How to write a grant application and grab decent money. Sample project estimate for a presidential grant Writing a social project for participation in grants

You will need

• Computer
• Internet access
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Printer, copier
• Paper
• Accountant consultation
• Cash for postage

Instructions

First of all, decide on the main idea of ​​your grant proposal. You can go two ways: look for a competition for a specific idea or look for an idea for a specific competition. Currently, a huge number of foundations (state and non-state, Russian and international, regional and foreign) offer to take part in competitions to receive. Each of them has strict application requirements that must be strictly met.

Come up with a succinct name that reflects the main idea. Prepare the “Title Page” in accordance with the template proposed by the grantmaker.

Carefully work through the “Resume (summary)” section. Typically this section takes up exactly half of an A4 page and answers the questions:
- what is new and relevant;
- what are its goals and objectives, the main stages and expected results from the implementation of the project;
- what is the project budget, how much funds need to be raised and how much you yourself are willing to invest in. Return to this section again and again, gradually bringing it to perfection.

Proceed to writing the “Introduction-Familiarization” and “Substantiation of the Problem” sections. Use simple language. Do not overload the text with professional terms. Give vivid and imaginative examples of the current situation, leading to the conclusions you need.

The “Goals and Objectives” section should have one main goal and several task-stages to achieve it. Proper setting of tasks will make it easier to write the “Methodology and Schedule” section, since the completion of each task should be the completion of the next stage in the plan.

Pay special attention to the “Summarizing and Evaluation” section. Clearly state the expected results (tangible and intangible), linking them with the completion of task-stages. Use quantitative and qualitative evaluation indicators so that you can provide specific numbers of positive things that happened as a result of the project.

When preparing the Budget and Budget Explanation section, use the form provided by the grantmaker and only those cost items specified by the grantor. Please indicate the amounts including required taxes. Be sure to consult with an experienced accountant about what costs you may incur if you receive grant funding. It is also better to tie the budget to stages, since the grant giver often transfers funds in parts. Each expense item must be justified in the appropriate section of the application. Indicate in this section: the total cost of the project, the amount of funds requested, the amount of available funds (at least 30% of the total amount).

When starting the “Future Financing” section, describe possible options for prolongation (continuation) of the project, and also indicate at what cost this can be accomplished. Possible options: fundraising (attracting sponsorship) or self-sufficiency.

In the “Appendices” section, place materials that can help create a favorable attitude towards the project of the commission members. These can be illustrations, layouts, diplomas, publications, documentary evidence of previous victories in similar competitions, results of other projects, and the like. Enlist the support of reputable people and organizations. Let them write “letters of support for the project”, where they indicate: that the project is of particular importance, and its author is well-deserved in a particular social environment; that, if funding is received, these people (organizations) are ready to take part in the implementation of the project to the best of their ability.

Start preparing a “Covering Letter” to the competition organizers. Don't forget to include your contact information. Make an inventory of the attached documents. Record a copy of the application on electronic media. Attach it to your application. Send the package of documents by registered mail with notification to the competition organizers in advance, so that if there are any shortcomings, they can be promptly corrected.

Where can you get funds to start a business if you only have an idea? Get financial assistance from the state or special funds. To do this, apply for a grant. Let's consider how to increase the chances of its approval, what documents to prepare and nuances that reduce the time for making a decision.

Opportunity receive funds for free attracts novice businessmen to implement the business. However not all types of startups are eligible for grants- for this they must meet certain criteria:

• Novelty. This is not about launching another business, but about the innovative nature of the idea.

However, there are also differences:

1. Not always included in grant applications pay attention to the commercial part. As a rule, the goal of the project is to achieve intangible benefits, and there may be no financial return at all.
2. Grants are “sponsorship” help that is provided free of charge, and when submitting an application you do not have to justify the possibility of returning the borrowed funds.
3. “Intangible” sections are of great importance - purpose of the project, its significance. Compliance of this information with the essence of the grant program is the key to receiving a subsidy.

Experts should have correct (and positive) representation about the project, its feasibility and benefits. Correct design of sections is important.

Sample of filling out the main points

Regardless of the fund that offers sponsorship and documentation forms, any application contains a number of key sections. We provide brief recommendations on how to fill them out.

Usually, when announcing a competition, the grantor himself provides an application form and business plan forms. If this requirement is not present, follow the common rules.

• Title page- reflects general information about the project and its author . Write briefly and to the point.
• annotation, although it is the smallest section of the application, has the most important function. This is a summary of the main provisions of a multi-page document.

Most of the application reviewers read only the summary.

This section provides summary information about the goals, resources of the project, its significance, and the author. It is logical to fill it out at the last stage, when the main part of the application is prepared.

• Description of the organization- information about the applicant. Details, legal name, work experience. Include achievements - anything that will form a positive opinion of the grantee.
• Justification of the need- one of the most important sections. A grant will be issued if you have justified the value of your idea not only for yourself, but also for society.
• Project Description- a detailed statement of what, how and by what methods you will do to achieve your goals.

Financial and technical sections of the grant application

• Implementation work plan- specifics. You describe all the steps and operations that will be performed on the way to your goals. Take it seriously, because errors or illogical calculations and conclusions will create a negative impression of you.
• Specific results- fixed indicators (qualitative or quantitative), upon achievement of which you will declare the success of the project.

• Mechanism for evaluating results is also important. Show how the grant giver will monitor the success of the idea in which the funds are invested.
• Further funding and prospects. Many non-profit grant projects are “closed” once their goals have been achieved and the budget has been spent.
• Financial plan- How will you spend the grant funds received? This section should be as reasonable as possible, transparent and take into account all the nuances of corporate taxation, legal and accounting subtleties.

How to submit and what other documents may be required

An organization applying for a grant is required to submit a package of documents to the fund. Depending on the idea, the kit may vary, but the main papers remain the same.

• Constituent documents Individual entrepreneur or LLC - registration certificates, charter, orders of appointments, statistics codes and the like.
• Copies financial statements for the last period (balance sheet, ).
• Audit reports.
• Data of the main officials of the organization with brief information.

A big plus in the biography of the director or founder will be confirmed information about his achievements in the chosen field.

• Recommendations, letters of support. If the project is implemented in the social sphere, obtain the approval of the relevant funds and bodies. Attach their competent conclusions with the contacts of the principals to the application.
• Documents for the right to use property, transport that will be involved - certificates of ownership, lease agreements.

Submitting an application is not difficult: all you need to do is format your idea correctly and collect the necessary documents.

Applicants face difficulties while preparing their application. We have collected practical tips that will simplify the task:

• Before you begin the labor-intensive work of writing a document, make sure that the goals of the chosen fund match yours.
• At the stage of development and filling consult with the grant provider. Most funds and government services operate centers for working with applicants, where they provide serious information support and training free of charge.

So, even within the same system it is very different, and if you do not know the nuances, you can enter incorrect data into the financial plan.

• The total cost of implementation cannot be less than the amount of funds requested. For commercial organizations it is optimal if project budget for exceeds the subsidy amount - this way you will show that you are ready to invest your funds. For non-profit projects, implementation can be carried out within the scope of the grant.
• The main thing when receiving a subsidy is inspire confidence among fund specialists in the idea. The application must be logical, concise and perfectly structured, and the justification must be convincing and without ambiguity.
• Experience in the chosen field- the first thing the grant giver looks at. Having superficial knowledge about the object of application of forces, gleaned from the literature, do not count on a subsidy.

Conclusion

The first thing that specialists from government agencies and foundations see when considering a project is the application. Whatever the gift of persuasion an entrepreneur has, the impression is formed when studying it. If the document does not reflect real goals and does not disclose the implementation process, it may not be possible to achieve “face-to-face” defense.

Dear readers! If you have any questions or clarifications on the topic of the article, please leave comments! We will try to cover the most relevant topics for you in the future. We are waiting for your ratings and opinions!

To prepare estimates, the cash method is used: all expenses are taken into account in the budget (and subsequently in reports) as funds are paid.

The estimate must strictly correspond to the content of the project. When changing the content of the project, you should check the budget for the need for adjustments.

The estimate must meet the requirements of realism, validity, transparency, intended use, efficiency and completeness.

Low scores for various applications were often related to the size of the funds requested. The “ask for more, we’ll give less” method does not work in the presidential grant competition. The more money an organization asked for, the more rigorously its application was assessed.

When assessing the project estimate, experts will be guided by the following criteria:

• the feasibility of the project budget and the reasonableness of the planned costs for the implementation of the project;
• the ratio of the planned costs of implementing the project and its expected results, the adequacy, measurability and achievability of such results;
• the organization’s own contribution and additional resources attracted to implement the project.

