[Your organisation name, address, telephone & fax, website and logo]

[Contact person at your organisation, email]
[Date]

Project proposal form

[Project Name]

TIPS

  • return this to US in ms word for feedback.
  • ask your contact person for help with specific questions you may have regarding this proposal.
  • Save the proposal as :your organisation acronym/name first, project acronym/name second, For example “CARE_PN. DOC”
  • Avoid the repetitive use of buzzwords or jargon in the proposal.
  • Highlight and italisize only where necessary.
  • place referencesin footnotes.
  • Although we will make every attempt to process your application quickly, please be aware that the process can take several weeks, sometimes months, before projects are approved or declined. We will make every effort to be in contact with you during this time.

I.Summary

II.Introduction of [your organisations name here] (the Organisation Providing Services to the target population)

III.Introduction of the Parent Organisation

IV.Introduction to Programme

V.Needs/Problems

VI.Goals/Objectives

VII.Procedures/Activities/Scope of Work

VIII.Assumptions and Influences

IX.Expected Outcome

X.Timetable

XI.Budget

XII.Key Personnel

XIII.Monitoring and Evaluation

XIV.Endorsements

XV.Next Steps

XVI.Appendix

I.Summary

This section should include information for those readers who will not read the entire document but who will need a summary of the proposal. Although this section appears first in the document, it is usually written last.

The summary should remain on a separate page and not exceed one page.

The summary should contain the following elements:

  • Current context or situation
  • Brief identification and purpose of theorganisation providing direct services
  • The purpose and anticipated end result of the project
  • Time period envisioned
  • How the project fits with trade union values
  • The type and amount of support requested
  • The total anticipated project budget in GBP and local currency
  • Other information you deem pertinent

II.Introduction of [your organisations name here] (the organisation providing services to the target population)

Introduce the organisation that will be the direct provider of the services for which funding is requested, here.

Explain how, why and when theorganisation was founded and/or incorporated.

Include the following information

  • The purpose of theorganisation
  • The organisation’s mission statement
  • Ageneral description of its activities
  • A description of its target population
  • The number of people served
  • The number of paid staff and volunteers
  • Tax status
  • Legal structure of the organisation
  • Any evidence to show that it is a “healthy”organisation.

Theorganisational chart below should be edited to accurately illustrate the structure of theorganisation and its relationship to umbrella organisations, partner organisations etc.

List the Board members, their backgrounds and how they contribute to the organisation (financially, time spent and/or expertise).

Name / Position on the Board / Profession &Contribution to Board / Years on the Board

III.Introduction of the Parent/UmbrellaOrganisation

If your organisation is a parent, partner or umbrella organisation applying on behalf of the organisation that is the direct provider of services, then provide information about the umbrellaorganisation here( following the structure in section II).

IV.Introduction to Programme

Introduce the particular programme or project for which funding is requested from the ITF Seafarers Trust. Explain the basic “Theory of Change”, or theoretical premise, of the programme,[1] how this funding request will integrate with existing projects within the organisation and what resources, other than financial, will be brought to bear to support this project.

Is the proposed project based on a model that has been tested? Are there other NGOs in the area working with the same target group? Briefly explain any similarities and/or differences between other local NGO activities and your organisations activities and/or in the “ theory of change” behind the activities.

V.Needs/Problems

This section needs to be in detail and with references to research, facts, statistics and evidence that isn’t simply anecdotal.

Identify the needs or problems to be addressed by the project.Clearly defining the need for the programme is the basis for all that follows in the proposal. The programme should be grounded in an understanding of the problem that drives the need for the programme. This includes an understanding of 1)the problems themselves 2) the people involved and 3) what factors cause the problems. Include a detailed description of the target population if relevant. Add any statistical information, dataor other evidence that you may have. This will make your case stronger and more specific. Include the following:

  • A definition of all the major factors that cause the needs/problem
  • Length of time needs/problems have existed
  • Whether problem has ever been addressed before, and what the outcome was
  • Impact of problem to target population
  • Impact of problem to surrounding populations

VI.Goals/Objectives

State the desired goals and objectives that address the needs/problems stated above. Distinguish between general objectives[2]and specific objectives or your project purpose.

Also include key benefits of reaching goals/objectives.

Goals should be classified as long, intermediate or short-term. For example:

  • Specific Project Purpose/Goal 1/short term
  • General Objective/Goal 2/ short term
  • General Objective/Goal 3/ long term

VII.Procedures/Activities/Scope of Work

Provide detailed information about proposed procedures, and the scope of work. Detail the action steps necessary to produce programme outputs and for the project to reach its objectives. Include information on activities such as recruiting, training, and testing.

