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Writing
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Writing a grant proposal (for cash) for Corporate Sector
Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR,
Indus Towers Limited
WHAT CORPORATE FUNDERS LOOK FOR……..
A good fit with their funding priorities
A clear sense of the applicant’s mission and role
Reasonable institutional capacity
Strategic programs/interventions
Sound project management strategies
Value for money
Flexibility
Innovation
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
WHAT FUNDING INSTITUTIONS LOOK FOR….
Good track record/reputation
Evidence of good financial management
Minimised risks
Investments in credible leadership
Reliable allies they can trust
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
SIX STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING FROM INSTITUTIONS
Step 1: Putting your house in order:
Institutional Assessment
Step 2: Researching prospects
Step 3: Making the approach
Step 4: Developing a proposal
Step 5: Managing the assessment
process
Step 6: Managing the funding
relationship
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
PREPARING FOR FUNDRAISING:INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT
Vision, Mission, Values
Strategic thinking and planning
Strategic positioning
Governance and management
Skilled and committed staff
Operational systems and structures
Financial management
Commendable track record
Investments in marketing and public relations
Friend-raising and nurturing contacts
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Most funding requests are rejected because
Strategic misalignment
they do not fall under a grant-making agency’s stated area of interest
they compete for a limited pool of resources, the rest already having
been allocated to long-term commitments
Poor Programmatic approach
they are inadequately prepared / MIS lacking
No clear outcomes or deliverables
No financial clarity or justification
No flexibility
Badly written / presented / articulated
6
Researching Prospects
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Area of interest – Eg. the environment
Geographical area of interest – Eg. North India
Type of funding provided – Eg. Some will not fund capital items; others will not fund core costs.
Types of programmes supported in the past
Average grant size and maximum and minimum funding
7
Find out…
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Find out….. Duration of average grant
Deadline for applications
Procedure – Eg. A letter of enquiry, a concept note or a full proposal? Look out for specific forms you may have to complete.
The right contact person?
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Annual reports of other organisations similar to yours
Network
The Internet
RESEARCH BEFORE APPROACH
8
Where can you find this information?
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
MAKING AN APPROACH
Board contacts
Broad contacts
Letter of Inquiry
Arranging a meeting
Seeking an introduction
Inviting program staff to events
Nurturing contacts
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Information for proposal STEP 1 : Problem Analysis
Problem Statement
Proposed Intervention
Justification of Proposed intervention and how it helps address problem statement
Why you are the best organization to do this
STEP 2 : Program Implementation
Define
Program Area
Program structure
Program Management Structure
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
STEP 3 : M&E
Base Line
Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators and process
How will you measure outcome and Justification
How will you collect data and report the same
STEP 4 : Budget
Your contribution
MS request
Budget Tables and
Budget Summary
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: SUGGESTED STEPS
Cover letter
Contents page
Executive summary
Brief context
Clear, concise description of your organisation’s objectives
Identification of problem
PAGE NUMBERS : A MUST
KISS : Keep it short and simple
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL: APPENDICES
Appendices /annexe should be numbered and kept to a minimum, and can include the following:
Names of Board Members and qualifications
Names of key project staff and qualifications
Any relevant feasibility studies/reports
Literature on your organisation and signed financial
statements/audited accounts.
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
MANAGING THE PROPOSAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS
You might get a Proposal Clarification Letter – respond as comprehensively as you can
Prepare for a site visit if it is part of the process – make a
good impression!
Respond to all enquiries yourself – even if you are working with a team
Send any relevant documents you didn’t send the first time if it will help your assessment. Check with the officer first before you do so.
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Managing the Relationship Make sure you know who your contact person will be, and
let them know who is responsible at your end Send your reports on time. If there will be a delay let them
know when to expect it. Take the time to write clear, credible reports Be prepared to host a site visit – involve your team. Send updates to the donor such as newsletters or annual
reports Leverage additional support from the donor such as
technical assistance, introductions to other funders, endorsement of campaigns, etc
Make sure that your relationships are institutionalized rather than personalized.
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Writing a proposal Come up with a grant-winning idea – scaling up is most
attractive for corporate
Donors like people who think creatively about how to address problems. Business match : But typically this will not be part of the proposal.
Give Flow Diagrams, organograms, Gantt charts, Return on Investment, sustainability plans.
Cost sharing with local government, other agencies
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Facts, facts and more facts
Don’t speak in generalities. Provide facts.
Don’t overload the donor with too much information. Provide a few key facts, rather than a mass of figures. Facts that support the case you are trying to make. Else annexurize it
Most fundraisers think about the WHAT rather than the WHY. They tell the donor what the problem is, what they want to do about it, what they need.
Also address what the problem is ? Impact direct and indirect
WHAT you want to do? WHY this is the best approach WHAT you need, but also WHY they should give it to you. What is your USP
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Tell stories It is the impact on lives which is important, and
which will bring your proposal to life. Stories can talk about: The problems The solutions The impact on the life of people / livelihoods etc What will happen if nothing is done Writing case studies Illustrating these with photographs Using videos Telling stories in your annual report and on your
website
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Input, output, outcome and impact
Maximum impact with minimum input. Efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Quality versus quantity. Setting out the special issues and needs of your client group.
Log frames
Evaluation
Why you want to do you an evaluation
How extensive, and at what cost
Who will do it (you or an independent evaluator)
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Sustainability Sustainability of the solution; sustainability of your
intervention (the service you are providing or the project you are running).
Future maintenance and running costs, and how these will be provided for.
What will happen when your grant runs out?
Use of volunteers
Community resource mobilisation
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
A suggested structure for your fundraising proposal
Project title. A catchy title helps.
Proposal summary. Underneath the title write a short explanation of the project in no more than two sentences.
Introduction. Say who you are, what you do, and why you are really a great organisation.
State the problem. Give the facts. You can put more detailed information or a case study in an attachment.
Say what you will do about the problem. Describe your project and its main objectives.
Say how you will do it. Set out your plans for how you will set about implementing your project.
Describe how you will know if you are successful.
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Set out the actual expenditure
Plan a reserve for hidden expenditure
Include cost of staff time needed to implement programme or
activity
Include allowance for cost of running your organisation
Allow for inflation
Give % age of total as well
14
Budgeting
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Funds requested
S. No
Description Unit Per Unit cost
Duration No, of units
Total IN $ % age of Tol
1 Tables Tables 100 One time
500 (500*100) =500000
49
2 Teachers Teachers
1200/mth
36 mths 20 (1200*20*36)=86400
23
3 Picnic Child 1000
200/chd
2/yr 1000 1000*200*2 =400000
28
Total 1764000
Identify problem in the table
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
A compelling cover page Highlight anything that’s innovative about your
proposal
Blurbs/ pull-outs
Human interest stories
Slogans
Interesting headlines and sub-headings
One or two photographs, with captions
News / media coverage if any
15
Make it interesting
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Lets play a game Divide into two groups
Quacks and Moos
Presentation
From Quacks
From Moos
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited
Exercise
Suggest a program intervention for Indus Towers : Environment and Energy focus.
Suggest a Catchy Title
Suggest a program intervention
Who can be funders
Who can be co-funders
What is the USP
Presentation by Vikas Goswami, VP-CSR, Indus
Towers Limited