Hone Your Writing Skills to Create Compelling Proposals for Private Funders

Presented by John J. Greenhoe, MA, CFRE

Great Writing for Great Results

Hosted by: Principal Investigators Association

Talk is Cheap

Putting it All on Paper

Right Project, Amount

What Comes Next?

Questions About Writing

Must PIs be Good Writers?

Does it Make Sense (A to B)?

Are You Continuing to Motivate the Funder?

What is Needed to “Seal the Deal”?

Learn the importance of crafting a thoughtfully written proposal document to supplement your solicitation.

Talk is cheap.

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Today’s Session

Why the Written Proposal is Critical

Role of Writing in the Gift “Close”

Ways to Make Proposals Compelling, Urgent

Different Types of Proposals

Writing to Inspire the Donor

Why the Written Proposal?

“Proof” that the Research Is Needed

Evidence of Thought and Commitment

Can Be Shared with Others

Invites Funder to Action

Elements of Written Proposal

States Problem/Challenge

Shows Funder How They Can Help

Shows Funder What Will be Different/Change if They Help

Tells Funder What They Should Do (Specific Ask)

Highlights Benefits to the Funder (Fulfill Mission, Recognition)

Each year more than 20,000 young adults age out of the foster care system in this country. While 70% of these young adults indicate a desire to attend college, the reality is that only 3% are able to earn a degree. This tragic loss of human potential must be immediately addressed.

State Problem/Challenge

The Best Proposals…

“Invite” the Funder to Participate

Put a “Face” on the Opportunity Show How “One” Person Will be Helped

Appeal to Both “Heart” and “Head”Balance of Emotion and Facts/Numbers

Impart UrgencyShow Funder Why They Must Act Now

Appealing to the “Head”

“Our goal is to increase college-going rates and successful career transitions among Michigan's foster youth. This initiative will seek to substantially raise the bar of the number of foster youth earning college degrees from the dismal 2-5% rate today so that it is closer to the 24% standard that exists for the general population of college-age young adults.”

Appealing to the “Heart”

The John Seita Scholars Program ~ Foster Youth in Higher Education ~

Seita Scholars “In their own words”

My name is Myiesha Anderson and I am a nineteen-year-old sophomore at WMU. I am majoring

in Social Work and minoring in Psychology. As a child growing up my everyday life consisted of going to school, coming home, depending on my mother’s moods; get in trouble or not, and go to sleep and wait for tomorrow to do it all over again. Notice I didn’t say anything about hanging out with friends, going out, talking on the phone, anything fun. This is because my mom didn’t allow me to have fun. Her fun was seeing me miserable and hurt because that’s all that my life consisted of up until I was sixteen. When I was sixteen my mom had one of her episodes. What I mean by episodes is that she did drugs, alcohol, was bipolar, and her childhood affected her everyday life so when she was under the influence of all of these things, she took her anger and frustration out on me by abusing me. This occurred for sixteen years of my life and up until my sixteen year point my mom took her abuse to another level. On the night of my mom’s 37th birthday, she was celebrating late, by celebrating I mean under the influence of drugs and alcohol and she came home and started picking with me. She wanted to find a reason to put her hands on me but all I was trying to do was get some sleep for school the next day. To sum up the night, my mom and I had an altercation and she hurt me so bad, physically and emotionally. My mom told me not to go to school so I snuck out of the house the next day and went to my aunts but she acted like she didn’t care about how beat up I was. My older cousin came to get me and she took me to the police station and I filed a report and that’s when the process started of me and my sister being taken away and placed with my aunt and cousin by Bethany Christian Services.

