Grant Proposal Writing (CD Class)

7/24/2019 Grant Proposal Writing (CD Class)

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Standards, Indicators and Learning Targets

Community Development

Unit Title: B lock 7 - Grant Proposal Writing

Unit Description: This unit introduces 5 ess ential questions to proposal writing. Students explore all aspectsof proposal writing including, writing problem statements, work plans, and preparingbudgets. Their understanding of how to respond to the 5 essential questions will allow themto adapt these proposal writing skills to various donor expectations.

Unit Type: Shared Unit

Start Date: 2013-12-20

End Date: 2014-02-14

Stage 1

Community DevelopmentStrand: 3.1 Community Development

Standard: 3.1.2 Develop an understanding of the project cycle and develop important skills and dispositions tomanage it

Indicator(s): 3.1.2.3 Develop a project proposal that effectively communicates the true needs of a communityto an external donor and explains purpose, plan, management, budget needs, capacity needs, sustainabilitystrategy, responses to community empowerment, gender issues, a participatory approach, and capacitydevelopment.

Define the purpose of proposal writing (Community Development (HE)) KIdentify key components of a proposal (Community Development (HE)) K

Identify key vocabulary for proposal writing (Community Development (HE)) K

Identify the 5 questions to proposal writing (Community Development (HE)) K

Write a project proposal containing all necessary elements for a donor audience(Community Development (HE))

D

Write a problem statement containing all necessary elements (Community Development(HE))

D

Define goals and develop a goal statement for their target community (CommunityDevelopment (HE))

D

Define objectives and develop objectives that meet the SMART criteria (Community

Development (HE)) KCreate a 4-level res ults framework, including impact, objectives, outputs, and activities(Community Development (HE))

D

Distinguish between monitoring and evaluation (Community Development (HE )) K

Create a project plan using a Gantt chart (Community Development (HE )) D

Write a budget for a community project (Community Development (HE)) DSoft SkillsStrand: 2.5 Cr itical Thinking

Standard: 2.5.2 Plan

Indicator(s): 2.5.2.2 Develop an organized approach of activities and objectives

Create a project implementation plan us ing a Gantt chart (Critical Thinking Skills) D

Identify and assess available resources in carrying out the suggested project (CriticalThinking Skills)

D

Identify organizations, groups, and individuals whose efforts need to be coordinated forthe success ful implementation of the project (Critical Thinking Skills)

D

Identify project activities needed to reach project goals and objectives (Critical ThinkingSkills)

D

Plan a systematic monitoring system for the project (C ritical Thinking Skills) D

Standard: 2.5.5 Understand and interpret new knowledge

Indicator(s): 2.5.5.2 Adapt theories learned in the classroom and apply them effectively in new situations anddiverse contexts

Adapt skills learned in the classroom, taking into consideration changes in context andavailable resources, so that they may be applied in a variety of situations both insideand outside the classroom (Critical Thinking Skills)

D

Strand: 2.6 Professional DevelopmentStandard: 2.6.1 Cooperate with others

Generated on: 22 January 2014, 08:22:38


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Essential Questions

Cross-curriculum Links

Key Terms

Assessment Evidence

Learning Activities

Indicator(s): 2.6.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of key components of cooperation necessary to complete atask: contributing to group consensus, maintaining awareness of needs of others, balancing personalassertiveness with respect of the positions of others

Practice working collaboratively in a group (C ritical Thinking Skills) D

What are the 5 questions to proposal writing?

How does my awareness of these questions allow me to be flexible when writing a proposal for differentdonors? (Teacher EQ)

WoU Unit 6: Take perspective (thinking of the potential donor's perspective when writing a proposal)

Reading Unit 6: Integrating Information (integrating many parts of the project planning into one proposal)

Writing Unit 4, 5, & 6: Summary Writing, Persuasive Writing, Report Writing (all combined into one)

Computer Class: MS Excel & Word for Graphs, Charts & formulas & Photoshop

Proposal writing vocabularyUploaded File: Propos al Writing Vocabulary.doc

Stage 2

Pre and Post Proposal Writing AssessmentBefore and after this training, have learners complete the Self-Reflection Grid.

