Project Proposal Template

The best way to communicate is to be blunt rather than subtle. Using a phrase such as “The purpose of this proposal is... ” or “The goal of the proposed project is...” may be an effective way to write a purpose statement. The reader should know what the proposal is trying to accomplish before they finish a proposal's introduction. It is common for purpose statements to relate to solving problems or seizing opportunities.

In the project proposal, the objectives and vision, deliverables, timeline, and ownership should be highlighted. Additionally, you can include key risks and issues, success criteria, and reporting details. An estimate of project costs and the estimated financial impact post-completion should be included in the project financials.

Here are 10 common steps, in order, that are often included when writing a formal grant proposal:

1. Include a cover letter: Cover letters serve as introductions to grant proposals. An investment request describes the organization or individual making the request. Projects that need funding are described along with the amount needed and the purpose of the investment. The project's general goals and funding sources are described in this section. While it goes into some detail about each topic, other sections of the grant proposal go into more detail. It is recommended that this section be addressed to a specific person or organization who will be the grantee.

2. Include an executive summary: A brief description of the organization or individual requesting funding is included in this section, along with how the current project fits into that mission. Rather than providing too much detail, executive summaries aim to summarize the entire grant proposal. It may be possible for this section to illustrate how an organization's research on stem cells contributes to its overall mission of treating spinal injuries.

3. Describe a statement of need: You will outline your project's stated need in the statement of need section of your grant proposal. The first section of your project description provides detailed information regarding the issues it seeks to address. Investors are motivated to invest in a worthy cause since grantees want to ensure their funds are going to a good cause.

4. List objectives and goals: When the project reaches its funding goals, this section highlights the project's positive outcomes. It provides an explanation of why funds are needed by relating them to desired results and by explaining the reasons for solving a problem. Make sure this section contains in-depth information about the issue and how the solution can benefit society or grantees. Your organization's goals and objectives can be briefly described in this section, including details about future funding you may need.

Steps to Make a Project Gantt Chart:

a) Scope of Review Baseline: As a team, review the three components of the scope baseline that was approved.

b) Organize activities: Each work package is decomposed into activities using a technique called decomposition.

c) Activities should be sequenced: The activities of one person are related to those of another. Each activity has a predecessor and a successor, except for the first and the last.

d) Resources to be estimated: Resources must be identified and estimated before durations can be estimated. In addition to labor and materials, equipment is also included in resources. Analogous, parametric, three-point, and bottom-up estimation are among the methods that are used.

e) The estimated duration of the project: A duration measures how long it takes for an activity to begin and end. Estimate the duration for each activity based on the resources, relationships, and sequencing.

f) Schedule development: Use a project management software tool to create the GANTT chart. Make sure all schedule risks are addressed in the schedule. Ensure that contingencies and response plans have been included in the schedule. The most common method for dealing with schedule contingencies is to add buffers at both activity and project levels.

6. Describe methods and strategies: The next step is to describe how you plan to solve the problem you previously stated in your grant proposal. You or your organization will describe the methods and strategies you plan to use to complete your project in this section. To determine if your investment will be successful, investors want to know how you plan to use their funds.

7. Detail a plan of evaluation: It is often expected that grantees will hold you accountable for the progress of their project. According to the other sections of your grant proposal, a plan of evaluation describes how you intend to ensure that money is spent in the right places.

8. Include a budget: The list of grantee's funded items and the amounts you plan to distribute to each item can be found in this section. Budgets can be presented in the form of tables or written descriptions, as long as each expense is thoroughly described.  

9. Detail organizational information: Grant proposals include information about the organization requesting the grant in their last section. In this section, you can include all pertinent personal information about the individual requesting the grant.

10. Sign the bottom of the document: Your signature and name along with basic information about your organization or yourself should be included in the grant proposal after it has been concluded. You may want to include your title, e-mail address, or phone number here. Lastly, list the date by which you will send out the grant to the potential grantees.

Download useful Project Proposal templates here and modify according to your requirements: