Learning Objectives
Identify the elements of an effective proposal or grant application
Just as in memo or formal letter writing, writing proposals or grant requests must be a formal style of writing that is detailed and specific. A proposal can either be a piece of writing that provides a solution to a problem, or it can be a piece of writing that proposes ideas for a specific event, project, etc. A grant is a specific type of proposal written with intent to an organization or business that shows a need and requests assistance (normally financial) to meet that need.
Since proposals and grants will vary drastically depending on the purpose, each one must be tailored specifically. These are not always business writings, but should always be treated as a formal piece of writing, as they will be seen by important individuals and many times will include a request of financial assistance.
Audience
The first thing to ask yourself when writing either a proposal or grant request is, “Who is my audience?” Understanding who you are writing to will tell you what needs to be included. If the audience is your boss, a tone of respect is necessary, but the details may be tailored to your working relationship. If the audience is a board of directors that you do not know, then the writing should be business only, should be as specific as possible, while trying to remain as concise as possible, as to respect their time.
Both writings will typically be persuasive in nature. Again, depending on the audience, the persuasive tactics may change, but using logic, statistics, and reasoning will always be a strong way to make an argument.
Proposals
For proposals, the topic, audience, and purpose can change drastically. For example, a project proposal is very common. This type of proposal is used to pitch an idea to a set audience that the writer wants to see come to fruition. An example of this is below.
Eric Jackson
Prestige World Wide
123 Poppy Street
210-555-9876
eric.jackson@email.com
April 23rd, 2021
Roger Byrd
President, Ultimate Solar
9876 University Ave
San Antonio, TX 78999
Dear President Byrd,
Our team at Prestige World Wide enjoyed discussing the issues that Ultimate Solar is experiencing with their website and are eager to assist you in correcting this issue. As stated in our meeting, we have over a decade of experience in website management and are confident that we can assist you. After the meeting, my team began work and I wanted to submit this proposal for your review.
As we discussed, with the world as it currently is, more and more business is moving to Online and virtual platforms. We understand that your main concern is the true lack of virtual connection at Ultimate Solar. In addition, the current website is not user friendly, has no contact form, and is lacking in the option to make sales Online.
Per our previous email, your goal is to increase user traffic, connection, and are pushing for 25% of sales to happen Online in the next quarter.
Our team plans to meet these objectives through the following steps:
- Do a complete redesign of the Ultimate Solar website, to include a “chat” feature, as well as a contact form for those who wish to correspond via email over chat.
- Lay a trail map with Google using certain keywords and phrases so that Ultimate Solar is one of the top search results for solar customers in the San Antonio area.
- Create an Online estimating form and purchase item with your sales team.
Though a different industry, Prestige World Wide completed a similar project for Thaler Septic Systems less than five months ago, and within the past four months, their Online inquiries and sales have increased 37%.
Based on the requirements of this project, the estimated budget is roughly $6,500 to $8,000 depending on specific features. We can discuss this in depth and get a definitive price if you choose to move forward.
Thank you for your consideration, and I will follow up with you by next Wednesday to ensure things move in an expedient manner for you.
Please let me know if there are any questions. You can email me at ejackson@pww.com or call me at 210-555-0712.
Sincerely,
Eric Jackson
All proposals should follow the same basic structure: Introduction, background, state the problem, objectives to be met, metrics to measure success, budget (if applicable), and contact information for follow up. The letter above shows all of these elements in order, without headings.
Grant Proposals
A grant proposal letter should be respectful, should show the need for the request in layman’s terms so that no questions are left unanswered, provide examples of how the specific request has impacted other classrooms/students and how it would impact your students, explain why it meets the grant criteria, give specific costs, and could include pictures or links to further clarify.
An example of a grant request is below:
Eric Jackson
123 Poppy Street
210-555-9876
eric.jackson@bisd.edu
April 23rd, 2021
Board of Directors
BISD Education Foundation
456 Maple Street
Dear BISD Education Foundation Board,
Per the recent call for grant requests, I would like to be considered for a grant for microphones for the entire 5th grade faculty. With these new health protocols put in place, we are now teaching a blended classroom, averaging 60% of students in class physically and 40% Online through Zoom classes. In addition, we are all required to wear masks that stifle voices and discussion. While I realize the need for these measures, it has become increasingly difficult to be able to find the right volume to address all of my blended learners.
These microphones plug remotely into the computer, then the stand is set in a central location and has a 360 degree range to be able to pick up vocal input from all directions. In addition, they detect and mute background noise so that students at home can hear me as clearly as the students in my classroom. The device also is able to record the lecture audio transcript, in the event that students miss something or need to go back and review something.
By purchasing these microphones, every student in the 5th grade will be able to experience a streamlined educational classroom and distractions, interruptions, and missed information will no longer be an issue. This will enhance the learning experience significantly.
In total, there are five 5th grade teachers; upon our research, we believe we could use the product linked below (the Lite version), which is $599 per microphone system. Including tax, the total for one comes out to $636.44 and shipping is free. For all teachers to receive this, it would make the total requested $3,182.20.
Link to Product: https://catchbox.com/products
We appreciate the time and consideration for this grant request and know that it will impact over 125 students this year and will continue on in the future.
Sincerely,
Eric Jackson
All in all, grant requests and proposals have many of the same features. There should be contact information, a brief introduction, a description of the problem, a proposal for how to correct or solve the problem, costs associated with the solution, summation of details, statement of appreciation, and closing statements. In this grant proposal, the idea and solution are fairly simple, straightforward, and succinct. However, there are grants that can be much more in-depth, pages long, and require research and thorough explanation. The details may vary, but the tone, voice, and formatting should remain the same.
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