10 Grant Proposal Writing for Community Initiatives

Introduction

A grant proposal is an idea and a dream where community aspirations are communicated with funders by an agency or community group. Our communities have various assets, but sometimes they need external support to address the pressing and immediate needs of the community members.  This chapter will focus on defining a grant proposal and when and why you should write it. This chapter will describe key elements of a grant proposal and how to write it logically using result-based management. This chapter also explains how to create a project budget and work plan, by sharing an example of a request for proposals and a written grant.

1. What is a Grant Proposal?

A grant is a sum of money given to an agency or individual to address a problem or need in the community. The written document that one prepares to request or apply for this money (funding) is a grant proposal (Berkowitz & Wadud, 2022). A grant proposal is an expression of partnership to work together on common interests and achieve common goals. This document briefly explains community issue/needs, how the issue affects community members, and provide the rationale for why the issue should be addressed through collaborative efforts with the community.

A grant proposal communicates how this funding will make a positive change in people’s lives. Grant proposals are prepared as per the funder’s guidelines, including a description of the desired interventions or community change initiatives, inputs and recourses -both financial and technical support required for the community initiative. Some funders may provide only financial support, some may provide in-kind support (such as technical expertise needed), and some funders/agencies partner with local agencies and community groups for community initiatives. For example, agencies like United Way Greater Toronto and ActionAid International provide both financial and technical support for community initiatives or projects. Agencies such as Women and Gender Equality Canada and  City of Toronto  provide grants to community agencies and groups for their project. An agency like VSO International provides technical support to community initiatives by placing volunteers.

1.1 Where might you find postings of Calls for Proposals

• Web sites for individual government agencies and foundations
• Newsletter circulated by NGOs networks
• Advertisements on social media and newspapers

1.2 Grants are competitive!

Winning a grant is challenging because many agencies submit their unique project ideas for community change. Usually, a funder has specific amounts of grants to disburse in a particular year or a period. A funder cannot fund all projects. For example, while working as Program Officer of Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) in Bangladesh in 2005, our office received 54 grant proposals from local agencies. Most agencies wanted to address critical community issues and submit their project proposals. However, we had to select only 11 proposals for funding. Our team lead was the Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Our team initially selected 17 unique project ideas submitted by the agencies, and then we created Project Approval Document to present to the High Commissioner. Finally, we selected 11 projects for funding through a consultative process. Some key considerations for selection were:

• whether the initiative will address pressing community needs
• project location
• whether the project is logically organized
• if the project goals are aligned with CFLI,
• project inputs and budget are relevant and consistent with project goal and objectives
• community engagement strategies
• how the project activities will be monitored and results will be evaluated
• organizational capacity to successfully complete the project

2. Why are grant proposals developed? 

In the community development sector, agencies and groups work with the community to address emerging issues, build community assets, enhance harmony and collaboration, and socio-economic, cultural, and spiritual development. In doing this work, community workers continuously dialogue with community members, identify their challenges and needs, and develop an action plan. In an agency setting, Community workers share ongoing community needs and aspirations with their program and resource mobilization team. They jointly develop a formal proposal and seek support from funders such as government agencies, private organizations, trusts, and foundations with similar interests and mission mandates.

2.1 When is a grant proposal developed? 

As a community worker, you may plan to submit a proposal for a new initiative or ongoing project that might need additional resources to achieve the goal. Usually, the funders announce calls for grant proposals where donors state their mission, priorities, amount of grants, eligibility for recipient agency and criteria for the community initiatives, what activities will be funded, and timeframe for proposal submission. A grant proposal creates a partnership between two like-minded agencies that have similar interests. In this partnership, one will be directly involved with the community and will implement a project to achieve desired goals set by the community. At the same time, another will provide financial and technical support to the implementing agency to achieve community change.

2.2 Who develops a grant proposal?

Writing a grant proposal is teamwork. A grant proposal has various components such as a statement on community needs/issues, project description, project implementation, and community engagement strategies and budget. As a community worker, you should have the knowledge and skills to develop a grant proposal. In this regard, you must collaborate with your colleagues with specific skill sets such as communications, creative writing, project management, human resource, and financial management. Your teamwork will increase the probability of winning in this competitive process.

3. What are the standard components of a grant proposal?

The following components are standard in grant proposals, and funder asks for information:

• Describe community needs /statement of the Problem
• Project Description ( describe project goal(s) , objectives , activities; how project will be delivered, how community will be engaged and benefitted)
• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (how project will be monitored; describe criterial and tools for project evaluation)
• Budget (provide cost for human resources -the major cost in project, program delivery cost, administrative costs; community and agency contribution; exact amount asking from funder)
• Applicant Qualifications (registration, experience in the sector)
• Future Funding Plans / Plans for Sustainability
• Appendices (Work plan, audited financial report of the agency, recent annual reports, agency policies etc)

How do you prepare a winning grant proposal?

