March 18, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
Getting Funded: the Complete Guide to Writing Grant Proposals
by Mary Hall and Susan Howlett
With planning, research, and clear writing, fund raisers can greatly improve their chances of preparing winning grant proposals, write Mary Hall, a professor in the nonprofit-leadership master’s-degree program at Seattle University, and Susan Howlett, a fund-raising consultant in Seattle. The book, a revision of their 1988 edition, describes the key aspects of the proposal-writing process.
Getting Funded advises charities on conducting the research needed to develop and justify project ideas for which they are seeking support. It also encourages groups to evaluate their capabilities—for example, whether they have the necessary employees to carry out proposed programs—and provides checklists to help organizations assess the likelihood of receiving grants. Lists of online and other resources offer assistance in finding potential sources of financing.
After finding suitable grant makers and gathering submission requirements, charities should focus on writing compelling abstracts, the authors advise. They discuss how best to describe the purpose and activities of a program, as well as the qualifications of the organization and individual employees. Chapters cover such details as creating proposal titles, binding documents, and performing a final check of proposals before they are submitted.
The book also discusses recent developments in proposal writing, including the use of technology and what the authors view as an increased emphasis on collaboration among nonprofit groups. A new appendix gives sample syllabi for conducting workshops to teach others how to write winning proposals.
Publisher: Portland State University, Extended Studies, Continuing Education Press, P.O. Box 1394, Portland, Ore. 97207; (503) 725-4891 or (866) 647-7377; http://www.cep.pdx.edu; 180 pages; $34.95; I.S.B.N. 0-87678-071-0.
