Proposal Writing 101 Tools for Project Design
Proposal Writing 101
Tools for Project Design
Getting Started
“Proposal Writing 101: Tools for Project Design” is built for first‐time grant applicants looking to secure
small grant funding. In this workbook, you will find explanations and examples of simple tools used to
collect information and plan out project activities. Use these tools to build a well‐rounded project for
your next small grant proposal!
Make sure to read through all funding guidelines and application instructions for the grant competition
in which you are interested before you begin your proposal.
Overview of Workbook
1. Identify the Cause: What problem will you address?
2. Research the Cause: What information exists about the problem? What more do you need to know?
3. Identify Allies: Who else cares about the cause and can support your project?
4. Set Project Goals and Objectives: What specifically will you accomplish?
5. Organize Your Timeline: When will your project activities take place?
6. Organize Your Team: Who will be responsible for each activity and task?
7. Establish Monitoring and Evaluation: How will you know if your project is successful?
8. Develop a Budget: What costs are associated with your project activities? How will they be covered?
9. Promote Your Project: How will you raise awareness of your project?
10. Plan for Sustainability: How will you continue your project once the grant period ends?
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1. Identify the Cause
Tool: Problem Tree
To identify your cause, you can start by making a sort of mental map known as a problem tree. This tool
will help you identify the main problem you want to address, the causes, and the effects of the problem.
Start by identifying the main problem you would like to address. List this as your focal problem at the
center of your tree. A project should have a specific problem that it seeks to overcome. A vague or
broad problem will have too many causes for an effective and meaningful project to be developed.
Then consider what causes contribute to the focal problem and what the effects of the problem are.
The causes leading to the focal problem are the roots of the tree, the focal problem is the trunk, and the
effects are the branches and leaves. The focal problem can be redefined as the causes and effects are
identified, as listing these out will likely lead to reevaluation of how to define the main problem.
Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations. Overseas Development Institute. RAPID: Research and
Policy in Development. ODI Toolkits. Ingie Hovland. 2005. Pages 12 – 13. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi‐assets/publications‐
opinion‐files/192.pdf
Problem Tree
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THE CORE PROBLEM:
EFFECT #1: EFFECT #2: EFFECT #3:
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
CAUSE #1: CAUSE #2: CAUSE #3:
SECONDARY
CAUSE #1:
SECONDARY
CAUSE #2:
SECONDARY
CAUSE #1:
SECONDARY
CAUSE #1:
SECONDARY
CAUSE #2:
SECONDARY
CAUSE #2:
IMMEDIATE CAUSES
SECONDARY CAUSES
THE
PROBLEM
TREE
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2. Research the Cause
Tool: Literature Review
To create an informed project, conduct a thorough literature review. A literature review provides
context about the cause, including the history of the cause, previous and current efforts to address the
cause, and existing entities with interest in the cause. The literature review will inform what approach
your project may take and help you understand where your project fits into the larger conversations.
Resources to analyze in your literature review include scholarly articles, books, and publications by
institutions/organizations.
Tool: Community Needs Assessment
A literature review builds an understanding of the cause, whereas a community needs assessment helps
you develop an understanding of the target community to create a relevant project. The assessment
examines the state of a community and imagines how to improve the current situation to address
needs.
Through the assessment, you will identify the community’s needs and resources by collecting
information about the target population. These can be identified through a variety of methods,
including:
Census data
Focus groups
Key informant interviews
Community meetings
Surveys
It is recommended to start with secondary resources, such as websites or conversations with
professionals that offer specialized knowledge of the target population. Secondary resources can also
provide connections to strong primary resources, such as individuals or groups in the target population.
Write a Literature Review. UC Santa Cruz, University Library. https://guides.library.ucsc.edu/write‐a‐literature‐review Conducting a Community Assessment. Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder's Resources Library. Compassion Capital Fund National
Resource Center, operated by Dare Mighty Things, Inc.
http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/Community_Assessment.pdf
Conducting a Needs Assessment. University of Minnesota. https://cyfar.org/ilm_1_9
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3. Identify Allies
Tool: Stakeholder Analysis
The research you conduct on your cause is also a starting point for identifying potential supporters and
allies, or stakeholders. These are the individuals and organizations that can identify with your cause,
provide knowledge and skills, back your work, and contribute to your project.
Start by identifying stakeholders and their needs through a brainstorming session with your team. It is
especially important to think through what you might need for your project activities and who might be
able to provide necessary services and/or materials. This will result in a general list which you can
organize into a table, such as the example shown below. Once you’ve completed the brainstorming,
conduct further research to fill any gaps in knowledge of the individuals and organizations that may
have a stake in your project.
