Writing a Good Project Proposal

Improve Proposal Writing Skills of your organization
Describe Good Proposals
Describe Bad Proposals
Typical Proposal requirements and guidelines


A good project proposal will
Be in keeping with priority areas of the granter and the Request For Application
By part of your organization’s mission and capability
Enhance or complement existing initiatives

A good proposal will
demonstrate sustainability
Show how the project will contribute positively to the development of your organization and its overall program
Show how the results of the project will be maintained/continue to have effects over time
Cooperate and link with other organizations

Bad Proposals
Too general – does not address the objectives of the RFA
Does not meet proposal criteria
Few or no program activities
No results planned
No budget detail or budget does not comply with project details
(e.g., all of the budget is for food)
No experience
No background on the organization

Typical Proposal Requirements

Example of What to submit
Proposals must be typed in English using 12-point font
Pages must be numbered with margins 2.5cm from top/bottom and left/right
The original proposal, including all forms, must be signed by the authorizing officials at your organization
Submit two hard copies of the proposal
Submit an electronic copy on disk or CD using Word, Excel format
Faxed proposals will not be accepted

For further information contact:
[name], Grants Program Manager
Tel. [tel]
Email [email]

Proposal Format
READ THE DETAILS OF EACH RFA, BECAUSE EACH GRANTER HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS!!!
Smaller Grant Applications usually have simpler formats. Most Granters will use a Small Grants Application form
Often Granters make you use a Specific Application Cover Sheet

1. General Proposal Format and Guidelines
1. Application Cover Page
2. Project Summary
3. Project Description
4. Project Monitoring & Evaluation Plan
5. Project Sustainability
6. Project Personnel
7. Organizational Background
8. Budget
9. Attachments

2. Project Summary
A brief summary of your project (1 page)
Goal and objectives
Proposed activities
Expected results
Target audience and beneficiaries
How you will show that the project has achieved its objectives

3. Project Description Include
a. Background
b. Goal and objectives
c. Activities
d. Inputs
e. Results
f. Activities/Inputs/Results table

a. Background
What are the political, economic and social environment factors that affects the purpose of the proposal?
What are the needs or problems that your project will address?
How will your proposed project meet those needs or help to solve those problems? (1 page)

b. Goal and Objectives
What will the project achieve?Goal: general overall aim of the project
Objectives (3 objectives only)
• clearly and specifically define the project goal
• should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART)

The goal and objectives should be consistent with
The Granter’s overall goal and objectives
the corresponding RFA (request for application), and
your organization’s mission

c. Activities
Describe in detail planned project activities
How will activities accomplish the objectives and lead to the desired results
When possible, include numbers and types of participants, statistics on target audience, information on beneficiaries
Include a clear description of how the project will seek and guarantee the target group’s participation
Include a time frame or timeline for the activities (3 pages maximum)

d. Inputs
Resources the project will need
financial (in-kind, matching/cost share, or requested)
human (staff, volunteers, partnerships, networks, project participants, etc.)
physical (technology, equipment, etc. (1/2 page)

e. Results
What results do you expect from your project activities
Short-term (outputs)
Medium-term (outcomes)
Long-term (impacts)

Describe results in terms of the life of the project. It might not be realistic to expect long-term results from a small or short-term project.

4. Project Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan

It is a management tool for your project.
It is the information system used to assess project progress, performance and results.
It should guide your reporting.

Definitions
Monitoring
regular collection (analysis and use) of information within the project about its progress

Evaluation
periodic review of information about the project (‘formative evaluation’) and its performance (‘summative evaluation’)

Indicator
a quantitative or qualitative measure to describe whether the intended results have occurred and to show that you are reaching your objective

Indicators
A good indicator is direct, objective, adequate, practical, and reliable.
Quantitative or numerical indicators are easier to describe and interpret
Qualitative indicators are descriptive observations and may be used to add valuable information about your project

Progress Monitoring Plan
Copy the overall goal and specific objectives from Section b (above)
List a maximum of 3 indicators for each objective
Give details about how each indicator will be measured and the expected results for the short, medium and long term
Use the following format

5. Sustainability
Describe the plans to ensure the sustainability of the project after the
current funding ends.
Question to Answer: What if there are no donors left in Cambodia? How will your project survive? (1/2 page)

6. Project Personnel
List the personnel that will have a major role in the project
Give a brief description (one paragraph per person) of their
qualifications and experience as relevant to the proposed position

7. Organizational Background
Describe the history of the organization and type of work it has conducted in the past.
Describe the organization’s qualifications for this particular project.
Information about the size of your organization, annual budget, main sources of funding, geographical reach, and professional and political character.
If your organization has a Board of Directors or similar governing body, provide their names, and contact information for the Board chair or president.
Information on the total number of full-time and part time employees, including a breakdown by gender.
This section is not included in the page limit.

