How to Write a Proposals to get Funds for NGO Prt2

Before we start writing a proposal, it is important to do some research. No matter how small or big the project is, some kind of references to existing literature or data should be made. Usually, it is expected that the NGO has enough information at hand about the problem or project before writing the proposal. Yet, NGOs have to gather all related information about the issue they are working on and the sit down to write the proposal. In some cases, donors sponsor pre-proposal research so that organizations have enough evidence, both at field and in literature, before developing the actual proposal. While planning the proposal, it is ideally believed that all stakeholders have been consulted or involved in the process. There are generally three main categories of stakeholders involved in the process of writing a proposal.

The Proposing Organization/s

This could be just one NGO or a group of NGOs applying for the project to the donor.

The Community

The most important stakeholder for whom the project is conceived. Community members or  beneficiaries or the target group has to be involved in the proposal planning process so that the project reflects strong qualities of participation and community ownership.

The Donor

Wherever possible, it will be useful to take inputs from the donor. In formal invitations for  proposals, the donor may discourage any contact with the proposing organizations.

However, in other situations where donor has requested for a one-to-one proposals, it will be a good idea to have several meetings with this stakeholder and note down information. It will also help researching the donor priorities while conceiving the proposal. It will also be a useful activity to go through the following information about the donor:

• Funding priorities and issues
• Country Strategy/Policy Paper 
• Proposal guidelines
• Previously funded programmes 

New individuals working on proposals in a particular NGO may face problems in writing about organizational background. They prefer to just copy previous information into this particular section of the proposal. However, this information may be outdated. Besides, many times, there are facts about our organization which we ourselves are unaware of. We do quite a lot of research on the beneficiaries and the donor while writing the proposal, but we hardly see the necessity of researching our own organization to present the best picture of ours to the donor.

To ensure that there is thorough knowledge about the NGO in the proposal, it is important not only to copy information from previous documents, but also carry out discussions with colleagues about the project. The SWOT tool comes handy here when we sit with our colleagues and find out the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the organization. Once this framework is ready, it will be quite easy for us to write the proposal and answer the sharp questions of any proposal format.

A general proposal format consists of the following parts:

1. Problem Statement

2. Rationale or Justification for implementing the Project

3. Project Goal & Objectives

4. Strategy & Activities

5. Results: Outputs and Outcomes

6. Budget

This basic format of a proposal has expanded covering many concepts and issues, confronting project funding and project implementation. As new experiences are gathered by donors in project implementation and funding processes, new explanations are sought from the applicant through the proposal.

How to Write a Proposals to get Funds for NGO Prt1

There are many types of donors out there; most of them tend to be unique when it comes to the kind of proposals they will accept or reject.

A proposal is an essential marketing and document that helps cultivate an initial professional relationship between an organization and a donor over a project to be implemented. The proposal outlines the plan of the implementing organization about the project, giving extensive information about the intention, for implementing it, the ways to manage it and the results to be delivered from it.

Some of the things you should consider while writing funding Proposals

·         Donors want their money to count and the work they fund to be successful. More importantly, donors want to be seen to be / as successful.

·         To acquire knowledge, understanding and information. This has some ethical problems, if interventions are directly geared toward the generation of knowledge without clear and tangible outcomes to be attained by those receiving the development assistance.

·         To share knowledge, understanding, information, and, in so doing, add value to their chosen interventions.

·         To increase their influence in addressing what they consider to be the problems of the world, the region, the country, or a particular area.

A proposal is a very important document. In some cases, a concept note precedes a proposal, briefing the basic facts of the project idea. However, the project idea faces a considerable challenge when it has to be presented in a framework. The proposal has a framework that establishes ideas formally for a clear understanding of the project for the donor. Besides, unless the ideas are not documented in writing, they do not exist.

Hence, a proposal facilitates appropriate words for the conception of an idea. Proposals have recently become more sophisticated. This reflects the increased competitiveness and larger resources existing in the NGO sector. The trend of inviting proposals for contracting development programmes began with the allotment of substantial resources for development that triggered off the mushrooming of NGOs around the world.

Enormous opportunities existing in the sector has led to the trend of making proposal writing a profession. Proposal writing poses many challenges, especially for small and unskilled NGOs. Here, we discuss some basic and necessary information required for developing a proposal. Before we start learning about proposal writing, it will serve our purpose if we outline the exact difficulties we face working on the proposal.

The following are the common problems we face while trying to write a proposal:

What is the best Proposal Format?

 There are as many proposal formats as they are number of donors and each donor has a different format. Although the basic information requested by the donor through the format is generally same, yet we often encounter snags that make the entire process confusing.

Planning during proposal writing

 Although a good idea exists, yet when we try to plan it out extensively, we face many unexpected challenges.

Fear of proposal rejections?

No matter how much of an expert we are in writing proposals, the underlying fear of proposal rejection hovers over us while writing it.

Tight deadlines of the Proposal Submission

This is perhaps the most universal problem for all proposal writers. For some reason or the other, we are expected to complete the proposals under a very tight deadline.

Solicited and unsolicited proposal

Solicited and unsolicited proposals are quite confusing. Many NGOs work hard and submit proposals to donors, who have never solicited proposals

International Graduate Student Scholarship -Montclair State University, USA

Deadline- June 1 for the Fall Semester (starts in September), November 1 for the Spring Semester (starts in January)

Countries/Region- All Countries

Montclair State University offers several scholarships to master’s and doctoral students.The International Graduate Student award waives the out-of-state portion of the tuition and allows the student to pay the in-state tuition amount.

Eligibility-

• Graduation with a bachelors or a master’s degree from one of Montclair State University’s Global Partner Schools
• Applies and is admitted into a graduate program at Montclair State University
• Maintains the minimum academic requirements for retention in the graduate program

For more information, visit this link

Scrymgeour LLM Scholarships - University of Dundee

The Dundee Law School will be offering a number of Scrymgeour Scholarships to applicants for its taught and research LLM programmes.

These are likely to be available as follows:

·         up to £4,250 for international students from the African continent.

Applicants must already have applied for admission to the LLM degree.Successful applicants will be contacted by the end of June each year.

The following documents should accompany your completed application:

International Students (qualifications from a UK university)

·         a photocopy/scan of your Degree Certificate

Entrance Requirements

·         Applicants must be in possession of a good honours degree (at least upper second class or equivalent).

·         Applicants who have not yet graduated but who expect to do so in the anticipated year of entry onto the LL.M programme will be considered.

·         A law degree is a desirable but not always a necessary pre-requisite for LL.M applicants. In such cases, admissions selectors will consider relevant experience in a legal working environment as well as the nature of the applicant's previous studies.

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need and applicants must address these issues in their letter of motivation, to be received by Mrs Fiona Clark (f.j.clark@dundee.ac.uk) by 20 June.

For more information CLICK HERE

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