Remember, donors are under intense pressure, and select proposals from hundreds of applications. They do not usually have time to read or consider full proposals at the first stage. It is advisable to send in an executive summary, which both catches the eye of the receiving officer, and clearly states the methodology to be used.

Do your research first and increase your chances of success by putting in a preliminary application More  »

In terms of writing style, let clarity of language, purpose and structure be your guiding principle. Be concise and avoid too much technical jargon, always providing simple definitions of specialized terms.

Be specific in what you want to achieve and what you request from the funder. Structure your proposal logically and present it in a clear and easy-to-read layout.

In terms of structure, ensure that you follow the requirements of the funding body you are applying to. As a general guideline, a proposal should contain the following:

Be sure to convey to the funder your genuine interest, understanding and enthusiasm for the work, keeping the following questions in mind as you plan:

Ensure that you follow the funder’s guidelines as closely as possible.

Ensure your proposal hits all the check boxes used by the funder when they are reviewing proposals. Funders themselves can be under immense time pressure to select recipients therefore they will have a system of check boxes that proposals must satisfy in order for applications to proceed to a more detailed deliberation process.

Although we can't tell you what the check boxes actually are, they are likely to be based closely on the funder's research strategy and orientation, so do your research first. More »

Donors are increasingly interested in funding research that directly influences policy. Familiarize yourself with the donor’s policies. Make clear how your research will be translated into policy and how this connects with a donor’s own policy objectives. State how the research links to national policy debates, and how it links academic research and study with strategic policy objectives.

Ensure the proposal is reviewed by peers. Ideally, get somebody within your own organization, or somebody from another organization who you can trust who has received funding from the body you are applying to, to review your proposal and offer constructive criticism regarding how it could be improved.

Ensure the final proposal is proof-read and check that the language is clear and accurate.

Project Proposal basics: Information on the basics of proposal writing. More »

Proposal writing short course: A short proposal writing course, produced and especially applicable to American funding bodies. More »

Writing a funding proposal: A guide to planning and writing a funding proposal.  It includes information on follow-up required, a list of do's and don'ts for proposal writing and an example of a funding proposal.  More »