Once you have a complete list of stakeholders, conduct a full stakeholder analysis by considering the
levels of interest and influence of each. Place each stakeholder on a stakeholder analysis grid, seen
below, to know how to engage each individual and organization you identify.
Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations. Overseas Development Institute. RAPID: Research and
Policy in Development. ODI Toolkits. Ingie Hovland. 2005. Pages 8 – 9. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi‐assets/publications‐
opinion‐files/192.pdf
Stakeholder Table
Stakeholder Analysis Grid
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Stakeholder Analysis Grid Template
High power, highly interested people (Manage Closely): you must fully engage these people,
and make the greatest efforts to satisfy them.
High power, less interested people (Keep Satisfied): put enough work in with these people to
keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become bored with your message.
Low power, highly interested people (Keep Informed): adequately inform these people, and
talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. People in this category can often be very
helpful with the detail of your project.
Low power, less interested people (Monitor): again, monitor these people, but don’t bore them
with excessive communication.
© Copyright Mind Tools Ltd, 2006‐2018. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm
Graph adapted from Mendelow, A.L. (1981) ‘Environmental Scanning ‐ The Impact of the Stakeholder Concept,’ ICIS 1981 Proceedings,
Paper 20. 7
4. Set Project Goals and Objectives
Tool: Solution Tree
Use the problem tree to create a solution tree. Write the inverse of the focal problem to identify the
overall goal of the project. Do the same with the causes and effects of the tree. The causes of the focal
problem become the means for accomplishing the project goal, and the effects become the desired
outcomes. Use the solution tree as a starting point for identifying your goals, objectives, outcomes, and
desired impact.
The goals of a project are characterized as broad and hard to measure. The goals communicate the
general intentions of the project. In contrast, objectives are narrow in scope, precise, tangible,
concrete, and measurable.
Tool: SMART Objectives
Identifying and writing strong objectives is made simple by following the SMART objectives method.
Objectives should be:
Specific Answer the ‘W’ questions (who, what, why, when, where)
Measurable Give metrics
Attainable Are ambitious but not out of reach
Relevant Make sense with the project’s goals and matter to the target population
Time‐bound Set within a specific timeframe with a clear deadline
Objectives can be made SMARTER by adding Evaluate and Revise, which are steps taken once the
project is in the implementation phase. Evaluate your progress towards reaching proposed objectives
throughout the project implementation and revise your objectives as you adapt to the challenges and
successes you experience.
Example goal: Decrease the degree of malnutrition among young children in the southwest region of
Baltimore.
Example objective: By the end of year one, provide 125 mothers in the southwest area of Baltimore
with a 2‐hour training program that will provide health and nutrition information.
Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations. Overseas Development Institute. RAPID: Research and
Policy in Development. ODI Toolkits. Ingie Hovland. 2005. Pages 12 – 13. https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi‐assets/publications‐
opinion‐files/192.pdf
How to Write Goals and SMART Objectives for your Grant Proposal. The Balance Small Business. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/writing‐
goals‐for‐grant‐proposal‐2501951
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GOAL:
EFFECT #1:
EFFECT #2:
EFFECT #3:
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
SOLUTION #1:
SOLUTION #2:
SOLUTION #3:
SECONDARY
SOLUTION #1:
SECONDARY
SOLUTION #2:
SECONDARY
SOLUTION #1:
SECONDARY
SOLUTION #1:
SECONDARY
SOLUTION #2:
SECONDARY
SOLUTION #2:
SOLUTIONS
SECONDARY SOLUTIONS
THE
SOLUTION
TREE
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5. Organize Your Timeline
Tool: Gantt Chart
A Gantt chart is a timeline shown in a horizontal bar chart that helps project teams track their progress.
The chart shows when a task is scheduled to start, the duration of the task, and when the task is
expected to be completed.
Gantt chart templates are available online for Excel and through various software options.
Sample Gantt Chart
How to Create a Gantt Chart in Excel. Smartsheet. https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/gantt‐chart‐excel
Three Simple Gantt Chart Examples. Bernie Roseke. Project Engineer. https://www.projectengineer.net/3‐simple‐gantt‐chart‐examples/
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6. Organize Your Team
Tool: RACI Matrix
The RACI matrix enables project leaders to delegate work so
that each team member knows what their level of
engagement is across all tasks to minimize confusion and
maximize productivity.