Payment for services of third-party organizations and individual entrepreneurs using grant funds should be planned in an amount of no more than 30% of the requested grant amount. The indicated amount does not include office expenses, rental of premises, other property and property rights, travel expenses, accommodation, meals as part of travel expenses and expenses for holding events.

Co-financing is indicated only in the part of co-financing of the project submitted for competition (should not include financing of all current activities of the organization, for example, renting the entire premises used to accommodate all the organization’s personnel).

A sample project estimate is provided “Social 3D Modeling”

1. Remuneration

1.1. Payment of full-time employees

Job title	Salary per month (in rubles, including personal income tax)	Number of months (no more than 18 months)	Total cost, in rubles		Requested amount
Project manager, accountant	20 000,00	9	180 000,00	0,00	180 000,00
Leading webinar designer	20 000,00	9	180 000,00	0,00	180 000,00
Project curator	12 500,00	9	112 500,00	0,00	112 500,00
Webinar presenter-psychologist	17 000,00	9	153 000,00	0,00	153 000,00
Total for the article:			625 500,00	0,00	625 500,00

This section of the estimate indicates labor costs only for the part of the salary that is paid to the employee for work on the declared project.

The wages of project workers are set taking into account the average wage in the corresponding region, and it is recommended to determine the level of wages in such a way that the average wage of project personnel does not exceed 48 thousand rubles per month per employee (in the part financed by the grant ).

1.2 Payments to individuals (except for individual entrepreneurs) for the provision of services (performance of work) under civil contracts

1.3 Insurance premiums

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2. Travel expenses

This estimate item only includes travel expenses for project employees working under employment contracts related directly to activities on the calendar.

3. Office expenses (rent of non-residential premises, utilities, communication services, banking services, electronic document management, postal services, computer equipment and software (including reference information systems, accounting software), stationery and consumables)

The Fund does not encourage the use of cash payments and, accordingly, the costs associated with receiving cash from the cash desk. In this case, it is possible to compensate an employee for expenses incurred on an advance report by transferring to the bank card of such an employee.

4. Purchase and rental of specialized equipment, inventory and related expenses

expenditures	Unit cost (in rubles)	Number of units	total cost	Co-financing (for the entire period, in rubles)	Requested amount
Rent a 3D printer	12000,00	1	6 000,00	0,00	6 000,00
PLA rod, weighing 1 kg	678,00	8	5 424,00	0,00	5 424,00
PLA rods, weighing 2.5 kg	1 798,00	2	3 596,00	0,00	3 596,00
Delivery	700,00	1	700,00	0,00	700,00
Total for the article:			15 720,00	0,00	15 720,00

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5. Development and support of websites, information systems and other similar expenses

6. Payment for legal, information, consulting services and other similar expenses

The budget item includes payment for external organizations involved to provide legal, information, consulting and other similar services. These services must be necessary for the implementation of the project and require professional knowledge.

7. Event expenses

expenditures	Unit cost (in rubles)	Number of units	Total cost, in rubles	Co-financing (for the entire period, in rubles)	Requested amount
Monetary equivalent of free volunteer labor	43 200,00	1	43 200,00	43 200,00	0,00
Rent for premises for holding webinars, maintaining a forum, maintaining project reports.	72 000,00	1	72 000,00	72 000,00	0,00
Internet payment	5 310,00	1	5 310,00	0,00	5 310,00
Payment for the webinar room	19 800,00	1	19 800,00	0,00	19 800,00
Asus laptop	17 060,00	1	17 060,00	17 060,00	0,00
Epson Styles Photo R-200 color inkjet printer	4 601,00	1	4 601,00	4 601,00	0,00
Set of cartridges for Epson Styles Photo R-200 printer	4 080,00	1	4 080,00	4 080,00	0,00
Total for the article:			166 051,00	140 941,00	25 110,00

8. Publishing, printing and related costs

9. Other direct costs

This section of the estimate must include expenses required for the implementation of the project that are not provided for in other items of the project budget. However, the inclusion of such items as “Unforeseen expenses” or similar items at the expense of the grant is not allowed.

What cost items can the grant funds be used for?

Grant funds can be used to pay for the following costs:
1. Remuneration:

• remuneration of full-time employees;
• payments to individuals (except for individual entrepreneurs) for the provision of services (performance of work) under civil contracts;
• insurance contributions to extra-budgetary funds.

2. Travel expenses.
3. Office expenses.
4. Purchase, rental of specialized equipment, inventory and related expenses.
5. Development and support of websites, information systems and other similar expenses.
6. Payments for legal, information, consulting services and other similar expenses.
7. Expenses for holding events.
8. Publishing, printing and related expenses.
9. Other direct expenses corresponding to the intended purpose of the grant.

