Funding proposals can be written for the organisation as a whole or for specific projects initiated by the organisation. Funding proposals can be found in newspapers, on websites, or sent via email from other organisations. It is therefore very important for the advice centre to be registered on the databases of other organisations, such as provincial forums, government departments and funders.

Calls for proposals will often provide specific guidelines and details of the information to be provided. Sometimes, donors will ask for an expression of interest before inviting a proposal.

Here is a list of things that should be included in a funding proposal:

• Name and address of your organisation
• Background and motivation (why you are asking for funds)
  Give the reader (funding agency) some information about when the organisation was formed and why it was formed. It is always useful to include figures in your motivation for funding, for example, if you are asking for funds for a literacy programme, state that there are 9 million people in your country who cannot read.
• Aims of your organisation
• Description of activities for the past year or two Send your annual reports
• Plans for the future – include specific outcomes for what you intend to achieve in year 1, year 2 and so on
• Timelines – give details of when you intend to start with implementation of specific activities and how
• Organisations you have worked with or intend working with
• Description of the structure of your organisation
• Income
  • money received in the past from different agencies
  • money receiving now
  • ways in which the organisation has raised money itself
• Budget
  List the expenses and income you think you will have in the next year
  (See: Budgets)

Send your proposal with a covering letter.
If you receive funding, always send letters of thanks.