This assignment asks you to further develop your project idea into a 750-1,000-word proposal narrative. This Proposal Narrative is a response to a specific funding opportunity and includes a revision of your need statement, written inquiry, as well as additional material.
Background: A proposal for funding is a particular communication practice with a clear function, and you will execute it to persuade a funding organization that your project will meet your organization’s goals AND the funder’s mission. Each of the proposal sections is related and should be written with this balance of the whole picture in mind. Remember, a grant proposal is a “solution to a problem or a strategy for addressing a need that you’ve identified” (Karsh and Fox, p. 107), and in order to convince your funder that you deserve financial support you will need a carefully articulated, compelling plan.
Written proposal arguments, in the form of grant proposals or practical, policy, business, or research proposals, ask their audience to take some form of action (Ramage, Bean, Johnson). In “Writing Research Proposals,” Suter (2006) advises proposal writers to clearly describe the action needed: “Simply and bluntly, readers want to know what, why, and how: precisely what it is that you intend to do, why you want to do this, and how you are going to do it” (p. 415).
When planning the proposal narrative pay close attention to funder requirements and make sure to follow them closely throughout the process. In “Some Candid Suggestions on the Art of Writing Proposals,” Przeworski and Salomon state that during this phase you should “read and reread the application criteria or funding guidelines you need to meet. If you have specific questions about them, consult with the appropriate supervisor, officials, or funding agency staff—but do so well before the deadline. And make sure to include all the requested enclosures and appendices” (2012, p. 4). This attention to detail will help you craft your narrative and meet funder requirements.
Most proposal arguments follow a similar organizational pattern: problem-solution-justification. They also rely on various arguments from stasis theory. While your grant Proposal Narrative also follows that general structure, it consists of several unique parts and should include the six parts listed below. Communicate these details to your funding source by using rhetorical strategies that respond to the funding source’s needs. Follow these specific guidelines for each part:
1. Need Statement: Revise your previous need statement to show the funder the specific problem (and who it affects) using rhetorical strategies such as “presence” to make the problem seem urgent and relevant to the funder’s priorities. Also, provide a brief overview of the purpose of your solution.
2. Project Description: Describe the details of your project or program. First, describe your short and long-term goals and who will benefit. Discuss your (SMART) objectives and how achieving them clearly connects to the problem already demonstrated. Then, provide the steps you will undertake through program activities to meet each objective and who will be responsible for each step. Think in terms of who, what, when, where, why, and how to help your audience “see” how each piece fits together.
3. Applicant Qualifications: Explain to the funder why you have the credibility to complete this project. Justify the project’s connection to your organizational mission, provide an overview of past accomplishments and awards, resume of key staff, as well as reputation in the community and/or in the news.
4. Sustainability: Address how you plan to continue the program beyond the funding period. What plans will you put in place to show that this funding will lead to long-term change?