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Steps from "A" to "Z" for beginners and experienced

Project: a set of planned actions taken to solve the problem of a specific target group, limited in time and resources, with specific results.

Social project: a program of real action, the goal of which is aimed at solving a pressing social problem in society, and the objectives are for positive results and changes in society.

Basic requirements that the project must meet:

relevance– the reason, the basis for the implementation of the project must correspond to the requirements of the time, a separate target group or other aspects that explain the emergence of the project idea;

time– the project must be limited in time;

resources– the project must have a clear description of the needs;

quality and results assessment– the scale for assessing the effectiveness of the project is determined in accordance with your goals, but the results you strive for must be clear, amenable to analysis and comprehension.

Projects can be simple and complex, short-term and long-term, with a limited and substantial budget, risky and with completely manageable risks, with different results. In any case, the project is aimed at solving a specific problem. The project must be systematic, logical and adequate, that is, each section must correspond to all the others (tasks must correspond to the goal, the mechanism must correspond to the goals and objectives, the budget must correspond to the goals, objectives and mechanism, etc.).

How to write and format a project? Steps from "A" to "Z"

Step #1: Decide on an idea, analyze the problem.

What would you like to change?

What and in what way (in the most general terms) would you like to achieve?

What problem do you want to solve?

You wrote down the answer → moved on to defining the scope of the project activity, defining the problem you will work on.
Analyzed the problem → determined what you want to change → a project idea arose → move on to detailing and describing the project.

Step #2: Write the goal of the project.

Target- a general description of the expected results and expectations, the highest point of achievement that the organization strives for during the implementation of the project. A goal is a course of action to achieve the desired result.

The goal should be formulated in such a way that its achievement completely solves the problem that has arisen. The formulation of the goal should be based on the formulation of the problem. We can say that the goal is the problem in reverse.

Ask questions for the purpose of your project:

Is there an exact expression of what exactly should be the outcome of the project?

Will we be able to see and measure the results of the project as a whole and its individual parts?

Is the goal realistic? Is it possible to achieve the stated goal given the available resources?

What benefits or benefits will be obtained as a result of achieving the goal by the project team and other stakeholders?

Step #3: Write the project objectives.

Project objectives- these are specific steps that need to be taken to change the existing situation for the better, these are steps to achieve the goal.

INimportant to remember! There can be several tasks, all tasks are steps towards achieving a goal, interconnected and related to the goal of the project.

Use verbs. For example, if you need to build a house, then the tasks will be: laying a foundation, erecting walls, building a roof, installing communications, doing interior decoration, etc.

Check. Objectives must completely cover the solution to the problem (the set goal).

Analyze. Tasks must be effective (as a result, changes after the project consist of specific results).

Step #4: Check the goal and objectives according to the smart criterion.

We look at our goal and objectives, check them according to the SMART criterion, and adjust them if necessary.

	Specificity
	Measurable
	Achievable
	Rewarding
	Time bound

For example: Goal: “Construction of a house” - can be specified according to the SMART criterion as follows: “Construction and commissioning of a 2-story, 6-apartment building for families of young professionals in the village of Vychegda by the second quarter of 2014.”

Step #5. We build a logical chain of actions from tasks.

We have determined the goal and objectives → Let’s start planning: how it will all happen.

From each task we build a logical chain of actions: how we will achieve the result. Sometimes it helps to draw the entire chain of actions and tasks in order to understand the logic of the project in each direction.

For example, if we are talking about building a house for the families of young professionals, then our task blocks may be related to:

directly by construction

agreements with government authorities

with working with the target audience – families of young professionals

working with the press on PR of the project and the event in general.

This logical chain will help us write a project schedule in its logical sequence.

Step No. 6. We write an action plan, a work schedule.

The plan determines the order in which all work will be performed: it describes what, who will do it and when, in a logical sequence + makes it clear what resources are needed. When planning, you can use various forms, schedules, plans.

For example: Project implementation plan. Example No. 1

Project implementation plan. Example No. 2

Project implementation plan. Example No. 3

It will also be useful to make a network plan - schedule.

Step #7. We calculate how much our project will cost.

Each stage of project implementation requires a certain expenditure of funds and resources:

how much money is required to implement the project? What will they be spent on?

From what sources is the money expected to be received? Grants, subsidies, sponsorships, etc.?

