Assessment Model for Non-Profit Proposal Writing

A majority of the non-profit organizations rely heavily on grants to fund the specific activities of a project or organization. Requests for funding are usually in response to a direct problem and solution and typically occur through the submission of a proposal. A proposal is a comprehensive document, used for persuasive purposes, that explains the nature of the particular problem, a proposed solution, a contribution in return for grant funded support and overall justification for why a project or organization is deserving of a monetary contribution.

Each proposal submission varies considerably on the targeted funding source or funder. Generally, there are three different types of funder: Federal, State or Local Government and the Private Foundation. If the proposal is targeting a federal funding opportunity, the document will be formal, cumbersome, and address a wide variety of questions. Scenarios and general legalities, similar to White's suggestion of addressing various factor when activities are federally funded (e.g., ADA accessible, etc.), must be addressed and aimed towards a specific problem and/or issue. If the proposal is targeting a state or local government funding opportunity, the document will be less intense and bit informal; however, it will still address a wide variety of questions, scenarios and general legalities aimed towards a specific problem and/or issue. Finally, if a proposal is targeting a private funding source, the proposal will be more informal and the questions presented will be general and less specific to one problem and/or issue. As suggested by White in regards to teachers, the funder will also detail the description or purpose of the request (or application), its format and the criteria that will be used to respond to or assess it (White, Teaching and Assessing Writing, 1998, p.25).