Strategies for Effective

Proposal Writing

Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

For
ewor
d
Forewor
eword
The Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition is pleased to present the second edition
of our resource manual: Strategies for Effective Proposal Writing. Whether you are
nervously anticipating writing your first grant proposal or are a seasoned grant-writer,
it is our hope that this manual will assist you in developing a coherent and fundable
proposal.
Originally developed as a companion resource for a Proposal Writing Workshop, this
manual has evolved into a resource that can also be used on its own. It provides some
guidelines to help your organization decide whether or not to apply for funding and a
step-by-step process by which to proceed.
It is important to remember that just as every community is different, so too are
funders. Your own research is critical in developing suitable funding contacts in your
area and to tailoring your approach appropriately.
Although we obviously can make no guarantees, we wish you every success as you put
pen to paper. Lets get started!

OHCC wishes to thank its funders:

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
Ontario Trillium Foundation

Effective Proposal Writing

Repr
oduction
Reproduction
You are free:
* to copy, distribute, or display this document
* to make derivative works
Under the following conditions:
Attribution. You must give the original author credit (Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition)
Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
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* For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work.
* Any of these conditions can be waived with written permission from the Ontario Healthy
Communities Coalition.

Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

Table of Contents
I. Introduction ......................................................................5
The Funding Environment
Types of Foundations
II. Laying the Groundwork .....................................................6
Do Your Homework
Contact Chart
Make a Personal Connection
Are You Ready?
Readiness Checklist
III. Hows the Fit? ...............................................................10
Fit With Your Organization Table
IV. Putting Pen to Paper ......................................................11
General Writing Tips for a Strong Proposal
Key Elements of a Proposal
Summary
Introduction
Definition of the Issues
Desired Results
- Outputs
- Outcomes
- Impact
Resources and Activities
Budget
Evaluation Plan
Sustainability
Conclusion
Appendices
V. Packaging Your Proposal ..............................................19
VI. Proposal Appraisal ........................................................19
Proposal Appraisal Template (20-21)
VII. Post-Submission Thoughts ............................................19
VIII. Web Sites for more Information & Ideas .......................22
References ......................................................................23

Effective Proposal Writing

Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

I. Introduction
The Funding Environment
This is a very challenging time to raise funds for non-profits, charities and community
organizations.
Increased competition due to the many new organizations being created and government cutbacks at
various levels mean greater demands on foundations, corporations and other funders. Lower interest
rates have resulted in smaller grant budgets for foundations. There is also increased competition for
revenue from other types of fundraising (i.e. special events, Nevada tickets, raffles and lotteries etc.).
Increasing demand for grants means that funders are becoming more focused, especially in the
following ways:
a strong desire to make every cent count
requirements for increased accountability are becoming more stringent (i.e. internal bookkeeping and auditing processes, formal organizational structure and evaluation practices)
increased emphasis on effective governance and management (i.e. competence, being fiscally
sound and proof of long-range planning)
increased emphasis on project-specific funding
expectations that groups who have similar objectives will work together to:
- share resources and expertise
- minimize duplication
- bring all of the right people to the table to increase the potential for
successful project outcomes
greater emphasis on sustainability
requirements for cross-sectoral collaboration.

Types of Foundations
Although there are many different types of funders, foundations are frequently approached through
the grant proposal process, which is why we mention them here.
There are two types of foundations: those who raise money and those who give it away.
Some of the hundreds of foundations in Canada who are actively making grants include:
Family foundations (e.g., McConnell Family Foundation)
Government foundations (e.g., Ontario Trillium Foundation)
Corporate foundations (e.g., Royal Bank of Canada Charitable Foundation)
Community foundations (normally established to serve a particular geographic area)
Special purpose foundations (e.g., Hospital for Sick Children Foundation)
Service club foundations (e.g., Lions, Rotary Club, Shriners etc.).