This section of the project must relate very closely to other sections of the project, especially the implementation mechanism and project schedule.

Possible cost estimate for the project:

	Name of items and expenses	Cost calculation	Financial costs for the project
			Available funds	Requested funds

The “budget” (estimate) must be itemized.

Main expenses:

rental of premises and utility payments

travel and transportation expenses

equipment

communication and communication

holding special events

publishing costs

Consumables

and other direct costs that directly go to your project.

"Other expenses"- this is an optional item that is included in the budget if there are expenses that are not reflected in other items. This article must be especially carefully argued.

"Salary"- includes direct wages of project personnel and specialists hired temporarily under a contract, as well as “Income tax accruals” - 35.8% of the total wage fund for personnel and attracted specialists.

It is necessary to pay special attention to the last three columns in the budget table: “available funds”, “requested funds”, “total”. The “available funds” column should indicate the funds that you and your organization are investing in the implementation of the project. For example: the involvement of volunteers as staff or external specialists must be reflected in the budget item “salaries” in the “available” column, and the amount will correspond to the costs that the organization would have incurred if paid employees had participated in the project implementation instead of volunteers specialists.

If the organization, you or sponsors provide any office equipment for the implementation of the project, then in the “available” column it is worth indicating its approximate cost, taking into account its service life.

In the “required” column, it remains to indicate the amount of funds that the organization lacks to implement the project.

Step #8. We write the results.

When drawing up an action plan and calculating a budget, we may realize that the results may be even greater than we planned. It is important that our results correspond to the purpose of the project.

In a project, the results can be written down in text; here we suggest you fill out a worksheet to determine the results:

Quantitative result(what will be done?) - records the number of services provided, participants in events, recipients of specific assistance, number of books published, etc.

Quality result(what will change?) - should reflect the positive changes that will occur as a result of events, provision of services, etc.

Efficiency- Are the results obtained commensurate with the efforts expended?

The criteria for assessing the effectiveness of a project are results that demonstrate how well the developers understand what they are striving for and how they will achieve it.

Step #9. we draw up the project.

A completed project usually contains the following sections:

Brief summary of the project: briefly describe your idea (3-5 sentences), goals, results (no more than 1 A4 sheet, 12-14 font)

Detailed description of the project:

The relevance of the problem, why your project is important and necessary.

Goals and objectives of the project.

Target group of the project: who is your project intended for, for whom are you doing it.

Project implementation mechanism: stages, substantive activities, events, etc.

Schedule plan for project implementation (remember about visibility, schedules are welcome).

Budget (estimate).

Specific expected results (quantitative and qualitative), criteria and methods for evaluating results, the effect of the project in the long term.

Possible further development of the project, if anticipated.

applications (photo materials, diagrams, sketches, etc.)

The design of the project text is as important as its content. Use large font (at least 12 font) and one and a half spacing. Highlight the main points, structure the text to make it easier to read, use headings and subheadings, bold fonts and underlining, bulleted lists, etc.

If you need to make a presentation:

for each section no more than 1-2 slides;

the font should be as large as possible and readable even from afar, the title and text of the presentation slides should be printed in the same font, it is recommended to use a font size of at least 20 in the presentation;

when using a light background, the font should be black or a very dark shade of other colors (brown, blue); when using a dark background color, the font is white;

Planning and writing grant proposals

Applications for grants submitted to private foundations and to government organizations (federal, regional, city or district levels) usually differ in form. Private foundations usually ask you to send a short letter outlining the nature of your project as an initial application. In many cases, in the future you will need to send a full version of the project. Government funding sources almost always require you to fill out a certain number of standard forms in addition to the application itself. Thus, the application process for a private and public organization is very different.

A package to a government agency usually contains:

1. An inquiry;
2. Application;
3. Additional materials.

1. Letter of request- a short (2-3 paragraphs) statement signed by the director/rector of your organization. The letter briefly describes the essence of the application, the importance and significance of the proposed project. The letter must reflect the support and approval of the project by the administration and must be signed by another official, such as the executive director, in addition to the head of the institution.

2. Application, sent to a public fund, is usually longer than sent to a private one (usually 10-20 pages). In their recommendations for the preparation of applications, funds indicate their recommended length and sequence of presentation. It may be helpful to immediately visualize the process of evaluating your application (see the attached Evaluation Criteria). Quite often, government agencies in their guidelines describe in detail the evaluation criteria for each section of the project. This gives you an idea of ​​what to focus on first and helps you better frame your research. If you are asked to limit your project to ten single-spaced pages, don't double-space it thinking that will improve the impression. Follow the rules scrupulously, otherwise the impression will inevitably be unfavorable. Your application can be rejected only on the basis that you have violated the rules for completing it.

