CMNS 3251: Professional and Academic Proposal Writing
Students review literature on best practices for grant writing, and, through the development of a grant application, learn the key elements of the process which include defining the funding purpose, understanding mandate and accountability, adopting effective budget practices, preparing effective material, and completing post-funding due diligence. This course meets the needs of academic, research, government, health, community arts and non-profit professionals who seek the knowledge and skill to write persuasive, informative and professional grant applications.
Learning outcomes
- Access helpful tools and resources in relevant fields for developing effective grant applications (proposals).
- Analyze and explain best practice strategies for planning and developing persuasive and professional grant applications to ensure the demonstration of mutual accountability between funding agency and applicant
- Write a clear purpose statement and funding goals for a project/organization
- Identify relevant potential funding sources from public and private sectors and understand the range of grant types available
- Analyze the mandate and requirements of potential funding sources and assess the relevancy to an organization’s/project’s own parameters
- Interpret grant guidelines and requirements, as provided in agency mandates and requests for proposals, including content, formatting, timeline, scoring rubric and jury composition
Course topics
- Lesson 1: Introduction to Proposal Writing
- Lesson 2: Finding Potential Funders
- Lesson 3: Determining Needs and Purpose
- Lesson 4: The First Step of Application: Letter of Intent (LOI)
- Lesson 5: Writing the Introductory Sections
- Lesson 6: Developing Proposal Content and Evaluation
- Lesson 7: Budget and Justification
- Lesson 8: Writing a Summary and Compiling Support Materials
- Lesson 9: Completing the Proposal
Required text and materials
Students require the following e-textbooks, which can be purchased directly from the links below:
- O’Neal-McElrath, T. (2019).
Winning Grants Step by Step: The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing and Writing Successful Proposals. (5th).
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 978-1-119-54734-1 / 9781119547365
- Orlich, D. C., & Shrope, N. R. (2013).
Developing a Winning Grant Proposal. (1st).
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9780415535342 / 9781136283185
Assessments
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the mandatory Final Project.
| Assignment 1: Short Report 1: Agency Profile /Project Definition | 10% |
| Assignment 2: Short Report 2: Identifying Funders | 10% |
| Assignment 3: Letter of Intent and Funder Grant Profile | 15% |
| Assignment 4: Budget and Justification | 15% |
| Assignment 5: Supporting Materials Portfolio | 15% |
| Mandatory Final Project: Final Application/Proposal and Post Funding Plan | 35% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