• Following all directions
• Well-organized proposal sections that are integrated and easy to comprehend
• Well researched and documented statement of the problem
• Statement of the problem or need in a way that explicitly addresses the funder’s priorities
• Creative or innovative strategies for addressing the need
• Feasible goals and objectives
• Measurable objectives
• A sound evaluation plan

4. Process in developing a grant proposal

Successful grant writing is a bottom-up approach. You should engage community people (who are directly or indirectly impacted by the community issues) in this process. Remember, community people are the experts and have first-hand experience with the issue and needs. As community workers, our role is to capture the community voice, including needs and aspiration, and transform it into a community initiative.

After identifying the issues through community consultations, our next step would be gathering relevant statistics, relevant research reports, and recent news stories from mainstream media, both electronic and print media such as newspapers and television. Funders want to hear a compelling story about the community by sharing their voices, concerns, and aspirations. To explain a community issue and its urgency for support, we should provide facts from recent statistical reports, research reports, and news stories. Identify community assets and resources that will be utilized to address the community issue. Most funders want to see what community resources will be utilized.

Understanding the grant call and requirements is the most critical step in the grant proposal writing process. You should review funders’ websites, their vision, mission, priorities, and guidelines for the specific grant call you are interested in applying to. Most funders organize orientation sessions to discuss their priorities and funding guidelines. You should join such a session to gain more deeper knowledge about the grant call. Your participation in the orientation session may help you for building a network with funders and develop a partnership. You can contact the funder for clarification about guidelines.

Community engagement in every stage of the project cycle is an essential indicator for winning a grant proposal. So ask the community how they want to contribute to the project cycle, such as planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. It is our responsibility to explain the project cycle to the community and share how they can participate and provide leadership in the community initiative. One of the ways to engage the community in the project/initiative is to recruit project staff from the community. Of course, the staff has the required skill sets and experience to perform the tasks. We can always build staff capacity through ongoing training and mentoring. Recruiting volunteers is another way to engage the local community with your initiative. Your project should plan how many volunteers you need to recruit, what skill sets are required for performing the volunteer roles, and how the volunteers will be appreciated.

While developing a grant proposal, you should discuss it with local agencies and gather their perspectives on the community issues. Collaboration with other local agencies will make your grant proposal stronger, and sometimes is a requirement of the grant. Collaboration may mean that local agencies write a ‘letter of support’ for your grant proposal application. As well, you can  obtain letters of support for your project from local elected representatives and administrators who are interested in working on the issues.

Finally, ensure that your agency has an updated website with a clear and unique vision, mission, values, principles, and program and project details with stories. These should be outlined in your strategic plan. Your agency should have updated financial information, audited reports, and annual report. Your agency should have updated policies such as human resources, administration, finance, Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.

5. Logframe

A logframe is a methodology used to provide a structure for designing, monitoring and managing humanitarian projects (Save the Children).  A community worker should know about the basics of logframe as they use it project designing and management. The following video introduces the purpose of a logframe in humanitarian projects and gives a brief overview of how a logframe is produced .  

Video: Humanitarian Logframes

Source: YouTube, https://youtu.be/L8n4PwpFsHc

6. Writing Components of a grant proposal

A grant proposal has critical components, and you must answer the following questions to make your grant proposal. You will get instructions for the word limit. You are required to create short paragraphs to write each section. Please do not forget to answer all questions in your shorter paragraphs under each section.

Video: Grant Writing: The Basics

Source: YouTube, https://youtu.be/WddrcheOYkA

6.1 Describe community needs

In this section, you are going to provide information about a challenge that the community is facing. You should define the problem and provide information from your community needs assessment. You must explain clearly with supporting statistics/facts that the issue/problem impacts community people. To write this section, you can do a Problem tree analysis to define the problem and examine the root causes of the problem. You can use some direct quotes from community members. Funders review this section carefully to understand the situation and urgency of community needs.

Problem tree analysis

The following section is written based on Results-based management for international assistance programming at global affairs Canada: A how-to guide by Global Affairs Canada. (2016). This reproduction is a copy of the version available at https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/funding-financement/results_based_management-gestion_axee_resultats-guide.aspx?lang=eng&_ga=2.60928748.1391290644.1661586075-2032413860.1655745558

The problem tree is one of the methods used most frequently at Global Affairs Canada—although staff and partners may choose to use others. This is a visual situation analysis tool that enables its users to break down a very complex issue into its components, and then to examine and explore the cause-and-effect relationships between these components. It enables users to identify potential reach (intermediaries and beneficiaries), activities, outputs and outcomes for a project and gives users an idea of other key stakeholders and how they relate to and experience the issues. As such, it is particularly well suited to supporting the articulation of a theory of change and the development of a logic model.

