Proposal Writing: Tell Your Story Compellingly

Create professional, compelling proposals that capture funder attention, clearly communicate your project’s value, and demonstrate implementation readiness.

⏱️ Duration: 8 minutes | 📥 Downloads: 2 templates | 🎯 Outcome: Complete, submission-ready proposal

🎯 What You’ll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

✅ Structure compelling narratives that capture and maintain funder attention
✅ Align your proposal with specific funder priorities and requirements
✅ Present complex information clearly and persuasively
✅ Build funder confidence through professional presentation and realistic planning
✅ Address common concerns before they become objections

📖 Standard Proposal Structure

Executive Summary (1-2 pages)

Purpose: Hook the reader and provide complete overview

Problem Statement (2-3 pages)

Purpose: Establish urgency and importance of the issue

Proposed Solution (3-4 pages)

Purpose: Present your approach and methodology

Implementation Plan (2-3 pages)

Purpose: Show realistic, detailed planning

📥 Download Resources

Essential Templates for This Lesson

🚀 Next Steps

After completing this lesson:

  1. Download the proposal template and customize for your project
  2. Complete funder analysis for your target funders
  3. Draft proposal sections using your logframe and activity design
  4. Move to Lesson 2.4 on Budget Estimation

Remember: A good proposal tells a compelling story about change you want to create and demonstrates you have the capacity to create that change.