Proposal problem statement

5 Effective Guidelines for a Grant Proposal Problem Statement That Guarantees Success

Are you part of the student union looking for grants from the Dean for your university project?

Or are you a new NGO trying to write a grant proposal to the government or a private investor?

Then this is your lucky day as here we’ll tell you the basic guidelines on how to write the perfect grant proposal problem statement that will guarantee success.

5 Effective Guidelines for Grant Proposal Problem Statements That You Must Follow:

1. Provide a brief description and background of the problem:

Give a brief and concise description of what the problem is. Many make the mistake of making it too lengthy or fill it with technical terms due to which the reader loses interest in the proposal and the project. A good tip here is to imagine writing for a person who knows nothing about the issue and is neither interested in it. Start off with a brief overview of the crisis and where it arises from and keep the text free from jargons and technical language to make it easier to understand and interesting to read.

2. Identify the target audience:

This part of the need statement will give the reviewer a close look at the people who are affected by the problem. While writing this part, make sure that you answer the following questions:

1. 1. Who is your target audience that will benefit from the solution?
   2. Who are the recipients that need help? What are their ages and how do they live their lives?
   3. What will happen if this issue is not addressed?

3. State the desired solution and method used to assess target audiences’ needs:

This part gives the reader a clear view of what you plan to achieve through the project. It shows how focused you are on the project. But make sure that you are clear and realistic in the scope and extent of your project and the outcome that you wish to achieve. Also mention the procedure through which you will assess the target audiences’ needs. Some common methods are through questionnaires, focus groups and experts opinions. What will your method for evaluation be?

4. Use quantitative data to support your arguments i.e. statistical views, experts opinions:

Statistics tend to influence people more in their decisions than personal judgments’ so make sure that you support data with current substantial mathematical figures. But make sure that you don’t drown the problem statement in proposal with facts and figures. Use easy to understand charts and tables to support your arguments.

5. Give substantial justifications why grants should be used on this project:

This is an important and often overlooked part of the problem statement. While reviewing your proposal the first question that the reviewer will ask is why should we give you the grant? Make sure that you give substantial arguments in this part. You also include your company’s vision statement and overall goals and show how they match the need of the project.