Impressions go a long way when seeking funding.
Relationships and making the right impression can hold as much weight as the viability and sustainability of your project. You want funders to get to know you better. You want them to read your entire proposal. You want them to like you and see a good match.
Just like you apply for college or a job, your proposal is the project's application to reality. Make your first impression count!
DO
• Take the time to plan.
• Find the right funder and research their guidelines and giving.
• Contact the foundation personally.
• Remember you need to show how you are a good fit for the funder’s mission and goals.
• Follow guidelines exactly!
• Answer all of the questions thoroughly.
• Make sure you answer the who, what, when, where, why and how.
• Provide updated and timely information; data from two years ago isn’t current.
• Check for typos, grammatical errors, punctuation and spelling before sending.
• Have a plan for future funding and program development.
• Make sure your attachments are in order.
• Send your request on time; early if possible.
• Send a thank you letter.
• Seek feedback.
• Celebrate your hard work!
DON'T
• Skip any part of the process or skim over the details.
• Expect funders to be compelled by your “urgent” need for funding; everyone can say that!
• Overwhelm the funder with an emotional appeal.
• Send the same proposal to 10 funders.
• Send more attachments than necessary or as required.
• Use more words than you need…get to the point.
• Forget a well-written cover letter from your organization’s leadership.
• Confuse the funder about your proposal's purpose.
• Ask for more money than you really need.
• Forget to make a copy for your files!!
• Don’t take it personally if you are denied.
• Forget to plan and schedule for progress reports.
• Forget to celebrate your hard work!
~Cheers!
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