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Foundation proposals play a key role in the fundraising process. But how can you make your proposal stand out? Here are three quick tips to help make the proposal process rewarding for your organization.
#1 – Focus more on knowledge of YOUR OWN organization, rather than fretting over deep research about the foundation. They know what their foundation is all about. They probably don’t know much, if anything, about you! Focus on your mission and the problems you solve. Don’t worry as much about knowing the foundation’s ins and outs.
#2 – Read all the instructions! And be sure you follow them correctly. This is a huge part of the process, but many times people breeze through the instructions and miss important information. Most foundations don’t even look at proposals where the instructions weren’t followed.
#3 – Beat the deadline. Everybody else’s proposal will likely arrive on the day of the deadline. If yours is among that group, it could get lost in the pile. Give yourself a deadline of 1, 2, or even 3 weeks in advance of the foundation’s deadline. This gives the foundation officers extra time to understand what you’re asking for and allows them to ask you questions while they’re not under deadline pressure. That two-way communication is important and can be critical to a funding decision. By being early, your organization will stand out among the others.
The most important tip, however, is to remember this: funding is not about the proposal; it’s about the relationship. The proposal is the mechanical part of the process, but the relational part is even more important. Build a relationship with the people at the foundation and work on keeping that relationship. The results follow the people more than they follow the paper.
Sincerely,
Kent Stroman,
America’s ASKing Coach