What is a Nonprofit Project Proposal?

A nonprofit project proposal is a letter or document that states a project that a nonprofit organization is about to do. Nonprofit organizations do not have a source of income, and it has to present its projects to sponsors and funders that can give it a grant to make the project possible. The proposal requires a good proposal writing abilities because you have to make a good presentation for it that can make the sponsors to accept or approve it. It requires research, a good statement of the problem or a need statement, a good statement of purpose, a reasonable budget, and other requirements that comprise a winning grant proposal. The organization relies heavily on proposals so it has to master this thing. Without it, its projects will not be possible because it gets its revenues through it. That is why usually a nonprofit organization invest on grant writing. It is the life of the organization. It is what can make the organization run.

Tips on Nonprofit Project Proposal

Are you about to make a nonprofit business proposal or a nonprofit organization project proposal? Maybe you need some tips that you can use so that you can make it better. You can find a nonprofit project proposal template or nonprofit project proposal example so you can have a pattern that you can use. Or you can read the following tips that we have prepared for you:

Start with small grants. It is good to dream that your organization can get substantial amount of grants. But you have to realize that it is not easy to get big grants. You should start getting small grants first. Especially, if your organization has just been beginning, start in getting smaller grants. You can have more possibilities that you can get grants. Besides, even if the grants are small, if you will add them all up, you can be surprised that your organization has accumulated enough for all your projects. You may even save your time. You may spend some time to nothing asking for big grants and it may not come easily to you. But with small grants, your chance is greater. Remember that sometimes it does not matter how big the grant that you can get. You have a nonprofit organization that sustains social benefits and money should not be a matter. For this reason, do not be particular in asking for a big grant. Smaller grants can help your organization. Only if you will consider its importance.Make your project specific. To target a grant better, you have to be specific about your projects. No funder will want to give to a project that is confusing. Donors may not give notice to your proposal if the project is not good enough. Ponder on the project that you will present to the sponsor. Good projects may point you in receiving a grant that can support your organization. Not only will you have a good project that can give a good reputation to your organization, you will also have more possibilities on getting a grant. A good project needs to be specific so that the donors will know where their money will go. They can decide better if they can assess the project. A project that is also specifically describe will give them a hint of your purpose. Your ideas will be clear to them and they will know how to support you. Introducing the project to them clearly will make them recognize your project as a serious one where they can be summoned to give grant for it.Make a good storytelling. In writing your nonprofit project proposal, you need to be a brilliant storyteller. Ensure that the readers will not get bored. From the executive summary up to the request for a budget, you must write like you are teling a good story. Well, nonprofit projects have good stories to tell. Projects are result of advocacies that your organization have. It is for a good cause so surely it has a great story. You just have to relay the stories behind your projects. Explain your goals as if sharing a story. Describe your projects like telling a beautiful story that anybody will want to hear about. If you can captivate the attention of the donors, you may also capture their hearts to give you the grant that you need. Storytelling is one great talent that is in incorporated in any sample grant writing that surely wins the hearts of the donors.Provide the best solutions. Projects of nonprofit organizations usually solves problems of the society. In doing charity, your proposal should have the best solutions on any need statement that you will state in it. Concentrate on the solutions and do not focus on the problems. If donors will see that you can provide solutions to world’s problems, they may be urged to help you. They can support the solutions that you can provide. They may be summoned to help on something that they know will be solved through their help. Also, if you will focus on problems, it will become so dramatic for your proposal. The donors will think that you are just a nuisance who wants to have money. So, give importance to the solutions that your organization can give because it is what can make you get the grant.Give importance to details. You must give good attention to every requirement that is needed for your proposal. Remember that you cannot give the same proposal to donors always. Each corporations have its different requirements so you have to give attention to it. Be sure that you will not commit mistakes and you will accomplish everything rightfully. Be also careful in using templates. When using a template, you must be sure that your proposal will not lose its true essence or it will not become generic. It is important that you will submit a nonprofit project proposal with a heart because that is what actually a nonprofit organization is for.Do a research about the donor. You must know your sponsors. Make some research about them. Know their interests so that you can adjust your proposal according to it. A background about them can make you to tailor your proposal according to what they usually accept. It will be hard for you to make a proposal to a corporation that you do not even have the slightest idea. You will have more chance that your proposal will be rejected. But if you will tailor your proposal to a donor that you have researched for, you will be confident that your proposal can be considered. You will know that their interest can align with your project.Consider your budget. Before you can decide on the amount of money that you will request for a grant, you must first check the budget that you need. Make an assessment for the budget that the project needs. Consider all the expenses. Calculate it and the result that you will get is what you should put in your proposal. With this, the grant will be something realistic and apt for the project. The donor will not be confused about the money that you are requesting because it corresponds to the needs of the project. You will have more chance for your proposal to get aceptance.Realize that the sponsors are people, too. Take it to heart that the people whom you are requesting a grant are people, too. They have a heart and you need to build a relationship with them. Because of this, do not just send emails. Have the heart to make a phone call to them to discuss with them your sponsorship proposal. You will see that you can get a better chance that your proposal will be approved. They are humans and they need to see a human touch behind the document that they will receive. Start a good relationship with the donor and you may have a regular donor for your organization. Remember that funders are human. They are not robots.Defend your need for funds. You must bear in mind that you have to convince the funders about your need. If they will understand that your need is valid, they might give you what you need. Explain to them the necessity of your project. You can also tell your goals so that they will understand your purpose. If you can make it clear that your project is essential, and also the grant that it needs, the funders will not have any question about the project. It can lead them to the decision to give you the grant that you need.Tell what sets your organization apart. You can differentiate your organization from other nonprofit in the community. Tell your mission statement and vision statement that can give a sense of purpose to the whole proposal. State what makes you to choose the project and tell all your goals for it. If your project will have a great goal that can get the approval of the funder, you can have one great point that they can also approve the proposal. So, you have to make a boost for your organization for the funders to know that they are investing for something. They are going to invest to an organization that is good and knows how to handle projects.Avoid unimportant attachments. You have to know that you should not send unimportant attachments. Follow only the requirements needed for the sponsorship. Funders get a lot of grant proposals and they do not have time to see unnecessary materials. Extraneous attachments can make them annoyed. You will not want this to happen. Avoid any unimportant thing. Send only what is needed for your grant application.