Effective Proposal Writing

II. Laying the Groundwork

Do Your Homework
We cannot stress enough the importance of being prepared and doing your research thoroughly prior to developing your proposal.
Have a clear understanding of your own goals and objectives.
Identify funders who are best positioned to help your organization:
areas of interest
geographical location
target populations
type and size of grant
type of funding
eligibility.
Research your top prospects to learn more about them:
what are their funding objectives?
what have they funded in the past?
what are their funding guidelines?
what are their backgrounds and interests?
if it is a corporate foundation, what do you know about the corporation?
who do you need to speak to?
Save yourself, and the potential funder, valuable time and effort.
It is very important to keep track of all of your contact information. It often works best if you keep
it in one place as you are doing your research and your community relationship building.
The chart on the following page may help you to organize this information.

Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

Date

Support

Written Agreement

Comments

How to Reach Them

Date

Name

Comments

Community Partners

How to Reach Them

Organization

Name

Funders

Contact Charts

laying the
groundwork

Effective Proposal Writing

laying the
groundwork

Make a Personal Connection

Develop a relationship with your top prospects. Depending on the funder, this can take many
forms:
writing a letter of introduction, accompanied by information about your organization
making a phone call
inviting them to a special event or sending a copy of your newsletter
enlisting a member of your board of directors, steering committee, public official or
community leader to contact foundation representatives on your behalf; they may know a
foundation board member and be able to provide helpful information about what the
foundation is looking for.
Be sure to study the funding guidelines in detail. Try to get feedback on whether your initiative
matches the funders mandate. Ask if they require a letter of intent prior to receiving your
proposal.

Are You Ready?

Readiness is an important element of a successful proposal. Funders will want to know if you
are an accountable organization. The following chart will help you self-assess your strengths
and weaknesses by taking a look at the workings of your organization.
Why does your organization exist?
Who implements your goals and objectives? (the work)
How do you do it? are you a formal or informal organization? do you work well with
others? do you leverage small successes into bigger ones (i.e. dollars, partnerships,
timing)?

Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

laying the
groundwork

Are You Ready? A Readiness Checklist

In Place

Need

Who

By When

Why
Vision
Mission Statement
Values Statement
Goals
Existing Programs/Services
(and relationship to above)

Who
Board of Directors (or Steering Committee)
Staffing (paid and/or volunteer)

How
Financial Information (formal/informal)
Strategic Plan
Planning Processes
Brief History
Service Record
Strategic Alliances
References
Levers
Other
OHCC, adapted with permission from the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto.

Effective Proposal Writing

III. Hows the Fit?

Sometimes, the lure of new funding can distract us from our work: what we exist to do or accomplish.
We need to ask ourselves if the proposed project/program is a good fit with our organization. Does it
contribute to the realization of our goals and objectives? The following chart will help you honestly
examine (and rate on a scale from 1 to 5) whether this is a suitable undertaking for your group.

Fit With Your Organization

Item

Your Organization

The Project

Service/Program

Target Group

Experience

Expertise

Budget

Community/Location

Leverage/Alliances

Supporters

Sustainability
Adapted with permission from the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto.

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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

Fit (1-5)

IV. Putting Pen to Paper

Once you are satisfied that you are indeed ready to develop your proposal and are targeting the appropriate funder, it is time to put pen to paper.

General Writing Tips for a Strong Proposal

Most foundation boards prefer short, succinct proposals that show clarity of thought and purpose.
If you dont have solid writing skills and experience, ask for help from someone who does.
Ensure key goals and planned outcomes are clearly stated - get to the point early.
Use the active rather than passive voice (e.g., we will help street youth instead of street youth
will be helped).
Describe the human element of your project instead of concentrating on theoretical ideas.
Dont leave readers to assume anything.
Be honest about your organizations strengths and weaknesses.
Use an enthusiastic and positive tone, but remain credible.
Write a complete first draft before attempting an edit.
Be certain that you can achieve the project objectives you make in your proposal: if approved,
your proposal becomes a legal agreement.
Identify a contact person: someone who is readily available and able to answer questions about
the proposal.

