https://www.fundsforngos.

org/free-resources-for-ngos/proposal-writing-guidebook-
grassrootsbased-ngoscboscsos/

PROPOSAL WRITING GUIDEBOOK FOR GRASSROOTS-BASED NGOS/CBOS/CSOS

Characteristics of successful proposal writing

A good proposal must convince the donor/funding agencies about the following aspects of the project
going to be proposed by the organization:

 The issue going to be addressed matches with the objectives/target area of the donor agency.
 The problem going to be addressed is of significant magnitude in the proposed area amongst
the target population.
 A need assessment/baseline survey has already been done to assess the gravity of the problem.
 The beneficiaries were involved in need assessment by using various participatory tools
(PRA/PLA/RRA etc.) & the organization believe in beneficiaries’ capacity & capabilities to bring
changes.
 Partnership & networking with other organizations of the area who are working for the same
problem/issue.
 Is the organization well equipped to undertake the project in terms of manpower, capital,
infrastructure etc? An organization must do SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities &
Threats) analysis before writing any proposal.

Few tips for proposal writing

Write as per donor/funding agency’s guidelines

A proposal must be written as per the format & guidelines provided by the donor/funding agencies.
Most of the multilateral, bilateral, CSRs have their own format, which the organization must follow. This
you can access at their website & can ask your queries on their given email ids. Many donor agencies
just ask for a brief concept note instead of a solicited project proposal, which they usually ask in second
phase once your proposal gets selected. A concept note should not be more than 5 pages.

Do research before writing

Although, it is believed that the organization has enough references & data about the problem, but it is
always advisable that the information should be made handy before sitting to write the proposal. This
research could be online or offline too.

Simple language & concise

We should write in simple language, which could be easily understood by a lay man too who is not
linked or aware about the problem. We should avoid using negative phrases & jargons. Every statistics,
maps, pictures used should be quoted with its source clearly.
 https://www.fundsforngos.org/free-resources-for-ngos/proposal-writing-guidebook-
grassrootsbased-ngoscboscsos/

Cover Letter, Cover Page and Project Summary

The format for foreign donors & local donors might vary but most of them follow the same format based
on Logical Framework Analysis model, which consist of the following topics:

Cover letter- one should always write the cover letter on the letter head of the organization signed by
the competent authority. The cover letter ideally should not be more than one page. It should be
addressed to the concerned person with his/her name, designation & address.

The first paragraph should have few introductory lines about the organization, its aim & vision. The
second paragraph should be about the proposed project with its goal, target group (preferably
quantifiable) & target area. One should also clearly state the amount of fund/grant seek by the donor
agency. At last add two or three lines for thanking the organization & request for their response. The
letter should include the contact information of the organization with its email id, website,
mobile/landline numbers etc.

Cover page- It should have the title of the project with the tag line, which is generally the vision of the
organization for encountering the proposed problem. It can be made pictorial by adding a picture of the
activities of the organization with the target population on the same problem or any other relevant
picture. At the end of the page it should have the name of the submitting agency with its contact info &
logo and name of the donor agency with its concerned wing/branch etc.

Project summary- One should include a one page summary of the project at the beginning of the
proposal. It should give a brief overview of the project to the donor/funder, with clearly indicating depth
of the problem, target group, target area, total funding amount requested, the innovative solution to
the problem and organization’s credibility to address the problem.

Problem Statement

Firstly one should give an overview of the problem at the national & universal level followed by its
magnitude in the proposed state & the geographical region to be covered. We should try to justify it by
statistics from research data, press articles, references from concerned govt. agencies etc. We can also
give references of other NGOs or Govt. intervention about the same problem.

 We should try to establish a link between “Cause & Effect of the Problem”.
 It should also include the rational of the project, which is mainly the relevance of the proposed
project, indicating the unique methodology going to be used to tackle & address the problem.
The rationale should also discuss about the need analysis or baseline survey (if already done)
done by the organization.
 We also need to include the geographical location in detail, giving its demography & map
(source of the map should be mentioned).
 It should also include the total number of beneficiaries going to be targeted. We should also
write how we will use the knowledge & capacities of the beneficiaries to address the problem.
The emphasis should be on beneficiaries’ participation in need analysis & activities too.
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grassrootsbased-ngoscboscsos/

Goals, Objectives and Methodology

Goals & Objectives

The project goal is the long term objective of the project which is different from the objectives of the
proposal. Goals can be the vision of the organization to foresee the impact of the activities to encounter
the problem. The goal cannot be achieved by the organization in isolation & other govt./private/non
govt. players are required to achieve it, on the other hand objectives need to be achieved by the
organization alone. The goal of the project should be only one and the listed objectives should not be
more than five & one should try to quantify the objectives to make it more impactful. Objectives should
be SMART (S- specific, M- measurable, A- achievable, R- relevant & T- time bound).

For example: the goal of the project is “making the villages of the area HIV/AIDS free”. One of the
objectives of the same project could be “to establish HIV/AIDS booths in 21 villages of the targeted area
for pre & post HIV/AIDS counseling for 12 months”.

Methodology

Often people get confused between the methodology & activities & think that both are same but there
is a great difference between the two. Methodology is the broad concept under which activities are
placed. For example- methodology in a project can be capacity building, awareness generation,
advocacy etc. and the activities for these methodology will be training workshops, rallies, street plays,
FGD, campaign etc.

Activities to be carried out

This section describe the activities going to be conducted to achieve the desired objectives. It should
give details about the activities in a sequence with the time line & also indicating the reason for
choosing that very activity. It should also have separate tables for staffing/personnel plan, equipment
plan, number of interventions per activity (work plan). Reporting structure of the staff can also be given
at the end.

The basic formats that can guide the preparation of these plans are given in the following tables:

Work Plan

Timeline How to develop a project Timeline