English @ Work Assignment

English@ Work Instructions

Your “deliverable” will consist of: 

· An overview of the case (potentially with research to support it); 

· A proposed approach or solution; 

· A rationale supporting your approach or solution (definitely with research to support it).

To complete this assignment: 

1) Choose from one of the case studies in the folder in Module 9. (The case study I chose is: The outreach program of a local church wants to help address the issue of poverty and homelessness in their community. Because of a hurricane that hit the area, issues of economic instability, lack of food, clothing, housing, and emotional and spiritual support have been exacerbated. The outreach program wants to give the community holistic and practical support to the people suffering and in need. The church is willing to provide long term and temporary assistance. The role that this project will be playing is to fundraise. )

Case Study: Grant Writing 

Overview

In this assignment, you will develop a grant proposal for a nonprofit organization or small business. You may consider a nonprofit organization with which you are familiar or a small business you are interested in developing. 

This exercise will help you apply your writing skills to a real-world scenario and understand the process of securing funding through grant proposals.

Scenario

Choose one of the following scenarios:

1. A local nonprofit organization. (I chose a church)

2. A small business startup. 

Consider the kinds of grants that such an organization might apply for. This could include local community grants as well as larger grants from state or national organizations or governments.

Assignment Tasks

1. Research and Planning 

· Research the chosen nonprofit or business. Consider the kinds of work the organization does and the kinds of needs it might address. 

· Identify a specific need or problem in the community or market

· Consider or develop a clear mission statement and objectives for your organization

· Identify potential funding sources (foundations, government agencies, etc.)

2. Executive Summary 

Write a concise, compelling executive summary (150-200 words) that outlines:

· The organization's mission and objectives

· The problem or need being addressed

· The proposed solution and its potential impact

· The amount of funding requested and how it will be used

3. Project Description 

Develop a detailed project description (500-750 words) that includes:

· Background information on the issue

· Your organization's approach to addressing the problem

· Specific goals and objectives of the project

· Timeline for implementation

· Expected outcomes and how they will be measured

4. Budget and Financial Information 

Create a detailed budget for your project, including:

· Itemized list of expenses

· Any additional funding sources or in-kind contributions

· Brief budget narrative explaining major expenses

5. Evaluation Plan 

Outline how you will measure the success of your project:

· Key performance indicators (KPIs)

· Data collection methods

· Reporting process

6. Formatting and Supporting Documents 

· Format your proposal according to standard grant proposal guidelines

· Create any necessary supporting documents (e.g., letter of intent, organization history, staff bios)

7. Reflection

Reflect on the process of identifying and drafting the grant.. 

· Which subdisciplines of the Georgia Southern English major did you engage with in your planning?

· How has your work in this class or other classes prepared you to develop this lesson plan?

· What would you do differently the next time you are asked to develop a grant proposal?

Submission Guidelines

· Include the criteria for the grant you’ve identified

· Submit your completed grant proposal as a single PDF document

· Use 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced

· Include a cover page with your name, date, and chosen scenario

· Total length should align with the grant requirements

· Submit a reflection as a separate document

Evaluation Criteria

Your proposal will be evaluated based on:

· Clarity and persuasiveness of writing

· Thoroughness of research and planning

· Feasibility and potential impact of the proposed project

· Attention to detail in budgeting and evaluation plans

· Adherence to formatting guidelines and overall professionalism

 

2) Consider approaches to solving the problem posed in the case study. The goal is not necessarily to reach the one best solution, but rather to use what you’ve learned so far to propose a solution and explain why the proposed solution is a good option to try. 

3) Research some similar scenarios. You’ll use this as part of your rationale for why your solution is a good one. You might research: 

·  Articles that discuss how companies have resolved similar problems; 

· General resources related to the subdiscipline (e.g., linguistics, screenplay writing, education, etc.)

· Similar case studies or examples. 

You should seek at least 2 sources that you can refer to and cite. AI is not a great research resource, but Google or the library’s database can be helpful places to locate sources. Be sure you vet your sources: are they credible and reliable? 

4) Draft a report on the problem and your proposed solution. These reports can take a variety of formats; I’ll recommend one in the lecture video. Whatever format you use, think about how you can use headings and subheadings effectively. Lengths will vary based on your project, but should be at least 800 words. Reports should also include a page of citations. 

5) You’ll participate in discussions as well as peer review and revision of this assignment.

This assignment is worth approximately 20% of your course grade. See the  specifications  and the course grading specifications for more details.

Criteria

Introduction

1 point

· General overview with no specific or not present

3 points

· Brief but sufficient introduction with some cursory allusions to the problem.

5 points

· Thorough introduction that explains the problem and questions to consider addressing the problem

Organization / Use of Headings

1 point

· Report does not use headings or subheadings

3 points

· Report uses headings effectively, without any subheadings

5 points

· Report uses headings and subheadings effectively

Research

1 point

· Proposal does not cite or refer to research, though research is liste on the Works Cited page

3 points

· Describe howProposal refers to and cites research without integrating any specifics

5 points

· Proposal integrates and cites appropriate research in insightful ways

Reflection

1 point

· General overview with no specifics

3 points

· Brief but sufficient reflection with some cursory allusions to then solution

5 points

· Thorough reflection that refers to and cites specific details in the solution as well as research