Urgent Assignment needed

Grant/Donation Proposal, 1500-2000 words

INSTRUCTIONS: Read Chapter 24 (Chapter 23 in 13

th edition) and Chapter 7 before completing this project.

Using the background information provided below, write a 2½- 3-page (single-spaced with appropriate spacing and headings) grant proposal asking for grant/donation for Engineers Without Borders (EWB) from prospective donors. You will format your proposal as a business letter. Your proposal will have the following six sections:

Introduction Background Problem/Purpose Proposal/Plan/Schedule Staffing Budget Conclusion

See page 588 in the textbook for a good example. PLEASE NOTE: You will turn in one copy of the single-spaced letter that would mirror what you would compose in the real world AND a double-spaced version that I will grade. I need a double-spaced version to record my comments, and the single-spaced one can go into Turnitin. See the examples in the old edition on p. 587-88, and p. 605 (p. 573-74. While these proposals take several different forms, yours should be in letter form. You do not need a letter of transmittal, table of contents, abstract, etc. You DO need to separate your proposal into sections and label each section accordingly (with side headings). You DO need to get letter formatting RIGHT. If you’re unsure about letter formatting, review Chapter 17. Additionally, your proposal should include a research component, including material from at least three outside sources to support your argument. Sources should be incorporated into the letter but internally cited according to APA formatting rules and a reference page at the end. For additional information about research and citation, review Chapter 7.

BACKGROUND: Since the Brown & Salier Printing Company insists on charging the full amount, EWB has to find another source of revenue to make up the difference. EWB was planning to install water purification systems in five Guatemalan towns, but with this additional expense, only enough money for three is available. EWB still needs to reach potential donors for at least the three purification systems but would really like to push for the planned five because the engineers know the people of one area of Guatemala desperately need clean drinking water.

YOUR TASK: Your task is to locate at least five potential donors and essentially beg. Your proposal comes in when you must explain the benefits of clean water by means of purification systems and why your organization can perform the work efficiently and cheaply because of donated labor by the member engineers. You will need to research some purification systems and determine what you will need. It may be donations in the form of money, or it could be in the form of equipment or other resources. You may contact venture capitalists or companies that manufacture the purification systems; you be the judge. You’ll have to address and solve those problems in your project design. You will have a pretty free rein on this project.

GRADING CRITERIA:

Your proposal will be graded according to the criteria by which proposals are typically accepted or rejected. A successful grant proposal will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the EWB’s needs. • Use support research, including at least three relevant outside sources. • Use correct letter format, including proper APA in-text citation and reference list. • Be organized into six clear, well thought out sections (Introduction;

Background/Problem/Purpose; Proposal/Plan/Schedule; Staffing (meaning if EWB is going to need additional staffing for this particular project); Budget; and Conclusion.

• Illustrate the soundness of the plan being offered. • Illustrate the quality of the project’s organization and management. • Demonstrate an ability to complete the job by the deadline. • Demonstrate an ability to control costs. • Illustrate the firm’s experience and record on similar projects. • Demonstrate the qualifications of the staff to be assigned to the project. • Use persuasive techniques (including a clear focus on audience needs and benefits,

honest and supportable claims, appropriate detail, readability, convincing language, accessible and attractive page design, proper citations of any sources or contributors, etc.).

• Display correct grammar and mechanics. • Demonstrate concision, clarity, and fluency.

TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR PROPOSAL: Overall:

• As in any argumentation, assume readers are not going to comply with your request. Your job is to convince them.

• Focus on the funder’s (donor’s) needs, as described in the RFP. How will they benefit from donating money, time, material, or other resources to your cause?

• You will be graded on how well you tailor your arguments to the EWB’s purpose; have you emphasized the benefits to the EWB if prospective donors fund your proposal? You must have a clear understanding of your audience’s needs.

Intro: • Address your proposal to five different companies or organizations you intend to

contact. To save paper, you can just list each one underneath the other one in the inside address of the letter, knowing that in the “real world,” you would address each letter separately.

• See p. 539-40 (last edition) for the goals of the introduction. Hook the audience’s interest.

• Some questions you might consider: Why is EWB uniquely qualified to do this plan? What successful initiatives have they implemented before? Why is it America’s problem that countries around the world do not have clean, safe water? Try to think of what would get you interested, and that would probably spark somebody else’s interest.

Proposal/Plan/Schedule: • You’ll be asking for money to continually support the work of EWB; your

organization “supports community-driven development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design and implement sustainable engineering projects, while creating transformative experiences and responsible leaders.” http://www.ewb-usa.org/

• Tell the prospective donors exactly what you plan to do for the water projects. Be creative. You’re free to come up with any idea you can that would speak to the EWB’s goals and the goals of the Guatemalan cities affected. You’ll be graded on how specific you are and how convincing your plan seems, not on whether it’s what EWB actually does.

Staffing: • Choose appropriate staff members to discuss. Use EWB’s staff website (if available)

for info. The main website is http://www.ewb-usa.org/. If your group does not feel that additional staffing is necessary, go ahead and mention that because donors want to know what they are paying for.

Budget: • Make up the numbers, but make them believable. Research if you have to. • You’ll have to decide how specific to be. Is this the kind of project that needs

line-by-line budgetary information, or can you group tasks into categories and discuss how much each category will cost?

Conclusion: • Unlike some business proposals, grant proposals should not include a deadline date

for a business offer. Rather, you should remind the reader of the key benefits of your plan and try to motivate action. In the case of a grant, motivating action means that you hope you receive the needed donations.

• See tips for writing conclusions in your textbook. For your information, here is the rubric with grading criteria:

GRADING CRITERIA: GRANT PROPOSAL Points

Possible Student Score

Demonstrates an understanding of the EWB’s needs 10

Uses support research, including at least five relevant outside sources 10

Uses correct letter format with APA formatting for in-text citation and reference list 5

Is organized into six clear, well thought out sections (Introduction; Background/Problem/Purpose; Proposal/Plan/Schedule; Staffing; Budget; and Conclusion)

10

Illustrates the soundness of the plan being offered 10

Illustrates the quality of the project’s organization and management 5

Demonstrates an ability to complete the job by the deadline 5

Demonstrates an ability to control costs 5

Illustrates the firm’s experience and record on similar projects 5

Demonstrates the qualifications of the staff to be assigned to the project 5

Uses persuasive techniques (including a clear focus on audience needs and benefits, honest and supportable claims, appropriate detail, readability, convincing language, accessible and attractive page design, proper citations of any sources or contributors, etc.)

10

Displays correct grammar and mechanics 10

Demonstrates concision, clarity, and fluency 10

TOTAL 100