Project Proposal Guidelines

We are always very happy to see a broad range of applications, and we know charities like to tell us about their work in different ways.  Here are some guidelines and suggestions to help us assess your request:

Opening sentence

  • It’s helpful to summarise how much you are applying for and what it will be spent on.

Formatting

  • Minimum font size 11, with line spacing 1.1 and reasonable margins
  • Up to three pages, with the budget as an additional appendix
  • Use headings where possible - you could follow these sections:
    1. The need that is to be addressed and how that has been identified.
    2. Details of the project or service that is to be delivered and time scale for delivery.
    3. How the project or service supports one or more of our funding themes (It is helpful to learn how people find the service/are referred in).
    4. Why your organisation is well placed to deliver the project or service.
    5. The outcomes hoped for and how you will know if those outcomes have been achieved.
    6. The extent to which support has been (or will be) secured from other sources.
    7. How the project or service will be sustained in the future.
    8. A detailed budget for the project or service for which the funding is being sought.

Why is the project needed

  • Try to be as specific as possible in describing the need of your beneficiaries – what are their specific needs that you want to support them with, rather than national statistics or trends.

Budget

  • If you don’t have an agreed format, we can provide a template which should provide some guidance about the information you can include.
  • If you are looking for match funding, please include the full cost of the service you would like a contribution for.
  • If using Excel, please use three columns on the same sheet for each year, not separate sheets.
  • Include income as well as expenditure – it’s helpful to see this split (if applicable) into secured/pending and any residual shortfall.

Outcomes

  • Be aware of the difference between outcomes and outputs

  • Keep it simple (two or three outcomes is fine) and if appropriate give us your indicators alongside each.

  • Tell us how you will know if you have met the outcomes – your measures and how you will use them e.g. will you use observation, surveys, ask referrers/carers etc, how often and how you will collate responses.

Why are we well placed to deliver this work

  • We like to hear about your skills, experience, collaborations and other resources/services which could complement this work.