elements

10 Common Elements of Winning Proposals

Ten universal aspects that make winning proposals are: 1. clearly defined needs and describing how those needs were identified This section of your proposal is probably the most important. It is your convincing argument on why you should be funded. Research, preliminary data, surveys, and planning grants help you identify the problem you want to… read more

outcome

Outcomes: 5 Questions You Must Answer

Confusing outcomes with methods is one of the most common errors that grantees make. To clarify, methods are described in the objectives; meanwhile, the outcomes are identified by the success that occurs. The two examples below demonstrate the approach: Example 1 Objective: To initiate a 4-hour per week tutoring program over a 6-month period for… read more

evaluation

Evaluation: Measuring Success

Donors will always ask how you will know if your idea is succeeding. Your response can make or break your chance to win the grant, and your evaluation plan holds the answer. Reassuring the donor that you have a strong evaluation component – and that your project will make a substantial impact – will add… read more

NSF

Why Did My Research Proposal Fail?

The success rate for research proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) is in the teens. So why do more than 80% of submissions fail? The reasons vary from poor writing, to not following directions, to a lack of examples. The major cause, however, is that many submissions are not research projects at all. For those that are,… read more

Free Tool

Your Most Helpful Tool: The Logic Model

(scroll down to download fillable logic model tool) Outcomes and evaluation are key components in today’s proposal requests. Using a logic model will ensure you properly demonstrate these elements, thus giving you the best chance of being funded. Donors want clarification of the relationship between their investments and the activities, outputs, and anticipated outcomes of… read more