Proposal writing is not a one-man show; while one individual may bear the responsibility of overseeing the proposal from start to finish, many other people need to be involved in the process. Here are some people that should be involved in this inclusive process:
Writing stage
- Proposal writer – Ideally this is someone within the organization with experience in writing proposals. In general, we recommend not hiring consultants to write proposals, as this is a necessary skill NGOs need to develop. It may however be a good idea to hire a consultant in the planning and review stages.
- Program managers – Program people will have very in-depth understanding of how the project will be implemented.
- Researchers – Researchers can contribute to the project rationale, background and context.
- Marketing team – Those responsible for marketing will know how to present the NGO, have a good organizational background summary, and can assist in branding the proposal.
- Accountant – An accountant should always look over the budget.
- Reviewers – Have as many people as possible look over the proposal draft to help finalize it. Try to get those involved in the planning stages to check for accuracy, and ask other people within the NGO to make sure the NGO’s message is conveyed. It is also a good idea to have people completely unrelated to the project and NGO look over the draft, as they can often give an unbiased opinion and evaluate how easily understandable the proposal is. Also, make sure an editor/ native speaker checks spelling and grammar!
