Marketing/Grant Proposal Project
Open source material – Topics 6, 7 & 8
This project is designed to strengthen your synthesis skills by combining parts of information into a new whole (similar to the case study, but towards a different
end). In this proposal, you will design a funding strategy that supports resources necessary for both operating and capacity-building needs.
Your grant proposal should focus on the mission statement of your chosen nonprofit and the target audience(s) it serves. You should search for a foundation that seeks
to fund organizations such as yours that fits with your mission and target audience. Watch out for mission creep; do not seek a grant that is outside your
organization’s mission and primary objectives.
Your paper should also demonstrate comfort in using marketing terminology and concepts, as discussed in our course Topics. You may Google “sample nonprofit grant
proposals” for examples or ideas, but as this is a basic proposal, the project description below and our course blog should provide adequate information.
Note that a grant proposal is simply another occasion for effective marketing. It should begin with the right mindset, followed by a thorough “listening” to the target
audience. In this case, research your chosen foundation and read carefully what it has to say. Do not forget to use Guidestar and The Foundation Center as sources for
choosing your foundation.
Prior to turning in your final project I will establish a special Grant Proposal Conference and ask you to submit a part of your proposal into this Conference, that
way we can begin to understand the process of peer evaluation, commonly used in online learning.
Bloom’s for the Grant Proposal:
Analyzing – breaking meaning into parts.
Applying – using learned material, executing a proposal, employing knowledge in new situations.
Organizing – organize and outline content, in this instance, the components of a grant proposal.
Multimedia/Social Media: These are sites I think you should be familiar with and suggest the use of these sites towards the assignment. The purpose here is to
introduce you to sites you may not be familiar with and to apply them in the context of a specified learning outcome, in this case, your Grant Proposal.
Gliffy – create diagrams, flowcharts and org charts
http://www.gliffy.com/index-02.php
Diigo – coordinate your group efforts electronically
https://www.diigo.com/
The components of your ten-page, double-spaced grant proposal should include:
title page, your name, class, semester, chosen nonprofit name and table of contents
executive summary (why you are seeking this grant, what you are asking for, and expected outcomes should you receive this grant); think of this paragraph in terms
of making a first impression and the Foundation’s ability to determine the importance of relevant facts. Also what results the Foundation can expect should they choose
to fund your proposal.
the core of the grant proposal (narrative):
cover letter (in business letter format) describing the history of the situation behind the proposal; who has been contacted, if anyone, in the foundation; and
the kinds and levels of support being sought.
the statement of need, describing the project or set of activities you would like to be funded by the foundation; the project’s uniqueness; and why it is
important
the budget for the project—this should be very basic, simply how the money would be put to use over the course of a year, i.e., your monthly costs); you might
make a simple chart, but a paragraph or two about quarterly and annual spending on the program and personnel is sufficient
the personnel working on the project, along with very brief resumes—should be a list of no more than three people; if you cannot find bios on your chosen
personnel, you may create your own bios (I am interested in you practicing listing this type of information)
close with an overview of your organization, the mission statement and how you perceive that it relates to the foundation’s funding priorities, use facts here
to support your case
project bibliography (should include information about your chosen nonprofit and the foundation you are seeking a grant from, such as names, addresses, and a brief
description of each organization)
Grant Proposal Rubric – 30 points possible.
Score:
5-0 points
5-0 points
5-0 points
5-0 points
4-0 points
3-0 points
4-0 points
Quality:
Excellent overall quality of material presented and adherence to submission requirements. Lacked typos, and was grammatically correct, contained page numbers.
The student demonstrated
A working knowledge of material able to use correctly text concepts and vocabulary.
The student demonstrated a general understanding of the material and required elements.
The student wrote a clear and concise proposal statement.
The student was able to compile and present a clear sense of how the funds would be used.
The student was able to research and identify relevant personnel.
The student submitted an overall summary of the request including five references.
Evaluative:
Student demonstrated an outstanding knowledge of material and correctly presented all components of the proposal.
Student presented a meaningful executive summary covering why, what and expected outcomes.
Cover letter includes the history of the proposal, who has been contacted and the kind of support being sought.
Proposal statement includes the set of activities you would like to be funded by the foundation and explanation of uniqueness.
Proposed budget, how the money would be put to use of the course of a year.
Personnel; people working on the project.
Summary and use of at least five references, can include the text, the nonprofit, the foundation, writing resources and The Foundation Center, etc
