concept note

•  is perhaps the shortest expression of a 

project idea given on paper to a donor.
• It is generally used to first propose a
project to a donor before submitting a 
full application.
• Concept notes are typically between one
and four pages long and
• summarize the key points of the proposed
project.
 Content of concept note
• Project summary
 to include the relevant information clearly and succinctly so that donors can
easily read and evaluate your project.
 Focus on your project, not your organization. 
 Try to include only one or two short sentences regarding your 
organizational background.
 Include specific and general location.  Always include what country and city/
cities you are working in. If you would regionally, make sure you clearly define
those boundaries. It is also important to define if you are working in rural,
suburban, or urban areas as well as working locally, regionally, nationally, or
internationally.
• Why project matters
– important and clearly show the problem they are solving.
– relevant statistics to show the scale of the problem.
• Call to action
– what you want your readers to do after reading your concept note. Convincing
your reader to complete this call is the entire point of the concept note.
• Contact information
Example in one page