Key Elements of a Proposal

Although different funders have different requirements - and it is imperative that you do your
homework - most proposals would include the following components:

Summary

ii

Introduction

iii

Definition of the Issues

iv

Desired Results
- Outputs
- Outcomes
- Impact

Resources and Activities

vi

Budget

vii

Evaluation Plan

viii

Sustainability

ix

Conclusion

Appendices

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putting pen
to paper

Summary
The summary is probably the most important section of the proposal. It is an umbrella
statement of your case and an overview of the entire proposal. It should be written last but
presented first. The summary should:
be no longer than two pages - be clear and concise
state the overall vision for your project
stress how and why your initiative will affect your target audience and community
briefly mention your groups track record, the issue(s) to be addressed, key outcomes,
and the methods you will use
list any resources that have already been committed, or other confirmed funding sources
be positive and exciting - you want to convince the reader to keep reading and that this
project should be considered for funding.

Introduction
Here you will provide a brief introduction to your organization and why it is the right one to carry out
the proposed activities.
Write this section second-to-last.
Describe what your group or organization does (e.g., purpose, goals, programs, activities).
Establish your groups credibility.
Describe a past success or include testimonial from a stakeholder.
Provide statistics that support your groups accomplishments.

Definition of the Issues

In this section, clearly describe the issue(s) or need(s) that your initiative will address or the
problem(s) that you are planning to solve.
Specify how your initiative will address the issue(s): there must be a logical connection between
your groups mission and the issues.
Be realistic about what you can accomplish
Present the issue in terms of the clients or communitys needs (not your groups needs).
Be clear about the specific target audience or segment of the community affected by the issue.
Briefly describe the legal and political environment, stakeholders, the literature and previous
evaluations.
Provide up-to-date statistics to support your statements about the issue and make sure
that reference material is cited accurately.

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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

putting pen
to paper

Desired Results
This section identifies the desired or intended results of your project or program by outlining
what you expect to achieve in the short and long-term. It is based on the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation Logic Model Development Guide. Desired results can be divided into three
subcategories:
a) Outputs
b) Outcomes
c) Impact
a)

Outputs
Outputs are the direct results of your program activities.
They are normally described in terms of the size and scope of the products and services
delivered or produced by the program (e.g., the number of workshops conducted,
hours/days of service provided, new tools or resources developed and distributed).
They should be concrete and easily measurable.
For each program activity, identify what outputs will be, and be specific about the
intended audience(s) or client(s).

b)

Outcomes
Outcomes are specific changes in attitudes, behaviours, skills, knowledge, program
utilization, etc. that you expect to result from your program activities. There may be
unintended outcomes of your project as well; the actual outcomes of the project can only
be identified at its conclusion.
They are most commonly expressed at the individual level.
Short-term outcomes are achievable within 1 to 3 years, while longer-term outcomes are
attainable within 4 to 6 years.
It may be helpful to determine your outcomes first, prior to identifying outputs, impact,
activities and inputs.
You may have one or more outcomes; each outcome should be stated in one sentence.
Expected outcomes should be S*M*A*R*T:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely/Tangible
They are usually introduced with action statements such as:
there will be an increase in...
there will be a decrease in...
there will be a reduction of...
the elimination of...

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to paper

c) Impact
impacts are organizational, community and/or system level changes that you expect will
result from your program activities.
In most cases, these changes will take place 7-10 years after program activities have been
completed.
These may include improved quality of life measures, increased capacity or changes in policy
e.g., improved health status, more diverse or self-reliant local economy, reduction in degree of
social inequalities, wide participation in decision-making
For projects with short-term goals and a narrow or limited scope, it may not be necessary to
discuss long-term impacts in much detail.

