Podcast
Questions and Answers
What are the four dimensions to consider when writing a proposal?
What are the four dimensions to consider when writing a proposal?
What is the importance of clarifying impacts in a proposal?
What is the importance of clarifying impacts in a proposal?
What are the four inner pieces of the Proposal Pie diagram?
What are the four inner pieces of the Proposal Pie diagram?
What is the role of good judgment, writing skills, and background research in writing a successful proposal?
What is the role of good judgment, writing skills, and background research in writing a successful proposal?
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What should be known before writing a proposal?
What should be known before writing a proposal?
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What does the approach involve in a proposal?
What does the approach involve in a proposal?
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What are the risks of having gaps in a proposal?
What are the risks of having gaps in a proposal?
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What is the main focus when writing a proposal?
What is the main focus when writing a proposal?
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What is the difference between Benefits and Outcomes/Objectives in a proposal?
What is the difference between Benefits and Outcomes/Objectives in a proposal?
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What is the importance of understanding the motivation of donor institutions when writing a proposal?
What is the importance of understanding the motivation of donor institutions when writing a proposal?
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What is the challenge of a numb reader when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is the challenge of a numb reader when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What is the challenge of fake enthusiasm when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is the challenge of fake enthusiasm when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What is the challenge of template prison when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is the challenge of template prison when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What is the importance of using beneficiary stories when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is the importance of using beneficiary stories when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What is the main focus when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is the main focus when communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What is one of the challenges to communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is one of the challenges to communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What is the importance of understanding a donor institution's motivation for funding a project?
What is the importance of understanding a donor institution's motivation for funding a project?
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What is the role of pride in the development sector?
What is the role of pride in the development sector?
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How can a numb reader be engaged in a proposal?
How can a numb reader be engaged in a proposal?
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What is the importance of communicating Benefits in a proposal?
What is the importance of communicating Benefits in a proposal?
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What can be done to avoid sounding fake enthusiastic in a proposal?
What can be done to avoid sounding fake enthusiastic in a proposal?
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Study Notes
Four Dimensions to Consider When Writing a Proposal
- The guide provides a framework of four dimensions to consider when writing a proposal: purpose, impacts, approach, and budget.
- Good judgment, writing skills, and background research are important for writing a successful proposal.
- Before writing a proposal, it is important to know the project's purpose, content, donor's interests, and budgeting process.
- Impacts are the external and internal results that a project aims to achieve and are expressed through other pieces of the proposal pie.
- It is important to clarify the impacts internally, as they will affect how far one is willing to compromise on budget or project structure to succeed in the proposal.
- The proposal may not provide complete information, and there are gaps in the explanation of what is being done and why.
- The bigger the gaps, the more risks there are in project implementation, such as pressure to promise more to win funding or investing energy in prototyping and monitoring instead of project activities.
- It is worth taking on more risk sometimes, and the real rule is to consult with colleagues to clarify impacts and test the proposal on them.
- The four outer boxes in the Proposal Pie diagram represent the knowledge one already has, such as donor desire and knowledge or our ambition and needs.
- The four inner pieces of the pie are impacts, approach, budget, and monitoring and evaluation.
- The approach involves the methodology, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the project.
- The budget includes the total cost of the project, sources of funding, and allocation of resources.
Tips for Communicating Benefits in a Proposal
- Always start thinking and writing with the Benefits.
- Donor institutions have a motivation for funding a project, and it is important to understand and address it.
- Emphasize concrete language and inspire the reader's imagination to advance their motivation.
- Pride is a powerful emotional element to consider in the development sector.
- Benefits are different from outcomes or objectives, as they focus on motivating the reader to fund the project.
- It is important to effectively communicate Benefits in a proposal.
- Four challenges to communicating Benefits are fake enthusiasm, a numb reader, template prison, and patronizing the reader.
- Reflect before writing and be strict with your writing to avoid sounding fake enthusiastic.
- Use other people's enthusiasm or tell beneficiary stories to make your enthusiasm or inspirational suggestions more credible.
- A numb reader may be dealing with many proposals and may not appreciate higher-level explanations of Benefits, but hitting them with clearly communicated Benefits can be a positive point of difference.
- Donor templates or instructions may limit space for talking about purposes, but it is important to dedicate at least some space to explaining the Benefits.
- Breaking out of jail and delivering the Benefits can make a proposal stand out and increase the chances of funding.
Tips for Communicating Benefits in a Proposal
- Always start thinking and writing with the Benefits.
- Donor institutions have a motivation for funding a project, and it is important to understand and address it.
- Emphasize concrete language and inspire the reader's imagination to advance their motivation.
- Pride is a powerful emotional element to consider in the development sector.
- Benefits are different from outcomes or objectives, as they focus on motivating the reader to fund the project.
- It is important to effectively communicate Benefits in a proposal.
- Four challenges to communicating Benefits are fake enthusiasm, a numb reader, template prison, and patronizing the reader.
- Reflect before writing and be strict with your writing to avoid sounding fake enthusiastic.
- Use other people's enthusiasm or tell beneficiary stories to make your enthusiasm or inspirational suggestions more credible.
- A numb reader may be dealing with many proposals and may not appreciate higher-level explanations of Benefits, but hitting them with clearly communicated Benefits can be a positive point of difference.
- Donor templates or instructions may limit space for talking about purposes, but it is important to dedicate at least some space to explaining the Benefits.
- Breaking out of jail and delivering the Benefits can make a proposal stand out and increase the chances of funding.
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Description
"Mastering the Art of Proposal Writing: Test Your Knowledge with Our Quiz!" - Are you a seasoned grant writer or a newbie trying to write your first proposal? Test your knowledge and skills with our quiz on the four dimensions of proposal writing: purpose, impacts, approach, and budget. Learn about the importance of good judgment, writing skills, and background research in crafting a winning proposal. Get insights on clarifying impacts, managing risks, and consulting with colleagues. Discover the different components of the Proposal
