Proposals are persuasive documents that are fundamental tools in organizational funding and output. This course will look at sources of funding, types of proposals and how to write proposals that will meet funding agencies requirements. This will include a number of tips and techniques to increase the potential success of your proposals.
An important but often overlooked aspect of proposal writing will also be covered- Building and Maintaining Relationships. Relationships are built on honesty. Potential projects must be a good fit for your organization and your organization must be ready to do the work contained in the proposal. The most successful proposals are going to be those that fulfill the mission and values of your organization and that of the funding agencies as well!
You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.
To begin the course, participants will identify trends in the funding environment, types of funders and will identify potential funders to connect with.
Next, participants will investigate the potential funders identified in the last session to see if they are indeed a good fit for your proposal.
In this session, participants will learn about three of the most common forms of proposals; Proposal Forms, Letter Proposals and Partnership Proposals.
In this session, participants will look at the stages of building a relationship with a potential funder.
This session covers the common elements of RFPs, sources of RFPs, how to increase your chances of success and you will work on an RFP Case Study.
Next, participants will learn about the ten steps in proposal writing.
Participants will use the first six steps learned in the last session to develop a draft outline for a proposal.
Here, students will learn not only the key elements in a proposal but also the order in which to write them.
In this session, trainees will learn how to define the needs they are addressing and the direct and indirect results of their project.
Students here will learn what funders are expecting to be covered in the Resources and Activities as well as the importance of having a measurable evaluation process in place.
This session will indicate what funders expect to be shown in the form of sustainability and good stewardship of money.
Here, students will learn the essential information to include in the Conclusion, Introduction and Executive Summary.
At the end of the course, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.
