Final Project: Complete Grant Proposal Package

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Description of various parts of completed Grant Proposal Package are below
The order in which these parts appear below is not necessarily the order in which you will complete the various tasks associated with these different parts
The "lessons" referred to below are in The Only Grant Writing Book You’ll Ever Need.
The "steps" are from Writing Grants Step by Step.

Cover letter

Relevant reading: Lesson 15 / Step 11
“Organizations need to craft a brief, yet informative cover letter that will serve as the first piece of information the funder reads” (WGSBS)
Consult description of content of cover letter in WGSBS “Step 11”.
See sample cover letter in “Step 11” of WGSBS.
“should [include] a one- or two-sentence statement of what you’re requesting in the enclosed proposal and one or two reasons— based on the foundation’s priorities and interests— you’re applying to this foundation.” (OGWB)
“should be brief (not more than half a page)” (OGWB)

Relevant reading: Lesson 15 / Step 10
“The abstract summarizes the proposal in a page or two. It can be read quickly, yet it gives the reader— the reviewer— a good sense of the need, the program, the applicant, the goals and objectives, and the budget” (OGWB)
“[P]urpose is to encapsulate the strongest key elements of the grantseeker’s proposal, which will then lead the funder to engage in reading the full proposal” (WGSBS).
“A good proposal summary paints a picture of the full proposal and successfully entices the funder to read more. Grantseekers should always keep in mind that funders receive dozens— and in many cases hundreds— of grant proposals to review during any given funding cycle” (WGSBS).
Consult the “Tips for Writing the Summary” in “Step 10” of WGSBS.
See sample summary in “Step 10” of WGSBS.

Relevant reading: Lesson 7 / Step 3
Document the existence and severity of the problem by citing the information about the community that you’ve found through your research.
Focus on the community being served and not on the organization seeking funding.
Ensure that the problem being identified is logically connected to the goals & objectives of the program for which the organization is seeking funding.

Relevant reading: Lesson 8 / Step 4
What will be different in the community when the program is complete? (These should be logically connected to the problem identified and described in the problem statement.)
“A goal is what the program aspires to achieve” (WGSBS), e.g. improved academic performance.
“[O]bjectives are how an organization will know if it is meeting its goal(s)” (WGSBS). e.g. absences from class reduced by 50%, average GPA increased by 1 point, graduation rate improved by 50%
Are these elements clear?
- What is going to change?
- Who will be involved in the change?
- How will the change be measured?
- When will this change take place?

Relevant reading: Lesson 9 / Step 5
“The timeline should include absolutely every activity that you must undertake to establish, implement, and evaluate the program” (OGWB).
The timeline could be presented in paragraph form, or as a month-by-month list of bullet points, or as a chart accompanied by a description of when things will happen and who will do them.
See examples in Lesson 9 (OGWB) and Step 5 (WGSBS).

Relevant reading: Lesson 9 / Step 5
“[T]he strategies the organization proposes to carry out in order to accomplish its objectives” (WGSBS)
Be sure to include “detailed descriptions of the activities an organization will implement to achieve the ends specified in its objectives” (WGSBS)
- What activities need to be carried out in order to meet the objectives?
- What are the starting and ending dates of these activities?
- Where will these activities take place?
- Who has responsibility for completing each activity?
- How will participants be selected? (Not always relevant.)
Explain how you know (or why you believe) these methods will result in the objectives being reached.

Relevant reading: Lesson 11 / Step 6
Process Evaluation: Describe how you will go about evaluating whether or not your program is being implemented according to plan.
Outcome Evaluation: Taking your objectives and your methods into account, describe how you will go about evaluating whether or not your objectives are being reached (or have been reached).

Relevant reading: Lesson 12 / Step 8
Consult the bullet-point list in Lesson 12 of OGWB.
Include a “budget narrative,” which will “describe the budget in words and justify the expenditures, item by item. In a narrative, you will relate each budget item to the activity it supports. One sentence usually is enough for each item” (OGWB).

Mission (Relevant reading: Step 9)
- What principles guide the organization?
- Generally speaking, what are the organization’s goals?
- If the organization has a formal mission statement, include it here.
History & Current Status (Relevant reading: Step 9)
- When was the organization founded?
- How and why was the organization founded?
- What is the organization’s relationship to the community it serves?
Accomplishments (Relevant reading: Step 9)
- What significant past accomplishments can you describe?
- Include statistics or testimony from individuals, if available.
- What innovative programs or special services has the organization provided?
- What awards or recognitions has the organization received?
- Briefly, what kind of funding has the organization received in the past?
Capacity (Relevant reading: Lesson 14)
- Demonstrate that the organization is capable of managing the funds it’s applying for, implementing the program it’s describing, and fulfilling any reporting requirements associated with the funds being sought.
- Consult the first list of bullet points in Lesson 14 (OGWB) and provide as much of this information as you can.

List all of your sources cited in this proposal. I’d prefer that you use MLA format, but APA format is also okay.
For more information about MLA style, visit http://docs.upstateenglish.org/371/mla-citation-style.html

Relevant reading: Lesson 15 / Step 11
“The appendices let you demonstrate a lot of things that don’t fit into the body of the proposal” (OGWB)
For example, you might include (if needed)
- Your organization’s board of directors,
- Brief professional biographies of the project members,
- Information about other organizations partnering with you,
- A financial statement that demonstrates your organization’s capacity,
- An architectural rendering of a building or construction project,
- A sample brochure to be provided to your target audience,
- A sample activity description for an after-school program,
- News articles about your organization,
- Letters of testimony from community members affected by your program.