Worth the Time to Write a Proposal for a Donor’s RFP? 4-Steps to Evaluate

There may be nothing more painstaking in fundraising than proposal writing.

Been there.

But also - is there anything more gratifying than creating a solid one that you know will bring in resources for the important work you do? So how do you evaluate whether it’s worth the time?

1. Do the donor’s requirements fit your bandwidth for reporting? Don’t waste your time if, should you receive the funds, your team is not equipped to handle reporting and follow up for the donor. I’m always on alert when I hear of teams staffing up for proposal writing and reporting. Use what you have and make decisions based on your current bandwidth.

2. Is there at least an 85% chance of good fit? I mean high fit. Don’t apply if it’s even at 50%. There needs to be a very strong case that your proposal fits the RFP.

3. Is this funding for a program you would want to carry out anyway? Don’t write an RFP just because it’s there. Find proposal opportunities that fit your future program plans. Don’t try to fit a square peg in round hole. Create your 1-3 program priorities first, identify funding needs second and then find the right funder opportunities third.

4. Are you 100% confident in delivery? I’ve been asked to write proposals for programs that in the end were impossible to deliver upon. In my mind that’s on the verge of fraudulent. I will never do that again. Be sure on your delivery capabilities before ever starting a proposal. There’s nothing worse than misleading a donor.

For more support on finding the right donor fit, consider joining us at Connective Impact!