How many times have you told a story, and the person talking to you said, “I can’t believe that happened.” A look of astonishment washed over their face as they shook their heads in disbelief. Proposal and Grant Writing requires a narrative. An organization and its team are the main characters, and the project, the central conflict needing resolution. It’s paramount to tell a story that is believable for the reader of the proposal.
Why would anyone distrust another’s story?
Mark Twain once said, “It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” Fiction has to have enough logic that it makes sense, but reality does not. It is grounded in history. In essence, the proposal or grant submission is fiction until it’s a reality. The proposal isn’t fact until proven successful. An exception to this would be to expand an existing project. By using the current project as a proof point, credibility can be established.
To see the value in a proposal, we need an essential piece, credibility. A work of fiction has no credible sources to verify the authenticity of the story told. Generally, funders want to see a body of work with some certainty of returning their investment. It is why understanding an organization or business that is submitting the proposal is crucial. The writer should be asking the basic questions; who are you, what have you done in the past that could contribute or demonstrate resource management, and who on the team is willing to ensure the work is complete? Part of the proposal narrative must tell about the organization. If it doesn’t, the proposal is more than likely going to fail. Remember, open grants, RFP’s, proposals, etc., often have many groups submitting, and being able to show upfront that the organization is capable, will go a long way.
Where to start with credibility?
Credibility is demonstrated in a variety of ways. The team or individual’s previous work history and volunteer experience, the amount of time working in a specific industry or field, accreditations, and education contribute to establishing credibility in the proposal. And let’s not forget about existing or previous projects.
Generally speaking, starting a proposal with information on the organization, what it does, what resources are currently at its disposal, and its history will funnel the reader’s thoughts in the right direction. Then describe the current leadership and their contributions directly related to the organization’s success and the proposed project. It’s essential to mention community involvement of the leadership team, and sometimes demographics, on a grant. It establishes credibility about knowing the community they are serving. However, this section is not the appropriate place to discuss the project. Instead, it is a place to develop points of credibility that directly tie to the proposed project.
The following section is where the project is presented. Remember to tie it back to the organization, the leadership team, and any other relevant information to reinforce credibility. All information should lead to why the funders should fund the proposal.
A final point on this, don’t pursue a proposal or grant outside of the organization’s credibility. There needs to be an alignment between the RFP, grant, proposal, and the charity, nonprofit, business, or organization if the proposal is to be successful. The further the organization’s alignment is away from the funder’s purpose for the grant, the less likely it will be funded.
#grantwriting #grantwriter, #rfpwriter, #proposalwriter, #technicalwriting, #technicalwriter, #frpwriting, #writingaproposal
Comments