Its key steps are:

1. Identify the core problem(s).
2. Identify the causes and effects.
3. Note the relationships.
4. Review the problem tree.
5. Create a solution tree.

Source: Global Affairs Canada, 2016, p.69

In a problem tree, the trunk represents the core problem(s), the roots represent the causes of the core problem and the branches represent the effects.

Once the first four steps of problem-tree exercise have been completed, compare the findings to those findings of other exercises, such as program/portfolio review and donor mapping, and budget and organizational priorities, to determine which elements of the situation the project will attempt to address. Next, develop a solution tree for the selected elements. For each selected negative statement, the solution tree should contain a corresponding outcome statement, and output or activity statement.

 

6.2 Project Participants/Stakeholders

• Who is directly affected by the issue? Here describe your community/project participants who will be closely engaged and supported by your project.
• Who is indirectly affected by the issue?
• Who is (community groups) currently working with/connected with the affected population?

Stakeholders include beneficiaries/project participants, intermediaries, implementers and donors as well as other actors (Global Affairs Canada, 2016).

6.3 Project Description

In this section, you should create logical framework and describe each section.  Funders usually expect that you provide a logical framework and describe your project idea in a compelling way. The project description is the critical section where you logically share your plan and theory of change. Here is some tips to write this section:

• How do you plan to address community needs utilizing community assets and capacities?
• Demonstrate that each project objective is SMART (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-specific) and therefore credible.
• Use activity/action words: facilitate, conduct, deliver, promote, train, provide, repair, etc.
• Under each objective, briefly describe specific activities that relate to the objective.
• Your project objectives and activities must be based on Community Development Principles.
• Detail why your proposed strategies and activities are unique and innovative and will effectively respond to the community’s needs.

6.4 Describe alignment between community needs, agency involvement, and funder’s priorities 

• Outline your agency’s vision, mission, experience, and priorities in dealing with the issues in the neighborhood and project participants
• Demonstrate community development and resident engagement expertise and knowledge of your agency regarding the local community
• How does your request reflect the priorities of the funder?

6.5 The theoretical basis for the interventions

• Your project activities, objectives, and goals should be connected to at least one or two Community Development theories (e.g. Systems Theory, Anti-Oppressive Practice, Indigenous Worldviews, etc.). We have discussed some theories in this resource book.
• Create a diagram on the theory of change. This will make your grant proposal unique, and it will get the attention of funders. This basis of your theory of change should be your Logical framework/RBM.

 6.6 Project Organization

 In this section, you should highlight some key points such as:

1. a) How will the proposed project be implemented? Outline your human resource plan (number of project staff and volunteers who will be engaged in the project). Please allocate staff and volunteer costs in the project budget.
2. b) Create a project organogram to show human resources for project administration.

Do not forget to review the funders’ website and priorities and match it with your project goals and ideas. Moreover, use keywords, terminologies, and facts used by funders which will help you to show alignments between your project and funders’ priority.

6.7 Community Engagement

In writing Community engagement section, you should focus on the following points:

• Demonstrate how the project participants, such as low-income residents and other equity-seeking groups, will be involved and participate in the project.
• Explain methods used for community involvement, engagement, participation, and empowerment (avoid “clientizing” community members).
• What strategies are you using to build power in the community?
• What steps will you take to try and ensure the project is sustainable?

6.8 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Monitoring and evaluation have always been fundamental aspects of good project and program management. In project management, “the term ‘Monitor’ means to collect performance data with respect to a plan, produce performance measures, and report and disseminate performance information” (PMI, 2013, p.546). And “Monitor and Control project work means the process of tracking, reviewing, and reporting the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan” (PMI, 2013, 546).

Here are few questions and tips for creating your monitoring and evaluation section:

• How will you recognize if you are running a successful project?
• Determine how you will monitor your project (planned activities vs. progress and corrective actions).
• How will you measure your program outcomes? (planned objectives and results/outcome and project goal)
• Describe types of documents (i.e., attendance, meeting minutes, etc.) and systems (excel database) your agency will use to record data and assess progress.
• Describe methods (i.e., survey, case study, interview, Focus Group Discussion, etc.) that will be used to evaluate project outcome/results.

