GEH1040

Grant Proposal Assignment

AY2015-16 Semester 2

Introduction
A grant proposal is a persuasive document that an applicant writes to convince the funding
organizations that the idea proposed will best represent the philanthropic goal(s) of the funding
organizations. Once accepted, the grant proposal becomes a contractual document between the
recipient and the funding organization where the recipient is accountable for accomplishing the
intended outcomes and how funds are used, as well as for abiding by a proper reporting structure.
Because of this, a grant proposal should be well thought through, clearly articulated, and concisely
and professionally presented.

Task
As a project member of a musical production, your task is to search for grant opportunities and write
a grant proposal to be sent to an identified funding organization.

To complete these tasks, you will have to do the following:

a) do a landscape scan of funding opportunities

b) understand the respective funders’ philanthropic goals
c) assess how your project objective(s) may align with the funders’ philanthropic goals
d) draft a grant proposal with relevant components (proposal summary, introduction of
applicant (and organization), justification(s), statement of need, intended outcomes, project
description/design, potential impact, project evaluation and reflection, and budget)

General Guidelines
In drafting your grant proposal, consider the following questions.

a) Summary of proposal
i) Does it capture the essential point(s) in a concise manner?
ii) Has it been carefully reviewed to give an impression that it has been thoughtfully put
together?

b) Introduction of applicant (and organization)

i) Is the description of the application (and organization) credible?
ii) Is there a brief statement of the philosophy or goals of the applicant (and organization)?
iii) Is the track record and accomplishments of the applicant (and organization) provided (if
applicable)?

c) Justification(s)
i) Has the justification(s) been clearly stated for the proposal?
ii) Are they in line with the philosophy or goals of the applicant (and organization)?

d) Statement of need
i) Is there a clear, concise and well-substantiated statement about the
gap/problem/initiative to be addressed and the targeted audience?
ii) Is this gap/problem/initiative in line with the philosophy or goals of the funding
organizations?
 e) Intended outcomes
i) Have the intended outcomes been clearly articulated, with a good level of specificity?
ii) Are the intended outcomes achievable depending on time and available resources?

f) Project description/design
i) Is there a clear description of what the project is and how the intended outcomes can be
achieved?
ii) What are the action plan and proposed timeline?
iii) What is the key measurable output?

g) Project impact/evaluation/reflection
i) Is there a clear description of the methodology to ascertain the impact of the project?
ii) What are the specific ways to gather information that will be useful to establish or
demonstrate impact?
iii) Is there an articulation of the potential benefits (that are aligned with the
philosophy/goals of both the applicant and the funding organizations)?

h) Budget
i) Is there a well-thought through and well-prepared budget to justify the cost that is
consistent with the intent of the proposal?

Submission
Prior to submitting your grant proposal, please ensure that you have proofread it. Submit the
assignment by uploading it to the GEH1040 IVLE workbin by 13 March 2016 (Sun), 2359.

Evaluation
Your grant proposal assignment will be evaluated based on Content, Organization and Language.

Content 30%
• proposal is succinct
• key ideas are clearly articulated
• position of the applicant is clear
• proposal shows maturity of thought, namely appreciation of the complexity of the issues
• proposal is successfully substantiated through persuasive rhetoric

Organization 30%
• clear and effective rhetorical moves (proposal summary, introduction of applicant (and
organization), justification(s), statement of need, intended outcomes, project
description/design, potential impact, project evaluation and reflection, and budget)
• logical order of ideas within paragraphs yielding clear building of case
• effective use of transition devices between ideas

Language 40%
• error free or with very few grammatical mistakes
• sophisticated and varied use of sentence types including active and passive voice
• appropriate use of vocabulary, including technical jargon and persuasive language
• competent use of persuasive language and hedges, wherever appropriate
• professional/formal tone