Beginning to Write the Proposal
Having a fundraising plan is the first step to success (See Developing a Fundraising Plan). Following the development of the fundraising plan you will need to develop a fundraising proposal. But first it will be important to determination the appropriate target audience for your proposal.
The following table demonstrates potential donors you could pitch your fundraising plan to:
| Type of Agency | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Government | Useful on policy issues
Funding may be larger Broader impact | Bureaucratic process possible
Payment delays Complex requirements |
| Corporate Funding
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Corporate Social Investment (CSI) | Large Sums to distribute
Professional staff Clear objectives | Priorities change
Possible Board Involvement Sensitive to stakeholders |
| Corporate Funding
Small/Entrepreneur | Informal approach
Interested in local projects Personal connections helpful Clear agenda | Limited funds
Narrow interests Funding linked to personal ties |
| Large Foundations
Family/Other | Large Sums to distribute
Professional staff Clear guidelines Shared experience | Lengthy process
Complex requirements Priorities change |
| Small Foundations
Family/Other | Close relationships
Flexible format/process Open agenda | Staff may be less professional
Smaller amounts of money Personal contacts both positive and negative |
| Religious Institutions | Shared social/ethical agenda
Flexibility | Reliance on own constituency
Allocations that change |
Once you have determined who your audience will be, the next step is actually writing the proposal. Many organizations have developed materials to guide nonprofits through this challenging process. Civicus presents an easy-to-use toolkit, entitled Writing a Funding Proposal by Janet Shapiro. This free toolkit helps organizations through each step of the fundraising proposal development process.
The Resource Alliance is another good source of information on writing proposals. One of the best overall resources is The Worldwide Fundraiser’s Handbook: A guide for fundraising for Southern NGOs and Voluntary Organizations. Using case studies and best practices, the handbook offers guidance on establishing effective local fundraising.
The Resource Alliance website also offers many opportunities for self-guided training. Using the Fundraisers Handbook excerpts online, will identify key points to follow to enable a proposal writer to produce a proposal which matches the requirements of a potential funder. The document covers:
Planning the approach
Targeting the proposal
Determining the content
Funding levels/budgeting
Writing
Contacting
