- So you wanna write a proposal?
(laughs) Wow.
It's a brave new world once you go
into doing that process
but it can be really, really enlightening.
I've had people ask me to write proposals
not related to work.
And of course, I cannot do that
unless it's completely on my time and something
that's completely unrelated to raising money
for medical resources.
However, I have given some advice to my friends
who are getting started to do that.
I mentioned a resource called
the Foundation Directory Online,
and I should let you know that
this is a product produced by the Foundation Center.
Foundation Center has a website,
and again that will be listed separately on this site.
And on that website,
there are excellent, excellent tutorial
for getting you started in writing your first grant.
Things to remember when you're writing your grant.
Number one, you need to be concise.
It needs to be very, very orderly document.
And usually they start off with an executive summary,
a statement of need, the project description,
a budget, and a conclusion.
And this should not be overly long.
Most of my documents don't exceed five pages.
I do my dead level best to keep them very, very brief,
unless it's something scientific.
It's important that your document be read
by other individuals who are good editors
because this should be absolutely error-free.
It needs to be a clear, concise, orderly statement
of what it is you're about to do.
And you need to be able to let your reader know exactly
what it is in a clear manner.
So that they're not wondering,
"Well, what is it they are planning to do?
I don't quite get it."
So error free, clear, concise.
Again, can I say it enough? Brief.