Applications to government agencies may also contain special forms, for example, a title page form indicating the name of the project, the names of the performers, the total amount requested, the number of people affected by the project, etc.; an insurance form (for example, to assess the level of risk to people during a project); a statement prohibiting any form of discrimination; accessibility of equipment for disabled people, etc. It is important to understand which of these forms should be submitted at the same time as the application and how they should be completed, so read the instructions carefully.

3. List of additional materials usually specified by the fund. As a rule, this includes descriptions of the occupation of project participants, biographical information (resumes), letters of support from other organizations, your tax benefits, annual report, financial documentation, etc. This part (Appendix) can be quite lengthy if the fund requests a lot of information. There are authorities that have very specific requirements for the type of documentation submitted.
The documents listed above are usually required only once, and if you apply to the same fund again, you most likely will not need to submit them again.

________________________________________

We offer the following universal format for writing your applications. It will allow you to include almost all possible items found in applications to public or private foundations. Our format will also allow you to develop a logical approach to planning and writing projects

PROJECT SUMMARY

The resume is a very important part of the application, and not a trifle that can be left until the last minute. The executive summary is often referred to as the "project summary." When applying to a private foundation, it should be in the first paragraph of an application written in letter form or in the first section of a more formal application. The summary is likely to be the first thing read, so make it clear, concise and to the point. It should make it clear who you are, what the scope of your project is and its COST. Some reviewers will only read the summary, so it needs to be good.

INTRODUCTION

In this part of the application you tell about your organization as a potential applicant for a grant. As a rule, applications are funded based on the reputation of the applicant organization, and not just on the quality of the project itself. In the Introduction, you justify your credibility and explain why your application deserves support.

RELIABILITY

What makes an organization credible in the eyes of its sponsor? First of all, different sponsors have different requirements. A “conservative” sponsor is more likely to respond to the presence of famous people on the Board of Directors of your organization, the length of its existence and the presence of other sources of funding besides the sponsor itself. A "progressive" donor would be more likely to be interested in a Council made up of ordinary citizens rather than celebrities, and in organizations that have emerged recently rather than many years ago.

Potential sponsors should be selected based on their possible interest in organizations of your type, and in those similar to your project. Use the Introduction to justify the connection between your interests and the interests of the sponsor. What can you tell us about yourself in the Introduction?

• Your goals and objectives;
• how long have you existed, how have you developed, how significant are your financial resources;
• the uniqueness of your organization - facts such as the fact that you were the first in the country to start working in your field, etc.;
• some of your most significant achievements, or if the organization is recently established, the achievements of the trustees or staff in their previous place of employment;
• Your success in projects similar to the one proposed;
• financial support you receive from sources other than the fund you are applying to, accompanied by letters of support (in the Appendix)

.

We strongly recommend that you keep a record of all your achievements so that you can use this information in the Introduction to each of your applications. Newspaper clippings about your organization, letters from other institutions and from individuals approving your activities, customer responses - you can find all this in ORIM. Include here statements from major political figures or prominent scientists in your field that attract public attention to the implementation of projects similar to yours. Do this even if the persons indicated do not mention you specifically, but only talk about the formulation of the problem as a whole. For example, by including in your application a quote from a government report stating that projects similar to yours can most effectively achieve the objectives, you are borrowing public trust from the individuals (in this case the government) who made such a statement (if, of course, they are truly trusted ).

Remember that your credibility, as demonstrated in the Introduction, may be more important than the rest of your application to receive a grant. Stock up on trust! However, here, as elsewhere, be as brief and precise as possible. Avoid using jargon and write simply.

FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM

or justification of needs

In the Introduction you told about yourself. From it, your sponsor should have understood your area of ​​interest - what you are working on. Now you must clearly state the specific problem that you intend to solve with your project. While the Introduction is most important in generating funds, the Problem Statement is critical to developing a good project plan.

This section describes the situation that prompted you to begin developing the project. It is necessary to describe the situation outside your organization, i.e. problems from the life of your clients, local residents, city, or country. The needs expressed should not be internal needs of your organization, unless you are looking for means to improve the efficiency of your own work. In particular, your lack of money is NOT a problem. Everyone understands that you are asking for financial help. This is obvious from the very fact of submitting the application. It is important to answer the question of what problem you need money to solve. What will you use the funds you receive for? This is exactly what should be written in this section of the application.