A team member who is responsible for a task actually carries
out the work necessary for completing the task. Team
members marked as accountable are tasked with ensuring
the work is done appropriately. Those who are consulted are
not directly involved with the work, but provide input. Any
informed team members are simply kept in the loop.
The matrix, formatted similarly to a Gantt chart, is seen in the
example below.
Sample RACI Matrix
How the RACI Model Helps Get Things Done. Tanzen. https://www.tanzenconsulting.com/blog/2017/6/1/how‐the‐raci‐model‐helps‐get‐
things‐done
A Comprehensive Project Management Guide for Everything RACI. Smartsheet. https://www.smartsheet.com/comprehensive‐project‐
management‐guide‐everything‐raci 11
7. Establish Monitoring and Evaluation
Tool: M&E Plan Template
Use the goals and objectives you identify to determine the desired inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes,
and impacts of your project. This information is crucial to your monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan,
which is the plan used to track the progress your team makes towards accomplishing the project’s
objectives and overall goals.
Your M&E plan should clearly indicate the tools you will use, information you will gather, date the
information will be gathered by, and the person responsible for implementing the plan. M&E should be
conducted throughout the life of the project, as it allows project leaders to detect any early signs of
challenges and communicate clearly with funders about the overall health of the project.
Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks (Part 3). UN Women. http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/335‐monitoring‐and‐evaluation‐
frameworks‐3‐parts.html
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Goal #1:
Objectives Indicators (Output/Outcomes)
Source/Tools Target Goal (How much? How many?)
Goal #2:
Objectives Indicators (Output/Outcomes)
Source
Target Goal (How much? How many?)
Goal #3:
Objectives Indicators (Output/Outcomes)
Source
Target Goal (How much? How many?)
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Template
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8. Develop a Budget
Tool: Budget Template
A project proposal is incomplete without a well‐thought‐out budget. When creating your budget,
consider all the resources and materials you may need for the activities you want to carry out. Clearly
indicate the sources of funding for each anticipated expense and make sure that each expense is
justified in the budget narrative. The budget narrative describes the purpose for each budget item and
how it was calculated.
Your financial contribution to the project, demonstrated through evidence of cost share or contributions
from other sources beyond the grant, is critical information to include in the budget. Cost share shows
that your project is valued by stakeholders and/or the community.
When preparing your budget, ask yourself:
Is the budget feasible?
Are the costs
reasonable?
Are all proposed expenses
relevant and justified?
Is cost share included?
Are all the costs clearly explained in the budget narrative?
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Description of Expenses Value Quantity Requested Funds Cost Share
Personnel
Sub‐total Personnel
Program Costs
Sub‐total Program Costs
Other
Sub‐total Other Costs
Additional Resources/Support (from outside sources)
Sub‐total Additional Resources
Indirect Costs
Total All Costs
Total Combined (Grant + Cost‐Share)
Budget Template
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9. Promote Your Project
Tool: Media Plan
A media plan details the resources and approach you will take to promote your project. The result of
implementing your media plan should be a shareable product that shows what you and your team
achieve through your project. A strong media plan will help your raise awareness for your cause, spread
the word about your successes, and could lead to additional buy‐in from stakeholders.
Between print and digital media, there are plenty of creative ways to raise the visibility of your work.
When creating a your plan, consider what the best forms of media are for reaching your target audience
and what forms of media best compliment your project. You may chose to incorporate various forms of
media.
Consider the following media options when building your communication plan:
Print Media
Newspapers
Magazines
Journals
Newsletters
Broadcast Media
Radio
Television
Digital Media
Social media
Blogs
Websites
Videos
Photography
Online news publications
Email marketing
The Media: Summary. SparkNotes. https://www.sparknotes.com/us‐government‐and‐politics/american‐government/the‐media/section1/
9 Types of Digital Marketing (and How to Use Them!). Spark Logix Studios. https://www.sparklogix.com/9‐types‐of‐digital‐marketing‐and‐
how‐to‐use‐them/. 16
10. Plan for Sustainability
Tool: Brain‐jogging Questions
When developing your project, consider the following questions to determine whether your proposed
project can be sustained, and what you might do to make the project sustainable. Expressing your
intentions and plans for continuing the project beyond the life of the grant can make your proposal
more appealing to potential funders.
When and where can you do your project again?
What lessons did you learn in the first run of the project?
How can other
communities get involved?
How can you get more
stakeholders involved?
Can you create and reach even more project
goals?
Youth Serve America: Your Service Project Toolkit.
http://cdn.worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/2016/06/YouthChangingtheWorldToolkit2.pdf
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