Steps to Writing a Grant Proposal Essay Example for Free

Steps to Writing a Grant Proposal Essay A grant proposal for human services is a written presentation of a program plan. This plan details how the applicant will approach the identified needs or problem with their proposed course of actions. The narrative section of a grant proposal usually includes the following sections: abstract, table of contents, specific aims/background and significance/needs and problem statement, target populations, approaches and methods, long- and short-term goals, process, outcome, and impact objectives, activity plans and scheduling (timeline), evaluation plan, agency capacity and project management and budget and budget justifications. Grant writing involves lots of planning, organizing, integrating, evaluating and critical thinking. The quality of grant proposal is one of the most important factors in funding decisions. The city of Portland is similar to many other communities throughout the country. As a large metropolitan city, the region has experienced increasing reports of domestic and youth violence, spousal and child abuse, assault, and incidents of road rage over the last 5 years. The PEACE Domestic Violence Agency has a mission to reduce victim trauma, empower survivors, and promote recovery through direct services. PEACE is committed to reducing the incidence of sexual assault and domestic violence through education and strives to challenge societal norms and beliefs that condone and perpetuate violence in the community. In the case of the PEACE Domestic Violence Agency, the grant starts by identifying the program’s critical needs within the targeted community. The city of Portland has been experiencing an increase of domestic violence and youth violence, spousal and child abuse, assault and reports of incidences of road rage over the past five years. The abstract is the shortest section of the proposal, however it is the most important and most read section of the proposal. The abstract typically includes: the name of agency, type of organization, purpose and objectives of the project, specific interventions for the project, target population: demographic, age, race, gender, special needs, location and setting of project and relevance of the proposed project to the funding intentions. There is then usually a table of contents developed, which will also be one of the last parts to finish. It is a guide to what is in the proposal and tells you where information is located. The table of contents serves as a checklist during the writing process as well. The next section that should be completed is specific aims. This section is where the statement of problems and the issues to be addressed by the project go. This section will also include the working hypothesis for the project. The PEACE has a particular belief that is motivating them and guiding them through the development of the program. In this section, the PEACE organization will also describe the expected outcomes, and interventions proposed to achieve these outcomes. When it comes to writing target populations, the PEACE organization will want to describe the target environment such as the community, neighborhood, city and district as well as the population being served. This section will include who and how many people will participate or be served through the PEACE organization. The organization’s mission statement is a permanent expression of the reason for existence of the organization. But in order to bring the PEACE organization’s mission statement into a more manageable level, there needs to be a list of goals created that are appropriate for the organization. Objectives should be included as well, which are a statement of measurable and directional change for a specific population in a specific time period. A time line should be created which is an expected schedule for activities by each component. A time line helps the writer to realize the program’s time limitations and the need to plan well for the distribution and implementation of program activities. Program evaluation is a type of evaluation research that systematically assessed the achievement of a specific program, in this case the PEACE organization. An evaluation plan is a design that the program’s staff and evaluators will follow to assess the progress and results of the PEACE organization programs. A program evaluation plan should be developed along with the formulation of program goals, objectives and activities at the beginning of the program. The program evaluation will achieve some basic objectives such as: documentation of program implementation strategies, intervention models, and other process information. It also is a measurement of the PEACE program outcomes and results and an assessment of overall impact and success of the program. The agency capacity is associated with how much trust others put in the PEACE organization. It is important that the PEACE organization convinces the funding sources that it is uniquely qualified and competent and they can entrust it with funding. The budget is a financial plan that estimates the cost for implementing a program and the allocation of these costs. There are many costs to consider in the PEACE organization budget such as: salaries for employees including payroll tax, health insurance, life insurance, rent, utilities, furniture, supplies, travel expenses, materials, trainings, etc. The PEACE Domestic Violence Agency is a great agency with the goal in mind of reducing the rates and incidences of domestic violence, through the process of education, as well as providing assistance to people who have been hurt or mistreated. This organization has programs put in place to help the men, women and children regardless of their ages and personal background who have undergone some sort of abuse or mistreatment and are in need of assistance. This program is very important for a number of reasons, but mainly for the much needed help it would provide for those persons who have been involved in such a terrible situation like domestic violence. There are many financial needs that arise with any organization, but especially in a situation such as a domestic violence situation because the people in need of assistance may not have the funding to afford the help he/she will need to be safe. Depending on the situation at hand, the people seeking assistance from the domestic violence program may be looking for shelter from a loved one who has hurt them. If this is the case he/she would most likely be without much funding and would need a place to live as well food and clothing. These are things that could be provided with ease if the grant was approved. Domestic violence is a very serious situation that is important for people to escape from while they can. They need all the help and assistance they can get and it is important that there is an organization willing and ready to help with this transition.