Title: Creative Proposal Writing or, how to get out of that hole and leave the herd behind
1Creative Proposal Writing (or, how to get out of
that hole and leave the herd behind)
- Gerard Voos, Ph.D. Director, OSSP
2Start Now (even if years away)
- Saving articles that will be useful later
- Jotting down ideas, creating an outline
- Talking to people, creating future team
- Inside UNCA
- Outside
- Looking into potential funders
- Look at previously funded projects
3Solicitation or Guidelines
- Read and understand
- Due date
- Award amount
- No. of awards
- Eligibility
- Length of project
- What is funder looking for, do you fit?
- Letter of intent/inquiry required or requested
4Letter of Intent (response to solic.)
- Applicantsare strongly encouraged to submit
letters of intent via e-mail. - Letters should not exceed 2 pages and must
include a brief overview of the proposed
objectives, procedures, target audience(s),
expected outcomes, and a management plan that
spans the entire project period. - Program Leaders will review the letters of intent
and provide feedback to applicants regarding
theproposed project.... (USDA
solicitation)
5Letter of Inquiry (Foundations)
- Before a request is madea brief letter of
inquiry is advisable to determine whether the
foundations present interests and funds permit
consideration of the request. The letter should
include - The purpose of the project
- Problems and issues theproject will address
- Information about the organization conducting
the project - Estimated overall budget
- Period of time for which funds are requested
- Qualifications of thoseengaged in the
project -
- (Ford Foundation)
6Proposal Must
- Meet the funders needs
- Show careful planning, prior work
- Shout the So What of your project
- Communicate your teams expertise
- Convey personal and institutional commitment
- Time, space, personnel
7Know Your Timeline
- Outline
- First draft
- Budget
- Letters of support/commitment
- CVs/resumes
- Proofreading
- University review
8Some Dos
- Assume not all reviewers experts in your field
- Follow outline provided
- Have someone proofread (hasnt seen it)
- Create a reasonable budget
- Be positive (we will, not we propose to)
- Make proposal easy to read
9Some Donts
- Think your idea overrides the funders
wishes/mission - Propose doing too much
- Ignore suggestions from the PM
- Make vague, uncommitted statements (detail is
golden embrace elaboration) - Present page after page of solid text
10The Proposal
- Cover letter
- Summary
- Problem statement
- Projection description
- Project management
- Evaluation
11Cover Letter
- .this letter may be your first and only chance
to make a good impression.Limit the length of
your cover letter to one page. - Make your presentation as strong as possible and
keep it to the point. - Checkfor typographical errors, and ensure that
the name of the foundation and your contact are
correctly spelled. Above all, submit a clear and
readable letter. - (J.C. Downing Foundation)
12Summary
- Possibly the most important section
- Should be an overview of the project including
- Problem or issue being addressed
- Goals objectives
- Timeline
- Brief methodology
- Level of funding you are seeking
- May include mandatory points (broader
impacts/intell. merit) - Write as though this is all the reviewers will see
13Problem Statement
- Summarize the problem or issue that needs to be
solved - Use background facts/statistics to back up your
claim - Relate the overarching aim of your proposal to
solving this issue - Briefly tell how the mission of your organization
(and collaborating orgs) relates to the problem
14Project Description
- The meat of your proposal may include
- Goals and objectives
- Program plan what, who, how, where
- Timeline
- Project integrationhow will components/participan
ts mesh - Expected outcomes (detailed objectives)
- Personnel
15Project Management
- How will this project be managed
- Will there be a separate project
administratorapart from PI - Who will write the reports and keep track of the
participants - Has an advisory board been included
- A solid administrative section can give the
funder a warm, fuzzy feeling
16Evaluation
- recommend that each organization explain how it
plans to evaluate its program or project through
time - There are two types of formal evaluation
(formative summative).Either or both might be
appropriate to your project. - need to describe how evaluation information will
be collected and how the data will be analyzed - (state) how the evaluation and its results will
be reported and the audience to which it will be
directed. (Open Society Institute)
17The Proposal
- Sustainability (after funding ceases)
- Organizational
- Project impacts
- Community support/involvement
- CVs/resumes
- Letters of commitment/support
- Bibliography
- Budget budget narrative
18Basic Budget Writing
- Louis Toms
- Administrative Officer
19What is the Budget, and what should the Budget
convey in a competitive proposal ?
- The Budget defines the cost of the grant
- and specifies how the funds will be
- spent.
- The Proposal Narrative tells the funding
- agency what you will do for them.
- The Budget tells the funding agency
- what you want them to do for you.
20What is the Budget Narrative ?
- The Budget Narrative provides the
- complete detail to explain how each
- budget element is calculated.
- The Budget Narrative includes
- calculations for each year of the grant
- and the yearly percentage rate used
- to cover salary and other budget
- increases.
21Why is a carefully prepared Budget so vital?
- The Budget is usually the first part of the
- proposal subject to detailed scrutiny.
- The Budget gives Peer Reviewers a quick
- read on the size and scope of your proposal.
- The Budget layout is a fast way for Peer
- Reviewers to see if you followed the
- guidelines.
22 How do I build a Budget?
23What Budget guidance can I find from previous
awards?
- Review sponsor guidelines for budget
specifications. - Research past awards similar to your proposal to
get an idea of typical budget amounts. - Develop an initial cost estimate consistent with
your findings.
24What budget guidance can I find in the
guidelines?
- Check to see if an average award amount is given,
along with upper or lower limits. - Is there a limit or restriction on specific
budget items? - Do the guidelines call for any cost sharing?
25What Budget guidance can I find from previous
awards?
- Many federal agencies list awards on their
websites while foundations typically produce an
annual report. - Looking at awards will give you an idea of what
the agency has funded and what was the size of
the award.
26Whats the best way to make an initial cost
estimate?
- Consider all the resources you will need to
- successfully complete the grant.
- Determine the costs of resources on-hand
- that can be devoted to the grant.
- Take into account FA Costs and any
- cost sharing.
- Consider all of the above within the guidelines
- limitations and funding agency award history.
27Budget Elements
Direct Costs Facilities Administrative
Costs (FA) Total Project Costs
28What are Direct Costs ?
Budget elements that are specifically charged to
the grant.
- Salaries or Wages
- Fringe Benefits
- Travel
- Equipment
- Supplies
- Printing
- Consultants
- Subcontracts
- Other allowable items
29What determines allowable Direct Costs ?
The University is subject to the federal Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21
Cost Principles for Educational
Institutions.
This binding circular defines
allowable costs and establishes
cost accounting
standards.
30What are FA Costs ?
FA costs, formerly known as Indirect Costs, are
institution-wide costs for establishment,
maintenance and operation of campus facilities
and covers costs for administrative and
managerial functions. The FA rate is calculated
against all salaries and wages within the
proposal. FA costs are determined through
cost proposals and negotiation with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
31What is Cost Sharing ?
Cost sharing is a match provided by the
University. The Universitys Cost Sharing Policy
states in part Cost sharing should generally
be limited only to those situations where it
is mandated by the sponsor. Voluntary cost
sharing should only be provided in cases
where it is clearly necessary because of the
nature of the program