Resources and Activities

This section describes how you will go about implementing your program and the resources you will
need to succeed. Resources and activities should logically tie in to the desired results. Note that
resources and activities are sometimes referred to as inputs.
a) Resour
ces
Resources
Include the human, financial, organizational and community resources that the program
requires to carry out the work.
Specify number of staff/volunteers and their relevant expertise and qualifications
(profiles or resum of key staff members may be included).
Describe other resources at your disposal, e.g., Board members, individuals and groups
in the community, research libraries, and equipment.
Convince the funder that you have the right people and partners at the table.
b) Activities
Be specific: create a step by step work plan.
Explain why each activity was selected, i.e., after consulting with stakeholders and experts in the
field, research on best practices/successes in other communities.
Describe specific assignments and be clear who is responsible for what:
financial management
program outcomes
reporting.
Be realistic: present a reasonable scope of activities that can be conducted within a reasonable
timeline, and with the resources available.
If it is a long-term initiative, break it into phases and indicate how long each phase will take.
The table on the following page will help you to develop your action plan.

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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

putting pen
to paper

Developing an Action Plan/Workplan

Expected
Outcome

What we will do
(activity)

Who will do it

When we will do it
(Start and Completion)

Adapted with permission from the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto.

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putting pen
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A note about partnerships:

Funders often favour proposals that include some degree of collaboration between or
among groups or organizations with complementary or synergistic characteristics.
Describe the role of your partners: why they are involved, and what each partner
brings to the table.
Be sure to work out details of arrangements with partners prior to completing the
proposal: be specific about who will be responsible for what and the resources each
group will contribute.

Budget
The budget section should demonstrate your organizations ability to manage money in an
effective and responsible manner.
Present a realistic estimate of the funds required to achieve the programs objectives.
Clearly outline the total cost of the initiative
Specify other sources of funding; in some cases, committed funding can provide leverage
to influence the granting of new/additional dollars.
Present a budget statement in a tabular manner, listing income sources and amounts first
and then expense items and amounts.
Income includes items such as:
earned income, e.g., sales of products or services
contributed income, e.g., donations, grants, fundraising activities
donations in kind, e.g., donations of labour, meeting space, use of equipment.
Expenses include items such as:
salaries and benefits
contract payments
rent and administration
program materials
travel and lodging.
Base figures on sound research.
Clearly state any assumptions you make and explain unusual items using footnotes/
endnotes.
Make sure that all calculations are accurate and that the budget balances.
Indicate your intention to follow accepted accounting procedures and keep an audit trail.

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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

putting pen
to paper

Evaluation Plan
Evaluation is an important process through which you determine whether the programs
expected outcomes are achieved and how effectively the program was implemented. In this
section, you will describe how you plan to assess your programs results and/or the effectiveness of the program activities.
For medium to long-term projects, consider including a plan for evaluating success at
various stages of the project and for modifying your activities or plans if required.
Include evaluation costs in your activity budget; estimate your costs, including staff time,
materials and services required (including in-kind contributions).
Try to involve potential program participants and key project stakeholders in developing
evaluation criteria.
Establish measurable indicators of success for short and long term outcomes.
Whenever possible, evaluation plans should include both quantitative and qualitative methods:
quantitative methods focus on things that can be counted or directly measured, e.g.,
number of participants involved, number of sessions conducted,
qualitative methods are generally used to provide more in-depth information about
individual experiences, perspectives and context, e.g., subjective benefits or changes in
attitudes or perceptions reported by program participants.
Describe how the data will be collected, analyzed, and stored:
methods of collecting quantitative data include structured choice survey questions,
tracking forms and service utilization
methods of collecting qualitative data include open-ended survey questions, focus
groups, in-depth interviews, diaries/journals, or forums.
Describe how you will use and communicate the evaluation results (be sure to obtain consent from
participants before using any information that they provided).
You may find it helpful to develop a chart or logic model showing the link between activities,
outcomes and indicators of your initiative (see below).
Example:

Activities

Outcomes

Develop and hold a series of

five free composting workshops
for residents in a high-density
neighbourhood (200
participating households)

Increased understanding of
the benefits and methods
of composting

Establish an award system to

promote composting

Increased participation in
composting

Hire local youth to build and

maintain 5 convenient
composting stations within the
neighbourhood

Decrease in proportion of
waste going to landfill

Indicators of Success

50% of participating households

complete the composting workshop series
Composting bins are being used
properly 3 months after the
training
30% of participating households
are composting regularly one year
after program start

The composting bins are at 90%

capacity after one year

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Sustainability
This section is necessary if there is an expectation that activities will continue past the program
or project completion date. By developing a strategy for future sustainability, the potential
funder will not feel that the benefits gained by the program will be lost after the grant period
expires.
Show how the initiative will be supported in the future:
if applicable, describe your plans to continue the activities beyond the granting period (e.g.,
continue as a volunteer-run initiative, collaborate with other organizations)
present a detailed plan to obtain future funding or support from alternative sources.