6.9 Project Learning and Results Dissemination

• Describe how project achievements and lessons learned will be shared with United Way and relevant stakeholders (other neighborhoods, agencies, policymakers).
• How will your agency collaborate with United Way in sharing best practices?
• Demonstrate the capacity to act as a local convener/issue leader.

7. Work plan

Sample Work Plan by Author: 

8. Project Budget

The project budget is an estimate of all the funds needed to carry out the activities of the project. Budgets are broken down into individual lines that are determined by what the funder wants to see and the actual costs of your project (e.g. staff salaries and other project administration cost).

Every project, no matter how big or small, involves costs. It’s very rare to have endless piles of money at the ready, so having a planned budget for a project is a must. As the project manager, you’ll be accountable for sticking to the budget, so you need to be sure it’s right (Australian Institute of Project Management, 2022).

8.1 What is a project budget?

A project budget is the total estimated cost of completing each project activity over each phase of a project. It’s important as it helps set expenditure expectations and is critical in getting project approval, ensuring funds are ready at the right time, and measuring performance. It’s a dynamic document, continuously monitored, reviewed, and updated throughout the project (Australian Institute of Project Management, 2022).

8.2 What are the components of a project budget?

Project budgets contain all the costs associated with the project. It generally includes:

• Labour costs: employee wages, benefits, payroll taxes, and overheads.
• Material procurement costs: goods, services, equipment, and supplies needed for the project that come from external providers.

8.3 Sample Budget Template 

Project Title:_ _ _

Duration of Project: _ _ _

Start date: (April 1 or the effective date of this agreement, whichever is latest) (YYYY-MM-DD)

Project completion date (YYYY-MM-DD): _ _ _

* e.g. Indirect administrative expenditures may not to exceed $6,521.75 for a $50K project.

Tips:

• Compare your budget and work plan to ensure all expenses including human resources and materials required to deliver each activity are included and expenses not clearly linked to activities may be removed (Government of Canada, 2022)
• Administrative costs will not be approved where they are higher than funders celling (15-20% of the total funding requested from the Funder (Government of Canada, 2022).

9. Examples of a Grant Proposal

Project : Rural Community Recreation Project: Increase Access to Technology for People with Disabilities

Project summary:

The Rural Community Recreation Project will address barriers to recreation participation faced by adults with disabilities. Assistive Technology Partnerships, in collaboration with multiple organizations, will promote inclusion, access, and availability of assistive technology used for recreation in two rural communities. Project activities will include community mapping of local recreation resources, training related to assistive technology use, provision of assistive technology devices to community recreation sites, and information dissemination.

Time frame: January 1, 2004 – December 31, 2005

Requested funds: $184,738

Please review project proposal details at Berkowitz & Wadud, 2022, Community ToolBox.

Reflection Question:

• Please identify strengths and weakness of the grant proposal.

10. Example of Grant Calls

Community Development Grant Call from United Way. Please click on Example of a Grant Call to review it.

Grant Call from Canadian Women Foundation. Please click here to review grant call.

Reflection Question:

• Please identify key components of the grant call
• Please list eligible costs outlined in the grant call

References

Global Affairs Canada. (2016). Results-based management for international assistance programming at global affairs Canada: A how-to guide.  https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/funding-financement/results_based_management-gestion_axee_resultats-guide.aspx?lang=eng&_ga=2.60928748.1391290644.1661586075-2032413860.1655745558. Author also received this publication directly form Global Affairs Canada via email. 

Australian Institute of Project Management. (2022). The ultimate guide to project budgets. Retrieved on August 8, 2022, from https://www.aipm.com.au/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-project-budgets#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20project%20budget,right%20time%2C%20and%20measuring%20performance.

Center for Community Health and Development. (2022).  Chapter 42. Getting Grants and Financial Resources. University of Kansas. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from the Community Tool Box: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/finances/grants-and-financial-resources

Government of Canada. (2022). Feminist Response and Recovery Fund call for proposals: How to develop your application. Retrieved on August 8, 2022, from https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/funding/funding-programs/feminist-response-recovery-fund/feminist-response-recovery-fund-how-develop-application.html#sectionE

Resources:

Blake, M. (2022). How to Apply for Grants in Simple Steps.  Retrieved on August 8, 2022, from https://charity.lovetoknow.com/Free_Grant_Applications

Rivera, M. (2022). 7 Steps to Writing the Perfect Project Proposal: https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/small-business/project-management/articles/project-proposal/

Community Capacity Building Project: Introduction to Proposal Writing Module

https://www.gov.nl.ca/iet/files/CCB_ProposalWritingGuide.pdf