We have talked a lot about all the different parts of a proposal that you have to write when you want to submit a full proposal to a donor. Sometimes you are required to write a project narrative as well, and today we want to explain what that means.
A project narrative is similar to a project description and serves as an overview of your proposed project. In the narrative, you include your goals and strategies without giving too much detail. It gives an idea of what you are planning on the first sight.
The project narrative does not belong to the typical parts of a proposal. If a donor does not specifically request you to write a project narrative, you do not have to do it. Sometimes donors want to see the project narrative in shorter proposals though, where not too much background information is given. Then the project narrative is the opportunity for you to show in a couple of paragraphs that your project makes sense, that you know what you are doing and that it deserves funding.
For donors, it can make sense to ask for a project narrative to be able to grasp the entire project in a short text. While it is concrete and to the point, it still provides enough information to make good decisions. When more detailed information is needed, they can refer to other parts of the proposal like the budget or the project background or request more information in the second round of applications.
Basically, the project narrative should be a clear description of your project. After someone read it, they should be able to understand the situation that you want to address, what your goals are, which means you want to use and what you expect to achieve. It basically is a very short form of a proposal. Do not go into too much detail, as this part is meant to be more of an overview of the project.
Eva is based in Germany and has worked for nearly a decade with NGOs on the grassroots level in Nepal in the field of capacity development and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. Before that, she worked in South America and Europe with different organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in geography and her field of research was sustainability and inclusion in development projects.
Nous sommes reconnaissants envers tous, ceux, qui œuvrent dans l’équipe, de PROPOSALSFORNGOs. Ils ne se lassent pas de nous venir en aide, faciliter, notre compréhension et la maîtrise du concept, dans la recherche des subventions. Nous les ONG, de petites tailles, dans les pays du sud. Nous disons, et demandons encore beaucoup d’indulgence envers nos projets. Donner de la valeur dans ce que nous réalisons. S’il vous plaît. Nous autres savons agir, écrire, nous fait rater beaucoup d’opportunités.
Dear Mindoudoumou: We understand fundraising for small grassroots NGOs who do not yet have a fundraising plan in place, can be particularly challenging. But our expert Alta Alonzi- has 5 tips on how a small grassroots NGOs can change the scene. Read here.
Hope this is helpful. Best wishes!