Conclusion
Here you will make your final comments in support of the proposal. In one or two paragraphs, briefly
restate what you want to do and why it is important.
Emphasize leverage:
strategic alliances or partnerships
sustainability
value for the money
coordinated timing.
Express confidence in your proposal.

Appendices
Generally speaking, all of the really important information should be included in the body of the
proposal. The appendices include supplemental information such as the following:
Board of Directors list
the names and contact information of references
testimonials, endorsements or letters of support
legal documents
financial documents
annual report
publications including brochures or newsletters
relevant articles or summaries of reports
media clippings or publicity items.
If you are including references, ensure that the referees have consented and are familiar with your
organization and with the proposal. Send them a copy of your proposal in advance and be sure to
follow-up with a call to discuss it.

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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

V. Packaging Your Proposal

Some final tips to consider as you apply the finishing touches:
use an easy to read font such as Times Roman, or Arial; avoid using more two different
fonts within the same page or section
allow some white space without leaving any large gaps:
- 1.5 space (instead of single or double space)
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 margins
number your pages
bullets or a number format may be appropriate when listing more than three points in a
paragraph
use a neutral tone of paper
avoid expensive or flashy packaging
spell and grammar check your document
ensure that external references are documented properly, using a recognized footnote or
endnote format
place proposal and accompanying documents in a folder or binder
include a cover letter.

VI. Proposal Appraisal

Before you submit your proposal, it is recommended that you ask a friend or colleague to take a final
look. At this point, we are often so intimately connected to the proposal that we cant see the forest
for the trees. The template on pages 18-19 will provide some guidelines and focus for their critique.
These charts can also be used in an interview with the funder to evaluate the proposal and to assess
the strengths and identify the areas that might need a little work.
Be sure to leave enough time for a thorough review and still get your proposal in on time.

VII. Post-Submission Thoughts

Be aware of the funders granting cycles: you may have quite a wait before you hear from
them.
On occasion, the funder will ask for more information: this is not to be difficult, but is
intended to produce a stronger proposal.
Understand that granting is a competitive, rigorous process.
If your proposal is unsuccessful, contact the funder for suggestions about how to make
your next application stronger.
Remember that grant-making is a craft; it involves both art and science, and takes some
practice to get it right!

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Proposal Appraisal
Component
1. Overall Impression
1.1 Title
1.2 Logical Flow
1.3 Layout/Visual Attractiveness
1.4 Grammar
1.5 Spelling

2. Summary
2.1 Appears at the beginning of the proposal
2.2 Identifies the grant applicant
2.3 Includes at least one sentence on
credibility
2.4 Includes at least one sentence on expected
outcomes
2.5 Includes total cost, funds already obtained
and amount requested in this proposal
2.6 Is brief/succinct
2.7 Is clear
2.8 Is interesting
2.9 Is motivating

3. Definition of Issues
3.1 Relevance
3.2 Evidence
3.3 Logic

4. Credibility
4.1 History
4.2 Track record
4.3 Partners/Advisors

5. Desired Results
5.1 Specifies outputs, outcomes and impact
5.2 Specific
5.3 Measurable
5.4 Attainable
5.5 Realistic
5.6 Timely
5.7 Describes the specific population that will benefit

6. Resources and Activities

6.1 Relates to Desired Results
6.2 Clear
6.3 States reasons for the selection of activities
6.4 Describes sequence of activities/timelines

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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

Yes

No

Rating
(1-5)

Comments/Suggestions

Component

Yes

No Rating (1-5)

