While the proposal is often thought of as the first step to receiving a grant, it is also one of the last steps in the project planning process. This means there is a lot to do before jumping right into proposal writing. Writing your proposal should be part of your fundraising strategy and is only one step of the process. If you want to be successful, there are three essential steps that you have to do before you sit down and put pen to paper.
Have a project plan
Before you start writing a proposal or even researching potential donors, you need to have a project plan. If you do not precisely know what you want to do, it is impossible to find a suitable donor match or write a cohesive proposal. To be able to do useful donor research, you need to know precisely in which area you want to work and which strategies you wish to use. Developing a project plan provides the necessary details for this.
Writing a proposal can be a good exercise in fleshing out project details, but you need to have the basic plan before you start. If your team is not on the same page, you will discover issues during the writing process. Activities need to be cohesive with objectives and strategies, and that will only be the case if you have a detailed project plan before you start. Of course, you can also use parts of the project plan for the proposal, even though the two documents are not the same.
Conduct research
The NGOs that conducted proper research in the very beginning often have much higher chances of success. This does not only refer to donor research but other types as well. Research is essential to make sure you understand the problem to be addressed, the local context, the potential donors, etc. If your NGO did good research, you can be sure that you develop a project plan that addresses the needs of the beneficiaries and proposes a start of the art solution to it. Great donor research will eventually lead to better chances for funding.
Network
Networking is an essential step in preparing for the writing of the proposal. Having direct contact with a donor can be critical for any proposal’s success, as you might get supplemental information or just a point of access. However, networking can also be necessary for building ties in the community, with other NGOs, etc. These organizations might be able to share information with you, that is crucial to write a successful proposal.
By conducting these three steps, you will have the majority of information you need ready to go even before you begin writing the proposal. Make sure that you include these steps into your fundraising strategy and allott time and resources to them, so they can be conducted.
