South African Extraordinary Schools Coalition Writing effective Proposals: 4 February 2014

The Fundraising Cycle

• Proposal and application writing

• Maintaining relationships and donor reporting

• Building relationships

• Identifying suitable funders and researching their focus interests and funding process

Prospecting Cultivation

Solicitation Stewardship

This presentation will be divided into three sections: Planning: What you do before you write

Writing the proposal

Follow-up: Donor management

Presentation Overview

Before you begin…. Know why and for whom you are writing the proposal: Understand the donor:

Closely aligned funding priorities to your organisation’s mission and activities Eligibility criteria which your organisation meets Personal contact with, if possible, a senior member of the agency The size of grant offered and grant management conditions are suitable for your

project and management capacity. Know yourself:

Who you are, what your identity is and your strengths and weaknesses Your track record (what you have achieved) Who are your core beneficiaries, and what impact have you made (data needed)

Have a clear project plan and design: Know the context: the problem the project aims to address & what is causing it The impact you want to achieve through this project The outcomes of the project i.e. the results or changes The objectives of the project: what the project aims to deliver The process intended to achieve the objectives The resources that are needed to achieve the objectives

Proposal Components Proposal summary Needs statement Organisation overview Impact of the project Outcomes / objectives of the project Description of the activities / process including the methodology

you plan to use Monitoring and evaluation Project plan Budget Conclusion Supplementary information

Proposal Summary Capture the essence of the project by briefly stating: What the current context or situation is How your organisation will address the problem using its expertise Why this is a good way to go Who the main beneficiaries will be What impact will be achieved The time period envisaged The overall cost

Needs statement Your proposal should start with a needs statement / context

Be concise and specific Draw out the key problems which are aligned to the donor’s priorities Back this up with statistics, preferably comparing your target group/area

with others. State the link between the problem and the work of the organisation e.g.

the problem of the low matric pass rate is directly related to poor teaching, hence the need for teacher training.

Organisation Overview Some background – when the organisation was set up, by whom

and why The mission, vision and overall activities What the organisation has achieved (that is directly related to the

problem described above and the donor’s priorities) What expertise, skills and experience the main people in the

organisation have and particularly those who are implementing the project

Impact of the Project The general aim is the impact that you are striving to achieve

through this project - it will not be achieved in the lifetime of the project

Your project only contributes towards achieving the goal/aim Should be aligned to your own mission statements and in line with

the priorities of the donor In terms of time, it will take longer to achieve the goal than the

specific objectives Impact

Go on to tertiary studies, have a career, have a fulfilling life

and be a good parent, community leader, role model

Activities

School activities: classes, study sessions, extra lessons, etc.

Outcomes

Students achieve a Bachelor pass matric

Objectives, activities, Indicators, Targets Strategic Objective

Activities Indicator for monitoring and evaluation

Target for 2014/2015

Target for 2015/2016

1. To support and facilitate collaboration among education stakeholders to link and spread successful practice.

Convene and support community of practice meetings that focus on key strategic areas within the education sector.

1) Number of community of practice meetings 2) Number of organisations represented at community of practice meetings 3) Number of people attending community of practice meetings

1) 60 community of practice meetings held 2) 650 organisations represented at community of practice meetings 3) 1,300 people attending community of practice meetings

1) 60 community of practice meetings held 2) 800 organisations represented at community of practice meetings 3) 1,600 people attending community of practice meetings

Outcomes or Objectives Limit the Objectives/Outcomes to 4 or 5 Make them SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic,

Timebound) Create a clear link between the achievement of outcomes and the

general aim When writing your outcomes/objectives you should consider how

they can be measured i.e. indicators for monitoring and evaluation Do not promise the impossible, consider your capacity to deliver

carefully.

Activities/Process Activities should be very specific and state the exact process you

will go through to achieve the objectives. You may wish to detail your activities under each objective to show

a clear pathway to achieving the outcomes. You could include your specific outputs from each of your activities

e.g. numbers of young people who will receive after-hours tutoring Your activities and timeframes can be given in Activity Matrix/

Gannt Chart Should be directly related to the operational budget

Methodology This section should include your approach

What specific methods you will use, for instance your training techniques

Partnerships, how you will gain consent to work in the school and other ethical considerations

Process for community/beneficiary participation i.e. teachers Who will be involved - staff, project management team, teachers How the project will be managed and who will be accountable for

project outcomes and finances.

Monitoring and evaluation How will you report on the progress of activities and objectives? What objectively verifiable indicators can you use to assess your

progress? How will you evaluate the impact of the project on the beneficiaries

and how will they be involved in the process?

Project Plan/Matrix A detailed project plan (if required) should include: Specific activities Specific timelines Outputs for each step Resources needed for each step People responsible (optional)

Budget The budget should be clear and easy to understand It should include all elements of the project, including a proportion

of overhead costs If the funder is being asked to fund a proportion of the costs this

should be clearly indicated Do not provide detail that has not specifically been asked for as you

will have to report against each line item.

Conclusion Briefly conclude the proposal and state what you are requesting from the funder and why. Why the project is necessary Why yours is the right organisation to undertake the project Why the donor should consider the proposal, from its own point of

view What outcomes could be achieved

Additional extras and appendices

Appendices: depending on what you have been asked for these could include: Annual reports Audited financial statements Evaluation reports Photographs Stories from beneficiaries Bibliography and references to back up facts

Donor Management Go the extra mile… Before the proposal submission stage, build relationships with core

staff by making personal contact and sending information on your projects which are in line with their priorities.

Should you not receive a response, follow-up on your proposal. Be available for meetings, organise trips/project visits, facilitate

meetings with beneficiaries and be available to answer questions. Send the donor relevant information which may interest them and

invite them to events, meetings and ask for their input (when appropriate).

If you are successful acknowledge the donor’s commitment, be compliant with all their requirements and be prompt in your response

During your funding relationship ask the donor for feedback on your engagement.

And remember...

It’s all about the students!