Comments/Suggestions

6.5 Describes project staffing e.g., names, titles,

qualifications, tasks
6.6 Presents a reasonable scope of activities that
can be conducted within the time and
resources of the program/project

7. Evaluation Plan
7.1 Presents a plan for evaluating accomplishment
of outcomes
7.2 Presents a plan for evaluating and modifying
methods over the course of the program/project
7.3 Identifies who will be doing the evaluation and
how they were chosen
7.4 Clearly states criteria of success
7.5 Describes how data will be gathered
7.6 Explains any tools or questionnaires to be used
7.7 Describes the process of data analysis
7.8 Describes how evaluation results will be shared

8. Budget
8.1 Income
8.2 Expenses
8.3 Evidence that cost estimates are based on
sound research

9. Leverage
9.1 Alliances/Partnerships
9.2 Sustainability
9.3 Demonstrates clear value for the money

10. Conclusion
10.1 Concise
10.2 Demonstrates a level of confidence

11. Things to Omit

12. Things to De-emphasize

13. Things to Emphasize More

14. Any other comments ...

OHCC, adapted from the Grantsmanship Centre Training Programs and The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto.

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VIII. Web Sites for more Information & Ideas

Pr
oposal W
riting
Proposal
Writing
charitychannel.com/gfr.shtml
- the Grants and Foundation Review section of this web site contains articles about the grantproposal writing process, and discussion forums offer writers a chance to swap ideas
fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop1.html
- free online proposal writing short course
philanthropy.com/jobs/2003/05/01/20030523-367388.htm
- resources to help create better grant proposals
www.npguides.org/
- free web-based grant writing resources for non-profit organizations, including sample proposals
www.tgci.com/magazine/proposal.asp
- articles related to proposal writing/grant seeking from The Grantsmanship Center
www.mapnp.org/library/fndrsng/np_raise/np_raise.htm#anchor4293050175
- more resources and links for grantwriting, proposals and fundraising

Fundraising
www.mapnp.org/library/fndrsng/np_raise/fndraise.htm
- overview of nonprofit fundraising sources and approaches
www.charityvillage.com/cv/guides/guide3.asp
- Charity Villages extensive guide of fundraising resources
www.ec.gc.ca/fund_e.html
- list of funding programs for environmental groups compiled by Environment Canada (also in French)
www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pc-cp/pubs/e/fr4gras1.htm
- Fundraising Ideas That Work for Grassroots Groups, by Ken Wyman (also in French)
www.grassrootsfundraising.org
- practical tips and tools to help you raise money for your organization

Pr
ogram Planning and Evaluation
Program
www.wkkf.org/Programming/Overview.aspx?CID=281
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide and Evaluation Handbook
www.thcu.ca/infoandresources.htm
- Information and resources on Health Promotion Planning and Evaluation from The Health
Communications Unit (some resources available in French)
national.unitedway.org/outcomes/
- United Way of Americas Outcome Measurement Resource Network
www.innonet.org/
- Innovation Network provides tools and instruction for creating detailed program and evaluation plans
(free registration required)

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References
The information contained in this manual was compiled from a variety of sources, including the
following:
Big Online: Canadas Leading Source of Funding Information
Metasoft Systems - www.bigdatabase.com
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, Karen Liberman
Writing Effective Funding Proposals: Practice Makes Perfect
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Logic Model Development Guide - www.wkkf.org/Programming/Overview.aspx?CID=281
Kiritz, Norton J.
Proposal Checklist and Evaluation Form, The Grantsmanship Center
The Ontario Trillium Foundation
Presentation Notes: Joanne Richmond, Jacqueline Powell, Inga Lubbock
The Foundation Centre
A Proposal Writing Short Course - fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop1.html
van Rotterdam, Ingrid
Building Foundation Partnerships - Chapter 5: p. 49 - 64
Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
Your comments on this manual are most welcome! Please contact our central office:
phone: (416) 408-4841
toll free: 1-800-766-3418
email: [email protected]

To learn more about OHCC, please visit our website: www.healthycommmunities.on.ca

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