Grant Proposal Guidelines

develop a new organization for this grant proposal.  Please carefully review the Lee Foundation guideline before you start.  Again, remember and assume thatthis  grant proposal is a completely professional one that targets the Lee  Foundation grant. Thus, your audience will be the foundation reviewers,  not this course instructor.Cover letter (about 1 page)A cover letter should describe necessary core information succinctly, including your request grant amount.• Organizational background (about 1 page)What does you organization do? Please describe the mission and  history of the organization. Describe what your organization serves,  presents, and/or provides. Also, describe the most important challenges  and successes of your organization. (If you are not affiliated with any  organization but intend to create a new nonprofit organization, describe  what your organization will do and what legal status you intend, for  example, 501 (C) 3.)Also, provide a list of names and titles for key staff and board members.• Need/problem statement (about 1.5 page)What is the problem(s) or need(s) you want to address? The need,  problem or situation that readily exists, which your organization or  project seeks to address. Tip: describe the situation “as is” without  saying what your program does to address the situation. For example:  children cannot read at the level they should (versus – we teach  children to read better), people are hungry and lack access to  nutritional food (versus – we need to feed people). The need should be  relevant to the population your program serves. Include and cite  statistics, facts, references, and stories to support your claims.• Project/program description (about 3 pages)Who will be served and what will be accomplished? Who is your  audience? How many people do you serve? How does your organization add  value to the larger community? How, where, and with whom do you  collaborate? How does your request demonstrate success?1. Population:  The persons, neighborhood, environment, or entity that your program  seeks to serve or affect — e.g. how many, gender, ages, grade-level,  location, income level, academic background, family situation, personal  barriers or challenges. Tip: try to go beyond basic demographics and  paint a picture so as to demonstrate that a need or problem exists; one  that requires the help of your program.2. Proposed Outcomes/Results (refer to  Logic Model): The benefits, changes or improvements that will result  from your implemented program or project; i.e. how the population you  serve will be impacted or changed. If possible, state quantitative  measures or data.3. Benefits (Impact, Long-Term Outcomes):  The benefits that will accrue for program participants, the community,  or the environment as a result of your program achieving its proposed  outcomes. Try to sell the value of your program, and use cost/benefit  scenarios whenever possible (e.g., compare project cost to cost of  status quo, other approaches, etc). Tip: (1) start with a proposed  outcome, (2) add the words “so that,” (3) state the benefit. For  example, Participants actively engage in daily exercise for 30 minutes  each day (outcome), so that they will increase their metabolism rate  over time . . . (benefit)4. Methods or Activities (refer to the  Activities section of Logic Model): How the proposed outcomes will be  accomplished, i.e. how the program works in terms of major activities.  If necessary, include activity dates or duration, number of  participants, staff involved, etc.5. Evaluation (refer to Logic Model):  State the projected level of success of the proposed outcomes, and how  the outcomes will be tracked, measured, and evaluated. Consider using a  statement and table like the following: “Ongoing and regular program  evaluation is important to our organization, which is overseen by  [executive director, program director, board of directors]. To the  degree possible, evaluation findings are incorporated in our continuous  improvement process. Below is a table that, for each proposed outcome,  lists the (1) performance target (projected level of success), (2)  indicator(s) – the way(s) change is observed and the data collected, (3)  methods/tools (how data will be collected or tracked), (4) timeline  (when or how often the outcome will be measured) and (5) who (persons or  entities) will be responsible for conducting evaluation.”• Budget statement (about 1.5 page)What is the budget for this initiative or project?Program or Project Cost: State the overall cost or budget of the program or project for which you are seeking funding.Amount and Use of Grant Request: State the amount of the requested grant, how and when it will be spent.Sources of Funding or Support: List the organization’s current and  future means of funding its efforts, including in-kind support. Make  sure this section ties to similar information in the grant application,  i.e. budget, annual report. “Financial accountability and management are  of utmost importance our organization. To that end, we emphasize  receiving funding from a diversity of sources, including grants, fees  for services, individuals, corporations, and government contracts.  Equally, we continuously seek to partner and collaborate with other  organizations as a means of sharing costs and conserving resources, as  well as avoiding redundancies of service providers. In addition, we  recognize the need to avoid being over-reliant upon any one funder or  funding source, and that funding from any one grantmaker is  time-limited.”• Sustainability strategy (about 1 page)How will you sustain this project and its impact in the future?  Explain your strategy in terms of other funding opportunities and  collaborators who want to work with you for this project.Length: 9 ~ 12 pages (single-spaced, 1 inch margin, and Time New Roman 12)