Assessment Type: OngoingAssessment Task: ReflectionUploaded File: Self-reflection Grid.doc

Final project proposalLearners create a proposal for a community project with a specific donor in mind. Encourage students towrite various types of proposals as analyze throughout this unit (traditional, visual, or even a video).Students can use a similar model to Self and Peer Evaluation if they are working in groups. SeeStudent Sample Proposals in Resources section for samples of students' group proposals.

Assessment Type: Portfolio (cumulative)Assessment Task: Writing taskAssessment Task: Performance task/ProjectUploaded File: Knowing your project.docUploaded File: Self_and_Peer_Evaluation_EIP Proposal writing.doc

Individual ProposalAfter learners have had practice writing proposals in groups, it is important to give them the chance topractice this skill individually so that they are able to do all of the steps themselves. Learners can writeindividual proposals for their host organization, which is a great chance for them to do more research intothe needs and assets of their own organization, as well as give them an opportunity to potentially contributesomething tangible to their organization when they return. This project could potentially be the final projectfor the course. See WH Sample Proposalsin Resources section for samples of students' individual

proposals.Assessment Type: Portfolio (cumulative)Assessment Task: Performance task/ProjectAssessment Task: Writing taskUploaded File: Individual proposal rubric.docxUploaded File: Individual Proposal Writing Project (Assessment tool).docx

Stage 3

Introduction to the 5 Questions of Proposal Writing

1. Why do we need this project? Why are we doing this? (Purpose statement)2. How will the world be different after this project? (Outcome/vision)3. What do we need to accomplish to reach our vision? (Results Framework the 4 levels of

results in a development project and project plan)4. How will we measure our success? (Monitoring and Evaluation plan, including indicators).5. How will we communicate our ideas to the resource provider / funder? (Communicating your

ideas both written and verbal is a key characteristic of successful proposals)



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Technical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: InputUploaded File: Five questions to proposal writing.doc

Proposal content, language, and structure (4 hours)Learners discover the components, language, and structure of proposals by looking at variousexamples of past proposals. They also connect how the components and parts of a proposal

answer the "5 Questions of Proposal Writing".Ongoing AssessmentTechnical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: ProcessType of Activity: InputUploaded File: Parts of proposal mind map.jpgUploaded File: Project vocabulary mindmap.jpgUploaded File: Propos al Writing Vocabulary.docUploaded File: Teaching Seqeunce_Content, language, and structure.doc

Why do we need this project? (2 hours)Learners explore the structure of a Statement of Need and compare this to the proposals they havebeen analyzing in class.

Note: For WH students, this will be review of CD Unit 5: Problem Statements, Goals & Objectives.Ongoing AssessmentTechnical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: ProcessType of Activity: InputUploaded File: Statement of Need.doc

How will the world be different after our project? (1 hour)Learners analyze vision/mission statements of various proposals analyzed in class.

Ongoing AssessmentTechnical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: InputType of Activity: Process

What do we need to accomplish our vision? (3 hours)

Learners analyze various proposals, focusing on the parts that answer the question above. They identifythe different words used to describe the project (results, goals, impact, objectives, outcomes, output, andactivities) and create a mind map showing words with similar meaning and the relationship between eachword (see "4 levels of results" from 5 Questions to Proposal Writing ).

Provide learners with various Result Statementsand have them identify if the statements of examples ofan impact, objective/outcome, output, or activity. Or provide them with various examples from 5 Questionsto Proposal Writingmixed up and have them match and order the appropriate results framework foreach impact. They can also practice taking one impact and writing the objectives, output, and activityneeded to realize that impact.

For more on Goals and Objectives, see Community Empowerment: Module III (p.62-69).For more on activities, see Community Empowerment: Module V (p.76-95).

