Proposal Development for
Community Based
Organizations
Brenda D. Hayes, MSW, MPH, DSW
Director of Grant and Proposal Development
Office of Sponsored Research Administration
Morehouse School of Medicine
A successful grant proposal is one that
is well-prepared, thoughtfully
planned and concisely packaged.
…………………………..CFDA
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
In Language,
clarity is everything.
-Confucius
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
ALPHABET SOUP +
 RFPs =
 RFAs =
 LOIs =
 NGA =
 Grants vs. Contracts
 “My” Award, grant, supplement
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Things to Remember
 You can be successful
 You do not have to know everything but
 You do need to know who might know
 Colleagues, friends and successful associates can
help you given enough advance notice
 Practice, practice, practice
 Take advantage of “free” workshops, the Internet
and consultation
 Start Early!
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Three Essential Laws
Do your homework
Follow Instructions
Use Common Sense
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Write first
Funding Second
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
DEVELOPING THE IDEA
MODEL FOR PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
Goals of the
Organization
Initial Project
Idea
Assessing Capability
Assessing Need
For the Idea
Gathering Necessary
Data
Identifying Alternative
Approaches
Building Support
& Involvement
Selecting Funding
Source
Planning Proposal
Writing
Writing the
Proposal
This handout taken from
Submitting the
Morehouse
School of Medicine
Proposal
2008
Mary Hill. Getting Funded:
A Complete Guide To Proposal Writing
Continuing Education Publication,
P.O. Box 1491, Portland, OR 97207
Twelve Basic Principles*
1.
Match your ideas to the potential funding source and
thoroughly understand the goals of the grant program as
described in the formal solicitation.

The proposal/application must meet the grant program’s
needs.

Read all solicitation materials and FOLLOW ALL
DIRECTIONS!!!
*Source: USDHHS/PHS/SAMHSA. Snapshot: Overview of Grant Funding Opportunities.
Rockville, MD. March 2001.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
2.
Use the designated resources listed in the solicitation for
technical assistance and advice.

Consult with the Program Contact prior to submission of
the proposal since the staff cannot comment after you have
submitted your proposal. These staff members are
generally under-utilized.

Participate in any technical workshops offered by the
funding source.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
3.
Begin the proposal before the published notice or funding
opportunity.

Some organizations/associations highlight their funding
priorities before the official notice.

Develop a network of contacts that may provide support
to the project.

Develop a team of key participants who will assist with
developing the proposal.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
4. Establish a timetable and organize the needed
personnel as soon as funding availability is
announced.



Identify the person responsible for writing the proposal or
application.
Identify the person (s) to critique the drafts and who will
point out questions or gaps in your proposal.
Identify the person who will organize and obtain letters
of support (not boilerplate) that are specific to the
proposal and to the nature of the support that’s going to
be provided.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
5. Follow the instructions and the format.
 “This is not the time or place to be creative.”
 “Even if you believe your format is better, don’t
use it.”
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
6. Lay out a master plan

This plan is your vision for the project. Therefore, it
should answer the key questions of who, what, where,
when and why.

The proposal includes goal (s), specific objectives, target
population, resources, time frames and a method to
evaluate accomplishments. If you have additional
funding sources, then explain how they will be used.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
7. Be reasonable and realistic.
 Successful applications find a balance between
too much and too little detail.
 Justify your goals and objectives with a
convincing description. Any unexplained item
leaves questions about your credibility and
ability.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
8. Provide information on all of the review criteria.
 Be thorough, concise and to the point.
 If the application identifies specific criteria,
make sure you explain how you will achieve this.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
9. Explain any omissions, rather than “hope
that no one will notice.”
 It is important to understand that what is not said
in an application can hurt more than what is said.
 If it is not written in the application, it does not
exist for the purpose of the review
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
10. Make a reasonable funding request and
match the budget to the scope of work.
 The budget request must relate to the narrative
and the proposed scope of work. The justification
must match the amount requested.
 Be specific and justify each item.
 Explain and justify the use of consultants (based
on need) rather than internal staff.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
11. Address items regarding participant
protection/human subjects.
 This relates to the Institutional Review Board
and HIPAA regulations.
 Address confidentiality, parental
consent/permission if necessary, assent for
children, recruitment strategy, etc.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Basic Principles
12. KISS: Keep the application simple,
reasonable, business-like and professional.
 The proposal/application should be error free,
“presentation-ready,” with the correct forms
included.
 Finally, have someone check each page of all of
your copies to make sure that each packet is
complete.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Skills you must have or ……
 Persistence
 Good People Skills
 Communication Skills
 Organizational Ability
 Conceptualization
 Collaborations & Sponsorship
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Proposal (Exec.) Summary or LOI
 At the Beginning of the Proposal
 1 Sentence on Credibility
 1 Sentence on Problem
 1 Sentence on Objectives
 1 Sentence on Methods
 Funds: Requested or On Hand
 Should be: Brief, specific and to the point
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Getting Started
 What do you wish to achieve?
 What specific activities/services?
 Capability and Assets
 Previous Record
 Collaborators and Partners
 Evaluation
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Getting Started
 Identify your Goals
 State SMART Objectives
 Describe your proposed project
 What is the history of your organization?
 Do you have a network of supportive
organizations, people, volunteers?
 What results do you expect?
 Can you provide evidence of Impact?
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS
 Direct, concise, compelling, convincing, capable
and resourceful
 Addresses a significant/important problem
 Explicit goals, measurable objectives
 Comprehensive but succinct background review
 Methodology fits the problem
 Appropriate funding mechanism
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Unsuccessful Applications
 Failure to follow directions
 Lack of new or original ideas
 Diffuse, superficial or unfocused
research; lack of clearly stated
hypothesis and rationale
 Lack of an overall research goal;
uncertainty about future directions
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
And these applications
 Lack knowledge about relevant literature
 Questionable reasoning in design
 Lack of demonstrated experience in methodology
(lacks details)
 Format issues
 Over-ambitious
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Proposal Planning
 Identify Problem or Need
 Define the Problem or Need
 Limit the Problem or Need
 Consider Target Population
 Effort and Effect < or > Cost?
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
General Tips and Comments
 Take sufficient time to prepare a good
abstract, LOI, or concept paper
 Avoid jargon and acronyms
 Always include a budget and budget
justification
 Be careful when you cut and paste: assure
uniformity of font size and type
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
Continued…..
 Include an adequate and comprehensive literature
review, references and citations
 Include adequate history of previous projects and
programs
 Include information about previous grants or
partnerships
 Include information on outcomes of previous
projects or program impact
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
A Word about Evaluation
Formative vs. Summative:
“When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative;
When the guests taste the soup, that’s summative.”
…Bob Stake
Evaluation Theorist
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
A Word about Budgets
 Don’t Worry……
 This is the easiest area to find help.
 Don’t exceed the range given in the RFA/RFP
 Be reasonable and realistic
 “Do not bite off more than you can chew.”
 It is not for a free lunch..
 See hand-out material!
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008
The Burden of Proof
is on you to show, through a
clear, succinct, yet detailed
proposal, that you understand
and are capable of handling the
project and reaching the
objectives.
Morehouse School of Medicine
2008