Think Like a Funder: What Makes a Good Fundraising Proposal?
According to Cassie Zawilski, a program manager for The Full Circle in San Francisco, says: “The grantwriter must do their homework.” They must understand exactly what the organization does, so their proposal will be tailored to the foundation’s mission.
Connect the dots
It is incredibly beneficial when there is a clear request, especially upfront, rather than burying it at the end with merely a statement about how the project aligns with the funder’s goals or how the organizations work alongside the funder’s goals. So, outline, be explicit about and connect the dots for the funder.
It is apparent that funders just sent a cookie-cutter proposal to many funders, hoping that one would read it and want to finance them. And I think of a proposal as a job application cover letter, where you have to personalize it a little and demonstrate that you understand the company’s mission. Do you want to collaborate with a donor who doesn’t share your values? Because if they don’t, they’ll have some of those terrifying experiences.
Make that apparent to the funder; why now, or why your organization? Because funders frequently juggle who, which, and what is most urgent versus most important versus the long term that we should support versus the short time, what is the window of opportunity? Some funders are more focused on quick responses, like being flexible, while others plan and may want to support more extensive systemic change efforts.
Timetable and Measurable Outcomes
Having dates and desired outcomes and how you’ll evaluate them can help with initiatives. However, there are occasions when goals are created that are unclear, such as how they will measure success—not being able to incorporate that.
Other beneficial things include knowing the leadership team’s track record in leading the firm, especially if it is a startup. So, suppose you do not have that organizational track record because you are so new. In that case, I think understanding things like what the management, staff, or board members that part of this are have done in the past or on their own is essential to showcase your leadership abilities.
Share Key Partners
Sharing partners certainly helps funders who are more hesitant to support early-stage things. Or organizations requesting seed financing because they prefer to see that other people have already endorsed and are already in support of your mission. Funders are interested in seeing whom you’re working with. Giving believes that giving creates a competitive environment, pitting NGOs against one another because they’re frequently asked, “What makes you so distinctive, compared to all these other comparable organizations?”
Concentrating on the outcomes and impact rather than merely the inputs and outputs, The people and resources needed to make your program offerings a reality are inputs, and outputs are often quantifiable measures such as the number of people served or hours of programming. The outcomes are critical to funders. Questions to ask yourself:
What has changed, either in terms of stakeholders or beneficiaries? What is the larger-scale change in your community?
Do Your Homework
Make sure statistics and research are accurate, and the research must match your request. Do not use jargon if you can be clear and concise in a proposal or an LOI (letter of inquiry). Instead, express your points without using buzzwords. Because if it doesn’t, it’ll sound a lot like many other organizations because they’re all using the same buzz-worthy language. Be honest about whether those initiatives and how your organization does them are beneficial.
Learn more by attending the Sunshine Certificate in Nonprofit Management class on Grant Writing and Evaluation on Monday, May 23, 2022 from 5:30 to 9:30 pm, and Campaigning to Potential-Part I (Sponsorship and Fundraising) on Monday, June 20 at 5:30 pm.
Source: Candid.org Candid has been a preferred partner since 2018 when Florida Nonprofits became an outlet for the Foundation Center Funding Network.
Author: Laura Bergman – https://blog.candid.org/post/think-like-a-funder-what-makes-a-good-fundraising-proposal/