The Tank by Umniah: Write a Proposal
Every month, The Tank by Umniah hosts a series of events and workshops lead by local trainers and entrepreneurs. Not only will you head out with a wealth of information, but it will also help you polish your skills. And did we forget to mention that this is all for free?
This time, the event was conducted by Ayat Abusini, an experienced professional, consultant, specialist, and certified trainer. She has worked with various international and national organizations and has helped them solve different types of problems they face. This event was directed to help entrepreneurs and startups know how to write the right grant proposals.
What is a Grant Proposal?
A Grant Proposal is usually written by entrepreneurs or non-profit organizations alike seeking financial aid and support to move their promising business and ideas forward. In short, it is a request that aims to bring a call to action from investors, or governments, and/or private organizations that grant applicants choose to seek for support.
A Grant Proposal moves beyond seeking and building investments but also pursues to build networks and engage with organizations and corporate investors to embrace a shared mission and form a partnership and invest in the future of a project.
Idea Development
This is where you introduce your project to stakeholders as a potential and credible applicant. Provide a simple and thorough description of your organization and identify your project’s purpose and objectives. Keep in mind to outline the outcomes of your project and how it will fulfill the needs of those who need it.
Objective Alignment
As far as fundamental principles go, it is highly essential that the grant writer finds a common trait between them and the organization. In other words, your objective, mission and interests should align with that of the sponsor’s to guarantee an effective proposal.
Moreover, make sure you aim to be as accurate as possible in your writing. A Grant Proposal should not be too wordy or fancy, but rather portray a logical approach in your ideas, creativity, and reasoning. It should answer all questions in all different areas of your project that the sponsor may have. First impressions are highly important, especially when it comes to Grant Proposals.
So, be sure to be compelling and engaging with your wording and overall language and be sure to present the project in a clear, concise, and comprehensible way to hook your readers.
Implementation plan
As your project’s mission should go hand in hand with the organization’s mission, so should your implementations. Recognizing and adapting your project to their plans is one of the crucial key elements to foresee a positive growth and change in your partnership. Be comprehensive and highlight accomplishment possibilities.
Timeline and budget
The budget is one of the important key elements that make up a Grant Proposal as it helps investors comprehend the total project implementation costs and needs. Budget information should be easy to interpret, but also very specific and detailed of all expenses required to carry out the project, including salaries, rent, supplies, equipment, and materials and supplies etc.
Stakeholders will extensively review where they will potentially place their money so ensure that all decisions and prices are both reasonable and feasible. Basically, all numbers and figures must be consistent as this will be the foundation for a financial plan in the future.
Final reporting
There’s no need to flatter organizations with academic vocabulary. All you have to do is be clear with your idea and the way you present it. Having said that, an easy approach to this is to write as if you are the reviewer. Simply put yourself in their shoes; you would want to know how an applicant plans on spending your money. Know what to expect and cover all types of answers to questions that could be asked.
