected industry association, the public or an important individual?

2) What makes you unique? Are you the only, the first, the biggest or the best in your field? Do you serve a specific client-base such as corporate executives, new immigrants or street youth?

3) What do you believe? What is your organizational philosophy and how does that set you apart?

Once your key messages are widely agreed upon, based on consultations with internal and external stakeholders, include them in the introductions of all of your proposals as well as other communications pieces such as media releases, newsletters, speaking notes and brochures.

Crafting a Compelling Ask: The Key Elements of a Proposal

Now that you’ve done your research, and distinguished your cause through your key messages, you are ready to write the proposal.

The Key Elements of a Proposal checklist (FIG. 1) is a guideline representing the questions donors—be they corporations, individuals, foundations or government—most want answered in a proposal.

1) What are you asking for?

• How much exactly do you need and within what timeframe?

2) What is the issue that this priority addresses?

• How does this issue affect society as a whole? For example, your organization may provide counseling to new immigrants to help them integrate into Canadian society and you may require funds to hire an additional counselor. The funds you seek will help to address the issue of Canada’s future economic prosperity and not staffing goals.

3) Relationships of issue to your organization

• What programs/research/services do you already have in place that prepare you to solve this problem? Highlight your past successes as they relate to your ability to address the issues identified in #2.

4) Proof that this issue exists

• Go back to #2 –can you prove that this social need (i.e. the need to integrate new immigrants into the Canadian workforce) exists through relevant statistics, studies, experts, etc? Include hard evidence whenever possible.

5) A realistic measurable objective

• What exactly do you want to do and what is the hoped-for outcome of this support in relation to #2. For example, how many more clients do you hope to serve per year, and how will this increased capacity impact lives and society in general?

6) Method for achieving objective

• How and when do you plan to achieve this objective? For example, how will go about hiring this new person and what are your timelines?

7) Summary of budget

• How will each dollar be spent? Are there other funds from different sources?

8) Shared goals

• Here is where you make the all-important connection as discussed in the opening paragraphs, connecting your project or program to the needs and values of your prospective funder. For government proposals, it is key to include any existing collaborations you may have with like-minded agencies or organizations. Collaborations are a huge focus for government funding bodies.

9) Establish recognition, stewardship and evaluation

• How will you thank and report back to the funder on the impact of their giving?

Infused into the above must come commitment and passion. How you feel about your cause makes a big difference in the writing. To harness the passion for your organization, don’t be afraid to tell human stories, to interview long-time staff members to gain moving anecdotes and other important pieces of information, or to interview your constituents to obtain quotes and testimonials as to how your organization has changed their lives. Compelling human stories move people to action more than anything else you can put into a proposal.

Strong Writing

A proposal is no different than any other piece of writing. It must be crisp, clear and to the point. The writing must be active, jargon-free and compelling.

In terms of length and tone, consider that corporations prefer shorter, punchier proposals that get right to the point as they are often inundated with funding requests. Proposals to individuals on the other hand can be longer, more emphatic and personalized whereas government proposals are very specific and often driven entirely by very focused questions.

In conclusion, successful proposals respond to the donor’s requests, rely on facts not claims, have very specific project goals and establish a direct line of communication with the funder through follow up mechanisms. Keep in mind that a well-written proposal is based on solid research, knowledge of your organizational strengths, a compelling ask and strong writing. By following these guidelines closely, you are more likely to get that transformational grant or gift.

Carrie Brodi is an experienced development writer who has facilitated numerous workshops on proposal writing and clear communication. She has written successful charitable gift appeals for a number of non-profit organizations including three of Canada’s top universities. Carrie has profiled individuals across multiple sectors, from university presidents to corporate CEOs and celebrities, for such publications as NOW Magazine, The Canadian Jewish News, and Lifestyles Magazine. Carrie provides development writing and consulting services through her business Impact Writing Solutions Inc. She can be reached at carriebrodi@icloud.com

Last Updated on Friday, 27 February 2009 10:56