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How to Write the Organizational Information Section of Your Grant Proposal
The Organizational Information Establishes Credibility

By Joanne Fritz, About.com

This section of your proposal needs to be just as succinct as the rest. Stick to the information that will establish your organization's credibility and ability to accomplish the goals of this project.

What you should consider including in the organizational information section:

  • The full, legal name of your nonprofit and its legal status (i.e., 501(c)(3).
  • Your location - the headquarters plus other operating sites.
  • The history of your nonprofit. Your mission statement, when the organization was founded, who founded it, for what purpose, and the community and/or clients it serves.
  • A summary of your programs.
  • Your organization's position and role in the community. Mention any collaborating partners in your community.
  • How your organization is unique. Explain why your services do not overlap with other similar services.
  • Your organization's most important achievements that relate to this proposal. Include any awards or special recognition your organization has received. Consider using a bullet format to lay out these achievements in an abbreviated way.
  • Very brief summary of the need statement.
  • Financial information such as overall budget and annual donations. Past and current funding from other sources.
  • A brief statement about your board, staff, and volunteers.

Remember this is all about reassuring the reader that you are the organization best suited to carrying out the proposed project. Don't include information here that is presented elsewhere in the proposal, unless it is in very abbreviated form.

Resources:

Storytelling for Grantseekers, Second Edition, Cheryl A. Clarke, Jossey-Bass, 2009
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Grant Writing for Dummies, 3rd Edition, Beverly A. Browning, Wiley, 2009.
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Winning Grants, Step by Step, Third Edition, Mim Carlson and Tori O'Neal-McElrath, Jossey-Bass, 2008
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Back to How to Write a Grant Proposal.

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