This section can be called “Problem Statement” if you are going, for example, to improve the lives of the homeless, promote the employment of the unemployed, help developmentally delayed children and solve other numerous problems of modern society. “Formulation of needs” rather refers to less tangible items: for example, the organization of cultural or other programs that satisfy the spiritual needs of the population. Of course, they are no less important than the previous type of programs, but simply take a different approach that does not quite fit the “problem solving” model. In this case, instead of the Problem Statement and Goals sections, Needs and Needs Satisfaction are more suitable.

Don't assume that everyone is well aware of the seriousness of your problem. This may be true, but your sponsor will need additional evidence of your competence in this matter. Include relevant statistical data in the project, quote speeches by government officials (especially local ones), prove that you are really going to solve a specific problem. Tables and diagrams will most likely not please the reader, so save them for the appendix. It is best to provide a number of the most impressive data that clearly illustrates the situation. Be sure to know what the numbers you quote mean.

When writing a Problem Statement, you must do the following:

• logically connect the tasks performed by your organization with the problems you are going to try to solve;
• clearly define all the problems that you are going to work with, make sure that your task is, in principle, feasible - that is, it can be solved in a real time, with your strength, spending a limited amount;
• confirm the existence of the problem with the help of additional materials - statistical data, group statements, private letters from your clients and professionals working in your field, etc.
• be realistic - don't try to solve all the world's problems in the next six months.

Note: Keep in mind that many applicants do not understand the difference between the problem itself and how to solve it. For example, an agency helping older people in a city area claims that its clients desperately need minibuses to get around the city. The agency considered that there is a “need” for buses, since many residents of the area cannot go to doctor appointments, social services, etc. The mistake here is that instead of stating the actual problem, the authors of the application skipped straight to the next paragraph, “Methods.” The presence of buses is only a means of transporting older people to the location of medical and other necessary services that are inaccessible to them without a bus. In addition to this method of solving the problem, there are probably many others. For example, efforts can be made to persuade relevant organizations to decentralize services, provide goods and services at home; or hire helpers to help the elderly. It is possible that ultimately buying minibuses would solve the problem in the best possible way, but it is clear that this is just a method, not a problem or a need. Be very careful in such cases. If you feel like you want to write about the lack of some means in the “Problem Statement”, you most likely mean the lack of means, which should be stated in the “Methods” section.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

A well-prepared project should be coherently presented. The introduction should logically prepare the Statement of the Problem, and similarly, the last section should have a logical transition to the Goals and Objectives.
Goals- these are the most general statements like: Create additional sources of information about AIDS for the bilingual population; reduce the number of unemployed adults; create a monitoring service, etc.
Statements of this kind cannot be quantified. Their main purpose is to show the type of problem the project is dealing with. This is where goals differ from objectives.
Tasks- specific and measurable results of your project. (these are the possible improvements to the situation that you described in the Problem Statement section). If every time you write project tasks you look at them in this way, you will easily understand how they should look. For example, if the problem is that some children in your school read several times worse than other children their age, then the goal might be to ensure that by the end of the project a certain percentage of these children have learned to read significantly better than before. They will read better than those of their peers who were previously at the same level as them, but were not covered by the project. Such tasks should indicate who is covered by the project, what needs to be changed, in what direction, by how much, and by when.
As another example of a measurable task, consider the following:
Upon completion of the thirty-day training program, 75% of the 80 charity trainees will be employed at a minimum wage of $5 per hour and will remain employed for at least three months.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISTINCTIONING OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

Many, if not most, projects have as their primary goal the organization of some program or service. This is typical of the non-profit sector as a whole, where most organizations typically offer a variety of services. Therefore, in projects of this kind, Tasks of the following type are common:
“The goal of the project is to provide counseling services to juvenile offenders from 8 to 14 years old in their area of ​​residence.;"
In this case, the Problem says nothing about the results, that is, about those changes in the situation described in the Problem Statement. The problem given above is not bad if the Problem part stated that the main problem is the “lack of counseling services,” most likely it also talked about the increase in youth crime, violations of school rules, etc.

