Employment Proposal Template
General Template Instructions
Note: Most foundations ask grant seekers to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) as the first step in the application process. The foundation will then contact applicants to inform them whether or not to submit a full proposal.
As with the LOI template, you can use the full proposal template below in different ways:
I. You can use it as a template for your proposal by:
a. Using WORD’s search feature to find and replace ORGANIZATION with your organization’s name and FOUNDATION with the foundation’s name, and
b. Selecting the blue text throughout the document to add your own content to the wording presented here. The words in blue will guide you on what to write. Text in blue print throughout this document is presented as prompts, or idea starters, for your consideration as you compose your proposal. The blue text may also be identified by searching for the styles “instructions” or “replace” within the document. You do not have to answer each question. You can, of course, also modify any of the wordings NOT in blue to suit your specific needs.
II. Many foundations have their own guidelines for what they want to see in a proposal. If this is the case, follow the foundation’s instructions exactly. You will be able to insert much of the text in the boilerplate proposal in any foundation’s format.
III. A growing number of foundations accept what is known as a “Common Grant Application,” a proposal format that a group of foundations, usually those in a particular region, all agree to accept. This can make your work much easier, since you can write one proposal for a number of grantmakers. However, remember to look closely at each foundation’s individual mission and priorities and to modify your proposal to reflect your knowledge of what each foundation funds.
IV. You can use this proposal template as the example for your own original proposal. If you write your own proposal from scratch, be sure to include:
ü Executive Summary, Cover Sheet and/or Introduction
ü Organizational Background/Applicant Organization
ü Needs Statement/Background
ü Project Description
o Goals and Objectives
o Implementation Plan/Methods
o Anticipated Results/Outcomes
o Staffing/Administration
o Evaluation
o Sustainability/Continuing Support
ü Conclusion
ü Budget and Budget Narrative (usually separate from main body of proposal)
ü Attachments
Most foundations have page limitations for proposals, usually ranging from five to ten pages. It is important to adhere to this page limitation if requested. Even if the foundation does not have a page limitation, it is still a good idea to keep your proposal to fewer than ten pages.