Ongoing AssessmentTechnical Specialization: Community Development

Type of Activity: InputType of Activity: ProcessUploaded File: Results Statements.docx

How will we measure our success? (1 hour)Learners distinguish between monitoring and evaluation through an analogy. Teachers can use a footballgame - monitoring your progress (How many passes are connecting? How many shots do we take on goalvs. how many goals are scored?) and evaluating your success (What was the final outcome of the game?Who won?). They can then distinguish between these two terms by watching Medical Monitoring andEvaluation Visit - Nigeria. Finally, learners practice identifying indicators for monitoring/evaluating aproject using Indicators for Projects and Activities .

For more on monitoring, see Community Empowerment: Session 21 (p. 113-117)For more on evaluation, see Community Empowerment: Session 23, 24, 25 (p. 127-138)

Ongoing Assessment

Technical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: InputType of Activity: ProcessU loaded File: Indicators for Pro ects and Activities.doc



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Please comment on any of the following:

Standards, indicators, learning targets

Essential questions, cross-curriuclum links, key terms Activities and assessment Resources Overall unit clarity and estimated time frame

Uploaded File: Medical Monitoring and Evaluation visit Nigeria.mp4

How will we communicate our ideas to the funder? (3 hours)Learners explore the relationship between audience and purpose through a small role-play (see ProposalWriting: Audience and Purpose) and the importance of "know the donors" and "knowing ourselves". Formore in-depth information on "knowing the donors", see Civicus Manual p. 4-12. Use BackgroundInformationto encourage learners to "know themselves". Finally, learners look at different backgroundinformation from the various proposals analyzed in class.

Ongoing AssessmentTechnical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: ProcessType of Activity: InputUploaded File: Background information.docUploaded File: Propos al writing_Audience and Purpose.doc

Preparing a Budget (3 hours)Learners prepare a budget for their project (see Module V: Session 18 in CommunityEmpowerment)

Note : For WH students, this will be review from CD Unit 7: Planning & Project Design .

Ongoing Assessment

Technical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: InputType of Activity: ProcessType of Activity: Output

Finding & Contacting Donors (9 hours)Learners identify what makes a good candidate for a potential donor, do research to find potential donorsfor their project proposals, and learn professional methods for contacting these individuals andorganizations, drawing on Writing Unit 7: Professional E-mails and ProfessionalDevelopment: Internships & Employment to write cover letters and professional e-mails to theirpotential donors.

Ongoing AssessmentTechnical Specialization: Community DevelopmentType of Activity: ProcessType of Activity: Output

Uploaded File: Teaching Sequence_Finding and contacting donors.docx

Resources

Proposal Writing ManualsUploaded File: Civicus - Writing a funding proposal.pdfUploaded File: ProposalWriting.pdf

Student Sample Proposals Uploaded File: EIP Sample proposals.zipUploaded File: GBS Sample Propos al 2012 (Environmental Education).pdfUploaded File: WH Sample Group & Individual Proposals.zip

World Education Sample Proposals Uploaded File: Sample Proposal 2009 (UXO in Laos).docUploaded File: Sample Proposal 2010-11 (Computers).pdf

Uploaded File: Sample Propos al 2013 (Computer Lab).pdf

Proposal Application Samples Uploaded File: PLE Innovation Fund - Program Description Format.docxUploaded File: PLE RFA Proposal Format.docxUploaded File: Project Proposal Form 2012-13_Australian Government.docx

UPLIFT Project Summary (Room to Grow) Uploaded File: UPLift Project summary.rtfWeb link: http://5minutestochangetheworld.org/blog/

Unit Reflections



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WH 2012-13The "five questions of propos al writing" is a good s tarting point for this unit. However, the document withthe five questions is very confusing and too wordy for the students. Instead, I simplified it and used the fivequestions as the basis for the week (which actually turned into two weeks).

In addition to the four levels of results, I also spent quite a lot of time on Indicators and Assumptions (forsuccess and risk), in case any of them end up writing higher level/technical development proposals . We triedto focus on formulating measurable/quantifiable indicators, but not all of the students were able to do it. Allin all, it was incredibly challenging (for them and me, both) and in retrospect, I'm not sure I would have doneit.

For a day-by-day break down of how I conducted this training, s ee the attachment.


Documents

Grant Proposal Writing (CD Class)