Bethany gave me hope and life. If it wasn’t for Bethany I wouldn’t be at Western Michigan today. I had no hopes and dreams for college because I barely could focus in elementary, middle and highschool because of the life I had to live. Bethany gave me so many opportunities and they gave me hope that one day I can be somebody and not a little girl hiding in a shell from the world. Bethany helped me pay for college and pay for my things I needed for college because my family wouldn’t. This is where my journey started, at Bethany. I am so involved with this agency in many ways; they’re part of the reason why I want to become a social worker because I want to work in this agency one day and I’ve seen how much they’ve helped me, I want to help some more kids like me so they can have an outcome like me and I don’t want children to have to go through what I’ve been through.

Now that I am in college, college education means everything to me. I feel like this is my last chance at life. If I don’t graduate, I literally have nothing in life. I already don’t have a stable family, family at all so if I didn’t have college, where would I go? Who would I be? The answer is nothing and nobody. Before college I was nothing or nobody and if I leave college uncompleted I will continue to be nothing or nobody. In college I am somebody and I have a chance to escape my lifestyle and my family. So college means everything to me, more than I could explain in words.

I love the Seita program. I love my campus coach because without this program also, I wouldn’t be able to have a successful college experience up until this point. This program offers us scholars so many opportunities to get our skills up in every department. For example, they make sure we have our needs met, they try to get us involved more with not only WMU community but the Seita community also. They give us advice and tips for studying. They give us so much and I didn’t know this program existed. In a way I am happy my mom did what she did to me because if she didn’t I wouldn’t be here experiencing these great opportunities with people I can call my family. I am truly grateful and appreciate everything that WMU and the Seita scholarship has done for me.

Urgency

“In Michigan, approximately 800 youth between ages 18 and 20 age out of foster care annually. When the 21 percent college-graduation achievement gap is applied to Michigan, the estimated cost of failure is $17 million to $40 million per year in lost wages. Additional costs to society are incurred when these foster youth become homeless, incarcerated, teenage parents and/or unemployed.”

The Best Proposals…

Use Words that Are “Comfortable”

Speak to the Funder in Their Language

Avoid Jargon/AcronymsNever Confuse the Funder

Simply Tell the Funder How they Can Help

Role of Writing in Gift “Close”

Not Only Tells Why but How

Does Funder Know What to Do?

Includes Specific Gift OptionsMultiple Year PaymentsNaming Opportunities

Being Clear

We are asking the XX Foundation to consider a cash gift of $XX million, made payable over a period of years, to construct an enhanced facility that will significantly enhance our capabilities. The facility will allow us to double the number of classrooms, renovate and expand our library, and increase storage. Artists’ renderings are enclosed with this document.

• PIs who struggle to communicate their research in simple, written form.

• PIs who wish to communicate their research to mainstream audiences.

• PIs who wish to crystalize their research into short, memorable bullet points.

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Ways to Make Proposals Compelling, Urgent

Focus on Brevity

Some Funders Might Read Something Longer

But They Probably Won’t Like It

Ways to Make Proposals Compelling, Urgent

Focus on Brevity

Closest Supporters Might Read Something Longer

But They Probably Won’t Like It

Use “Action” Words (Avoid Passive)

Ways to Make Proposals Compelling, Urgent

Focus on Brevity

Closest Supporters Might Read Something Longer

But They Probably Won’t Like It

Use “Action” Words (Avoid Passive)

Bold, Specific Vision (Stretch, Motivate)

Inspiring the Donor

Different Types of Proposals

The Concept Paper (Most Informal)

The Case Statement

The Full Proposal (Most Formal)

Concept Paper

Most Common for Foundation, Corporate Partners

“Positioning” Document

May Precede Full Proposal

Often Does Not Include Specific “Ask” or Budget

Concept Paper

Solicits Feedback

Determines Funder Interest w/o Specific Ask

Typically for Specific, Defined Project

Often Simple, Typewritten Document, No Photos

Concept Paper – Set the StageEnhancing the Teaching of Science

Resources for Michigan Secondary School and Community College Teachers

Introduction

According to the Smithsonian Institution, about 28 percent of American adults currently qualify as scientifically literate. While there are many reasons to increase scientific literacy in the U.S., a particularly compelling one is its impact on our ability to compete on a global scale. It is truly important from both a business and a societal perspective that we increase our understanding of the sciences.

