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HOW TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR YOUR PROPOSALS

11/2/2020

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DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE THE PROPOSALS YOU SUBMIT GO INTO A BLACK HOLE?

Do you sometimes wonder why your proposals, once sent, don’t actually turn into projects? All that effort and ... nothing.

We all want our proposals to be successful. After all, we put a lot of effort into them – and we know that implementing the proposal is going to benefit end-users. But donors are just not responding.

There are many reasons why a proposal might not get a response. Let’s look at a few here.


1. THE PROPOSAL’S OUTCOMES DO NOT REFLECT THE DONOR'S AREA OF CONCERN

Well, that’s a big issue. If the proposal doesn’t offer value, if it doesn’t align with the donor’s strategic objectives, or address a national, regional or global priority, it’s very unlikely to get your donors excited.

2. THE ISSUE DOES NOT STRIKE THE READER AS SIGNIFICANT

While this may be because it doesn’t match the donor’s interests, it could be something else. The most important part of a proposal is the problem description. This is where you ‘sell’ the need for the project. So, even if you have an amazing project that fully lines up with you donor’s interests, you still not have convinced them because you just didn’t explain the problem well enough.

3. THE PROPOSAL IS POORLY WRITTEN AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND

One of the reasons we fail to get our message across is simply that we didn’t explain the problem well enough. But there’s the rest, too – the background, the project description, explaining how the project will be monitored and managed, as well as the budget. It may be hard to follow because the ideas are organised poorly and the main ideas don’t come through; or the writing may lack clarity.

4. THE WRITER DID NOT FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES

Donors need to evaluate proposals in a consistent way. Ignoring the guidelines or template is another sure way to have your proposal rejected without consideration.

HOW TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR YOUR PROPOSALS

Clearly, then, we need to firstly identify projects that our donors are likely to support. This means a project which firstly offers VALUE. It needs to align with the donor’s strategic plans, or contribute to a national, regional or global development goal.

We also need to demonstrate that we have support towards solving this problem. That support can be internal (i.e. it is in line with your own organisation’s purpose and mandate) as well as the support of key stakeholders such as government, NGOs and other institutions.

And the project needs to be where you have comparative advantage. What unique skills do you have that means you can do this better than others? What do you bring to the table in terms of capacity, reputation and experience?

Once the project is identified, of course you will also need a project plan – as well as the skills to organise that proposal well, express your ideas clearly and convince your donor that:


  • There is a problem that deserves their attention
  • There is a solution
  • You have the ability to deliver

You can learn all these skills in our online training on Project Planning & Proposal Writing.

Learn what makes proposals successful and how to identify a project your donors will support. Learn the steps of project design as well as the key skills of writing a persuasive project proposal.

Start delivering proposals that your donors actually want to support.


PROJECT PLANNING & PROPOSAL WRITING ONLINE TRAINING
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HOW TO WRITE A WINNING CONCEPT NOTE

4/11/2019

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Having a good project matters, obviously – something based around solving a genuine problem within the target group or community. And elsewhere, we’ve discussed this – Problem Analysis, Stakeholder Analysis, and other steps to designing a project that genuinely gets results – positive changes for the stakeholders.

But organising those ideas into a well-organised concept note that persuades donors to support your project can be a challenge for many.

Your concept note / proposal needs to do three things.

Firstly, it has to convince the reader there is a problem that needs to be solved. Next, it has to show that there is a solution. And, finally, you need to convince the reader of your ability to make that happen.

So here’s a template you can use when organising your project ideas into a concept note / proposal that will persuade your donor of those things.

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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

12/6/2019

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STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT PART 5: ENGAGEMENT

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How do we engage with each stakeholder group? Do we consult? Do they participate? Are they partners? Or they just recipients of information?

There is a spectrum of ways to engage with our stakeholders depending on their unique roles, and we explore those approaches here.

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STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION

10/6/2019

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STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT PART 4: STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION

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Stakeholder Communication needs to be integrated into our regular delivery of project services and routine monitoring activities. Click through to find out how.

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WIN-WIN STRATEGIES IN STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS

8/6/2019

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STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT PART 3: WIN-WIN STRATEGIES

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How can we respond to stakeholder demands without negatively affecting the project itself?

Click through for the next video in this series.



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THE FOUR STEPS OF STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS

6/6/2019

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STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT PART 2: THE FOUR STEPS OF STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
Learn how to identify, analyse and plan for your stakeholders' interests, needs and expectations.
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Click through for the video and the Stakeholder Management template

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STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT

1/6/2019

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1: THE WHAT & WHY OF STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
People can just as easily grease a project's wheels as stop it in its tracks.

Stakeholder Analysis is about identifying all persons, groups and institutions who may have an interest in a project and taking steps to manage their interests and expectations so that the project runs as smoothly as possible.

Stakeholder Analysis is the technique used to identify the key people who have to be won over.
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THE WHAT AND HOW OF RBM

19/4/2019

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Following on from the last post, let's look at:
  • A definition of Results-Based Management
  • The RBM Process

We will also consider some of the implications in applying the RBM approach successfully
"RBM is not a tool - it is a mindset, a way of working that looks beyond processes and activities, to focus on the actual social and economic benefits of projects for beneficiaries." - UN Habitat
Click through for the videos.


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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT?

18/4/2019

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What is RBM all about?

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Where did it come from?

What do we even mean when we say 'a result'?

Let me share a few short videos with you from our online Results-Based Management, Monitoring & Evaluation training so we know what we are talking about here.

Click through for the videos.


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WHERE DID ALL THE WOMEN GO?

17/4/2019

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In a valley between two hill villages there's a place where the river widens and becomes still. A banyan tree provides shade and a focus for the women who come and go - girls collecting water, women doing laundry. Sujata, a community health worker, will often drop by when visiting a nearby project to sit and listen to the news and stories.

Beneath the tree it’s always busy. The women share stories, give each other advice. A small informal market has popped up, and women buy or trade produce with each other. Marriages have even been arranged here.

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