Provide us with information on any local partners with which the organisation is working and explain how their services will be integrated into the programme.

VIII.Assumptions and Influences

What influential contextual factors (protective and/or risk) could influence change in the programme? What are the potential barriers and/or supports that might impact the change you hope for? Are there policies or other factors that could affect the programme? What are the assumptions (for example stable economy, lack of conflict etc.). Try to distinguish between the antecedent variables (those the programme starts out with, such as client characteristics, geographic variables and economic factors) and mediating factors (the influences that emerge as the programme unfolds, such as the loss of key personnel, other changes in staff, new policies, a downturn or upswing in the economy, and new competing programmes).Include information about any other, competing or complimentary, projects of which you are aware.

IX.Expected Outcome

State what your organisation expects to achieve with the project. It is important that the indicators of success are obviously connected to the programmes, to the needs/problems and to the long and short term goals. Be realistic (for example, consider attrition rates).

  • What will be the objectively verifiable indicators of achievement?
  • What will the sources and means of verification be?

X.Timetable

Provide detailed information on the expected timetable for the project. Break the project into phases, and provide a schedule for each phase. Include expected completion date, if relevant. Please consider the time necessary to process this grant application before making the schedule.

Description of Work / Start and End Dates
Phase One
Phase Two
Phase Three

XI.Budget

State the proposed costs and budget of the project. Include information on how you intend to manage the budget. The budget may be in local currency but sub-totals and totals should also be in US Dollars. Please include conversion rate and date of conversion.

List all pledges and grants by amount and source (mark with * pledges not yet paid).

If relevant, include preferred payment schedule.

If relevant, include information on how the project will be financed after the initial, or current, funding has expired.

A detailed budget should be included in the appendix.

Only include costs that are absolutely necessary for the completion of the programme/project in the budget. Salaries and capital expenses should reflect local rates/costs in the region where the programme is being conducted.

Description of Work / Anticipated Costs
Phase One
Phase Two
Phase Three
Total / $ 0.00

XII.Key Personnel

List the key personnel (or use the diagram below to illustrate chain of command). Explain their roles, who will be responsible for completion of the project, and tell us about any other personnel involved in the project. Indicate how the organisation would replace key personnel in the situation that they, for any reason, are no longer connected to the project. Explain how their qualifications are appropriate for the project being proposed. Include curriculum vitae of the key personnel and managerial staff in the appendix.

XIII.Monitoring and Evaluation

Discuss how progress will be monitored and evaluated throughout and at the end of the project. Please detail the specific measurements, baseline surveys etc. that will be used. Is evaluation to be internal or external? If an external evaluator is to be hired, please put their contact information here.

XIV.Endorsements

Provide the names and addresses of individuals and organisations that support and endorse the programme. The people that are named here may be contacted; they should be familiar with the proposed programme and/or the organisation as a whole. Please include names and contact information of other funders. Make sure that the endorsements come from experts in the proposed project area.

XV.Next Steps

Specify the actions requested of the Trust. Please note: It is your opportunity to state how you anticipate the ITFST can work with your organisation now and in the future. Site visits, grant agreement requests and/ or specific types of non- financial support can be requested here.

XVI.Appendix

Include:

An abbreviation and acronym list for the proposal on a separate page.

Detailed project budget

CV’s of key personnel

Include your organisation’s statutes, audited financial statements for the past two years, organisational budget auditor contact information, annual report and tax status documents [in USA: 501 (C) (3) determination letter and two years of 990’s].

Maps of country and project area when relevant

Provide any other supporting material for your proposal here.

  • Please fax or mail copies of those files that are not in electronic form (or that are very large) directly to your TRUST contact person.
  • Save the Appendixes as : Appendix name/your organisation acronym/name first, project acronym/name second, For example “Budget_CARE_PN. DOC”

* Before submitting, please remember to edit all of the tips and instructions out of the document. Update the table of contents (by highlighting the TOC and clicking F9)

Page 1 of 9

[1] Theory of change explains why the things we do should produce the results we intend.

[2]An example of a general objective: “ There is an increase in the standard of living of all rural people in XYZ by the year 2015 as a result of better agricultural practices.”

An example of a specific objective/ project purpose “ Women heads-of-household living in the ABC region of XYZ improve their standard of living by the end of 2003 through the development of appropriate agricultural skills to enable them to do commercially viable and ecologically sustainable farming.”