Concept Paper – Where We Fit

Western Michigan University's Response to the Challenge

Western Michigan University (WMU) has a long history of commitment and success in teacher preparation and in providing hands-on learning opportunities for students in the sciences. For many years, WMU has been recognized as a research-intensive university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and in 2010 the university was awarded $1 million by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) for a fellowship program that gives prospective high school science teachers practical laboratory research experience.

Concept Paper – Our Plans

Western Michigan University's Response to the Challenge

WMU proposes to build on its history and success by creating a Research, Mentoring and Translation (RMT) program for current secondary education and community college teachers of chemistry, biological sciences and physics. Our goal will be to provide practicing middle school, high school and community college teachers with scientifically sound but active and engaging methods that will transform their efforts in the classroom.

Concept Paper – Measurement

How We Will Measure Our Success

At the end of each one-year professional development program, we will evaluate teacher participants. Evaluation will be performed through a formal survey instrument and informal one on one interviews.

Our evaluation will determine if the teachers have successfully revised their standards-based curriculum to address the achievement goals regarding the nature of science, scientific inquiry, and student engagement in scientific practices. We will also determine if they are actively engaging their students in investigations that parallel those of scientists.

Case Statement

Broad View of Cause or Project

Detailed Background and Rationale for Support

Describes Overall CampaignHow Much to Raise, Timeline, Leadership

Case Statement

Used to Gain Consensus, Recruit Leadership

Can be Used for Pre-Solicitation or Actual Solicitation

Often High-End, Glossy w/Photos

Full Proposal

More Focused Version of Case Statement

Specific AskIncludes Pledge Structure, Recognition

Stresses Urgency

Encourages Decision in Near Future

Often Includes Budget of How Funds Will be Used

All Proposals Must Contain

Introduction/The Problem or ChallengeLocal/Regional (Ground Level View)National/Global (30,000 Feet)

Who We Are/Our Qualifications

What We Will Do

What Will Change (Outcomes)

How We Will Measure

All Proposals Must Contain

Overall Plan/BudgetWhere the Donor “Fits”

Recognition/Benefits

Expression of Urgency (Why Now)

SolicitationRespectful, SincereSpecific $ Amount, Pledge Period

A Good Proposal Should …

Be Long Enough to Explain Project/Program

Be Short Enough to Be Remembered

Be Easily Shared

Anticipate the Funder’s Questions

Paint a Vision for the Future

Writing to Inspire

and Stephanie, earned their undergraduate and

graduate degrees from WMU. Both were teachers.

Rose with youngest son Robert 1985

And her youngest son, Robert, also earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from WMU. He retired as a secondary education teacher.

After a long, constructive life, Rose passed away on January 30, 1995. Her legacy lives on in the

scholarships bequeathed in her name.

The Rose M. Iciek Memorial Scholarship for Elementary and Secondary Education is available for a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Pre-Education, planning to teach either at the Elementary or Secondary level. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and must hold and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. It is renewable upon reapplication for an additional three consecutive academic years provided the student maintains the minimum GPA. Students must have completed a FAFSA application from the WMU Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and must submit the Financial Authorization Form included in the COE scholarship application. For a full description of requirements, contact the College of Education.

The

Rose M. Iciek Memorial Scholarship

for Elementary and

Secondary Education

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Today’s Session -- Recap

Why the Written Proposal is Critical

Role of Writing in the Gift “Close”

Ways to Make Proposals Compelling, Urgent

Different Types of Proposals

Writing to Inspire the Funder

Thank You!John J. Greenhoe, MA, CFRE

Western Michigan Universityjohn.greenhoe@wmich.eduabout.me/johngreenhoewww.twitter.com/jjgcfre

Hone Your Writing Skills to Create Compelling Proposals

for Private Funders

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014,2pm ET (11am PT)

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