Thus, the Objectives should be as specific as possible. They should contain quantitative data about the degree of usefulness of the project. Some applicants, trying to be specific, pull numbers out of thin air. For example, a certain service writes that their task was “to reduce the unemployment rate in the N district by 10% over a specific period of time.” The main question is: where did these numbers come from? As a rule, they are written simply because they look respectable. This seems to demonstrate real achievement. However, quantitative indicators need to be more reliable. It is possible that no program has ever been able to do anything like this. It is possible that, on average, unemployment could be reduced by 2-6%, in which case 5% would already be a very good indicator, and 6% would be the maximum possible. Then 10% is just a fiction, and it shows your incompetence in your chosen field. Always remember that Objectives must be realistic and achievable. Decide right away whether it is possible to achieve the ten percent mark, and do not try to include things that are obviously impossible to achieve in your application.

If it is difficult for you to describe all the tasks at once, try to imagine what you will be doing in a year or two. What changes would you like to see? What are the differences between the current state of affairs and the future? Achieving such changes may be the goal of your project.

A NOTE ABOUT METHODOLOGICAL TASKS

You may have encountered Tasks of the following type:
“The objective of the program is to provide car repair classes three times a week for 36 weeks to a group of 40 unemployed people,” or “The objective of the program is to conduct workshops twice a week for at least 18 weeks with at least fifty parents, in which There were reports of child abuse".
Such Tasks are called methodological, as they belong to the Methods section. They talk about WHAT you will do, not what YOU WILL GET AS A RESULT. It is extremely important to distinguish such methodological tasks from real goal tasks. If you do not do this, you will only know about the processes that occurred in the program itself during its execution, and not about changes in the surrounding situation. Remember that you are organizing a project that is designed to change something in the world around you, and not just create another service in an environment that is already oversaturated with various advisers and assistants.
Methodological problems can be very useful, but to avoid confusion they should be placed under Methods rather than Goals and Objectives.

METHODS

At this point, you have already told your reviewer who you are, what you are going to work on, and what your goals are (promising to solve or mitigate problems). Now you need to describe the methods that you are going to use to achieve your goals.

In the Methods section, you should describe in sufficient detail the activities that are necessary to obtain the desired results. From this section it should be quite clear to the reader how the work will be carried out; what devices and equipment will be required; what the performers will do; how customers will be served; how, where and what additional resources will be attracted, etc.

There are two main questions that should be clarified in this section: 1) what is your strategy in achieving the desired results? and 2) why did you choose it over all the others?

The answer to the last question will require you to know projects similar to yours. Who else has worked on your problem in your area or elsewhere? What methods were used previously and are being used now and with what results? In other words, you must justify your choice of methods.

Considering alternatives is an important aspect of your methodology. By demonstrating your familiarity with similar work and explaining your choice of means used, you make yourself more credible in the eyes of the sponsor. It is obvious that through the Methods section you can significantly increase your level of confidence. It is important that you appear competent in your question in all sections of the application.

So, in the Methods section you must indicate who does what and for whom, and why they do it that way. Your approach to solving the problem should look attractive to the reviewer. A realistic and reasonable project will make an impression. The best intentions cannot save an unrealistic project.

GRADE

An evaluation of your project is needed for two reasons. First, you should assess the degree of overall performance in order to understand how successful you were in achieving your goals. This kind of evaluation is called outcome evaluation.

Secondly, evaluation can be carried out to obtain information about the progress of the project. This is necessary so that you can adjust the project directly during implementation. This evaluation is called a progress evaluation.

Measurable Objectives set the stage for effective evaluation. If you find it difficult to determine which criteria are best to use in evaluating your project, review the Goals and Objectives again. They're probably not specific enough.

SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENTS

Many project evaluation plans are subjective in nature. Subjective evaluations usually tell us what people think about a program, but rarely evaluate the specific results of its work. For example, an evaluation of an educational program will reveal the attitudes of schoolchildren, teachers, parents and administrators towards it, but will not describe the tangible improvement in the learning of schoolchildren who completed the program. Subjectivism often influences the evaluation of results. It is especially noticeable if you yourself evaluate the results of your work, feeling that your further funding depends on visible good results.

One way to achieve a more objective, and often more professional, assessment is to ask an outside organization to do the assessment for you. It may sometimes be possible for such an organization to propose an assessment plan that can be submitted to the sponsor as part of your application. This will not only provide a more objective assessment, but will also increase the level of trust in you.

It is important to build an evaluation plan into the application, and be prepared to start evaluating the project from the very beginning. It is very difficult to begin to evaluate a project when it is close to completion, since at that moment a number of valuable data about the progress of the project may already be missing.