How to Write a Nonprofit Project Proposal

Maybe you are considering a sample project proposal for nonprofit organization or a free nonprofit proposal template. Maybe you already know how to write a proposal to an organization or how to write a project proposal for nonprofit organization. But in case, you do not know these things yet, we can provide some steps that you can use in making a nonprofit project proposal. Here are the steps that you can consider:

Step 1: Make a project plan.

The main point of the nonprofit project proposal is the project that your organization will do. Start with a project plan. You have to carefully plan what will be the project that you will have to present. Planning can make you to come up with a great project that can be greatly considered by the funders. You can get your team contribute in planning and ask their opinions for the best suitable project.

Step 2: Find a suitable grant.

When you already have a project in mind, you can now search for funders or sponsors that gives a suitable grant for your project. Find the best sponsorship that can cater for your project. Search for corporations that can have interest in granting you money. You can find donors that gives grant for your specific project. With it, you may have a great chance of approval beacuse your project is related to their interest.

Step 3: Make a research. 

Do some research so that you will be aware with all the guidelines in writing a project proposal. Research also about financial limitations for you to set a right budget for your project. Learn how you can write a LOI (Letter of Intent). Make also a research about the funders whom you will send your proposal. This will give you a great idea on how you can tailor your proposal according to their taste.

Step 4: Write the proposal.

When you think you have the ideas that you can use in writing a project proposal, you can start writing the proposal. Start with an executive summary. State a need statement that can justify your proposal. In a few sentences, make an introduction about your organization. Provide a solution to your statement of the problem. Make a sales pitch about the project. Include a timeline and a budget for it. Make also an evaluation plan. Be a brilliant storyteller in delivering the proposal into writing. When you are finished, read it a couple of times to proofread it. You will only send it once. You cannot afford to make mistakes. When everything is fine, you can submit the proposal.

FAQs

What is a Public Charity?

Public charities are nonprofit organizations who are tax exempt. They get financial support from donations from government and private corporations. They must keep on showing thier public support to keep their tax status written in IRS Code section 501 (c) (3).

Why Do Nonprofit Needs a Project Proposal?

Through the project proposal, a nonprofit can introduce its project and it can request a grant. Every funder or sponsor has this requirement in their grant application. Or sometimes it is what the organization will submit to the sponsors to request for a grant.

Every project of a nonprofit organization needs a nonprofit project proposal. It can discuss the necessity of its project and defend its need to have a grant. Not all proposal may be approved so the organization should have the best skills in proposal writing. Do you have this need? Do you need a template that can help you in writing a project proposal? This post can provide you what you need. It has 11+ SAMPLE Nonprofit Project Proposal in PDF. They are downloadable and editable. You can select the one that you think is best and use it as you make your own nonprofit project proposal. What are you waiting for? Download now!