8. Budget
I: Budget Detail – Provide a complete breakdown of costs for
each summary line item. The budget detail should show unit
costs, number of units, total cost, and cost share (if any) for each
detail line item.
II: Global Budget – Provide a complete budget of the whole
organization. The global budget should show all income that your
organization, by donor, and how you plan to spend it.
III: Budget Narrative - Briefly justify each item in the budget. All items should be described in sufficient detail to enable Granter to determine that costs are reasonable and allowable for the project.
IV: Salaries History - Indicate the number of hours per month that each employee will spend working on the project; also, provide at least three years’ salary history for each employee listed in the budget.

I: Budget Detail
Complete breakdown of costs for each summary line item.
Unit costs, number of units, total cost, and cost share (if any) for each detail line item.

III: Budget Narrative
Justify each item in the budget.
All items should be described in sufficient detail to enable Granter to determine that costs are reasonable and allowable for the project.

IV: Salaries History
Indicate the number of hours per month that each employee will spend working on the project
Also provide at least three years’ salary history for each employee listed in the budget

9. Attachments
If you are applying to the Granter for the first time, please provide copies of the following documents:
Statute, charter, or other constitutional document of your organization
Registration certificate
Last annual report or similar document
Audited financial statements for the previous fiscal year (if available)

GENERAL BUDGET GUIDELINES

1/ Salaries
The budget should show the titles of those persons to be paid and note whether salaries are full or partial.
If partial, the percent of work time covered by the salary should be indicated.
This line item should not include consultants’ fees, honoraria, temporary personnel services and all other types of services: see
‘Contractual Services’ slide.

Fringe Benefits
Medical benefits, employer’s portion of income tax contributions, and any other social payments made by the employer (disability insurance,
pension plan, etc.) as required by local law.
Note: If the organization’s policy is to pay a 13th month salary, it should be budgeted as part of the Salaries line item.
Not included are income taxes withheld from employees’ salaries.

Rent and utilities
Rental of office space for the project and associated utilities payments.
The amounts for rent and utilities should be shown separately.

Supplies
Purchases of office supplies, such as paper, pens, folders, printer and photocopier cartridges, computer diskettes, pantry supplies and other office consumables for use in the project.
Equipment
The purchases of equipment to be used during project implementation.
Each piece of equipment should be listed separately and the price per unit indicated.

Communications and postage
Communications: telephone, fax, e-mail, and Internet expenses.
Postage: postage stamps, express mail services, and courier services.

Travel and per diem
Travel: transportation costs for local travel
Perdiem: accommodations, meals and incidental expenses incurred for travel on official business related to the project.

Contractual services
A contract basis, including: consultant fees, honoraria, temporary personnel services, translation services, rented or leased equipment, audit fees, legal fees, accounting and audit services (if performed by an outside contractor rather than in-house).

Other Direct Costs
Direct costs other than the ones mentioned the above cost items.
Items such as printing costs; training seminars, meetings, and conference expenses (room rental, equipment rental, coffee breaks and
meals, materials, etc.); reference materials related to the project; and bank fees.
Line items labeled “Miscellaneous” or “Contingency” will probably not be accepted.

General Unallowable Costs
Entertainment
Capital improvements
Other items such as kitchen help hired to prepare or serve refreshments for an event are unallowable
Gifts, gratuities, commissions, donations, fines, and penalties are not allowable expenses under most Grants.
“Miscellaneous” and “Contingency”
Conclusion
Proposal Requirements
Proposals are solicited for well-defined projects outlining:
a) Project description (summary of the project)
b) Project Purpose (general overall aim of the project; community and organization needs),
(b) Capacity of project (number of machines requested; locations to be supported with estimated size of target audience in each location,
(c) Inputs and Partnership Contribution (resources the project will need: financial (in-kind, matching, requested); human (staff, volunteers); physical)
(d) Results
(e) Project Monitoring and Evaluation
(f) Project Sustainability (continuation of the project)

Proposal Requirements
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Voluntary Private Organizations (VPOs), and other non-profit organizations operating in
Cambodia are eligible to propose projects for these grants.
Proposals should be submitted in English and be complete, clear and succinct; budgets must be accurate, transparent, and calculated in U.S. dollars.

Unallowable Costs
Grants may not be used for the following:
partisan political activity,
for general operating expenses and infrastructure costs,
for provide direct social services to populations.