Is Your Proposal Fundable?

06/17/2002

"Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it." —Ted Williams

IS YOUR PROPOSAL FUNDABLE?

In the a book we recently recommended, Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. www.josseybass.com), author Cheryl Clarke offers these questions to ask to determine if a project you want to seek grant money for is fundable:

* Is the program or project compatible with your agency's mission or purpose?

* Does your agency have the expertise and staff resources to carry out the program?

* Can your agency manage the proposed expansion of services?

* Is the proposed program distinguishable from other similar programs in the community? If so, what specific niche will the project fill?

* If other agencies are doing similar work, has your agency explored opportunities for collaboration?

* Is there internal support from the board of directors and senior staff for the proposed program?

Clarke cautions that if your answer to any of these questions is "no", then your agency is probably heading down the wrong path -- a path not likely to lead to grant funding.

The web pages for the World Forum, at www.ChildCareExchange.com, contain a wealth of ideas on grant writing, designed in this case to raise funds for you to attend the World Forum, but useful for any fundraising initiative.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.