Coins in the Can

In a proposal writing workshop one of the participants (call her Roxanne) despaired of anyone wanting to help her raise the money she needed. “All we need is a van to carry some equipment,” she worried, “but it’s not glamorous and we don’t have any way to get started.”

Growing a DEI Culture

Most, if not all, funders now expect your nonprofit to address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in your proposal. Funders want to know what you have to say about whether and how your organization is diversifying, delivering your work equitably and including all who are a part of your community and society.

A Few Words About Word Limits

Everybody from Voltaire to Bill Clinton is credited with the quip: “If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter.” The truth buried in the quip is one that contemporary proposal writers grapple with. Many foundation application forms now routinely ask for the whole story, complete with details, in a 100-or-500-word box. It’s so easy to rattle on and on about your program, so hard to say it succinctly.

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