1.   Cover Letter

The first step is to create a cover letter, which must be strong as it creates a first impression towards the authorities. The letter must not be too formal and should provide the information related to the project clearly and concisely. The cover letter must be designed so that the reader cannot deny the proposal at any cost and will be investing in the project.

2.   Put a Summary of the Project

The reader will only be interested if the Grant application is short. Therefore, it should be noted that the information regarding the Community project should be provided in the form of a summary to the individuals. The main information must be included later on, but before that, it is necessary to have a summary of the project.

3.   Introduction of the Organization

Once all the details regarding the Community project have been discussed in brief, it is time to put an introduction of the organisation. All the information regarding the organization which is relevant and should be included in the application must be provided in the Grant application. It will help the readers to know more about the history of the business and also about its infrastructure.

4.   Problem Statement

The next step comes with the inclusion of a problem statement. This means that the problem which the community’s problem must be informed over here, and how the business will come up with a solution regarding the same must also be covered in this step. It will help the readers know whether they should invest in this Community project. The problem should be informed directly.

5.   Objectives of the Project

One of the most important parts of a Grant application is the goals and objectives of the proposal. Many businesses ignore this step due to which their proposals fail to be accepted by the majority of society. Through this step, the business owners must inform the readers about the steps they’ll take to solve the problem and how the project’s success will be measured.

6.   Design of the Project

The next step is to include the project design, which will tell the readers how the project will work and how the funds taken from them will be utilised for the project. This part will cover all the methods and strategies which the business has planned to be implemented in the project for the accomplishment of the task.

7.   Evaluate the methods

As the methods have been described in the Grant application, the next step is to evaluate all the methods. This step will involve a detailed outlook regarding the methods chosen by the business owners for the community project. It also helps the readers to know more about the functions of the same and why the funds are required for it.

8.   Tell them about the Funding sources

Funding through the community is not the only way the business will acquire funds for its projects. Therefore, the business should also inform about the other sources through which funds will be acquired by them for the Community project.

9.   Budget Outline

The last step is to provide a budget Outline which has been set up by the business during the planning process. In this step, the business owners will inform the readers regarding the way in which they will be using the funds allocated to them once the grant gets approved. This must be done simply and understandably.

The post Navigating the Grant Application Process for Community Projects appeared first on ValleyArtsNJ.com.

Therefore, these things play an important role in ensuring whether people will invest in the business initiatives or not. There are a number of things which business managers need to think about to build a strong business case. It should be noted that there are different elements which will play a vital role in different initiatives. So, it is necessary for businesses to know which elements are important for their case. Here we will be having a look at a guide which will help the managers to build up a strong case for Community Project Funding.

Tips for building a Strong Business Case

There are some steps which are commonly followed by businesses to make a good business case for their initiative. These steps are common for all businesses, but the key elements change from initiative to initiate the plan. Here are some tips which businesses should follow to build up a strong business case.

Research

The first and most important thing which businesses should perform is research. This should be done before the business case begins, and this helps the business managers to create a complete plan regarding how their business case should look. Here the businesses need to check all the important aspects, which are their competitors, their proposition, what they should do to compete in the market and much more.

Easy to Understand

The business case established by the business managers should be simple to understand. This means that the information portrayed through the business case must be understandable by the community. It can be presented as pie charts, graphs and much more to make it even more compelling. All the details regarding the project must be available in the business case. It should be noted that the first impression must be great so that the community takes part in the initiative.

To the Point

A good Business case is always on the point and does not have any other details which are not a part of the business case. Therefore, the business managers must keep track of what should be included in the case and note them down before the case establishment begins. This will help them to know more about the things that must be there in the case and the things that need not be presented there.

Financial Plan

The most important element included in every business case is the financial plan. The community’s people may not be willing to invest their money in the initiative, no matter how good the case is, until or unless they know how their money will be utilised. Therefore, business managers must have a complete financial plan and inform the ones willing to invest how their money will be utilised for the plan. This information must be portrayed clearly so that the investors can understand the same.

Preparing the Questions and their answers

Once the business case has been put forward to the community, there are several questions which will be asked of the business for the same. Therefore, it is necessary for business owners or managers to be prepared with all the tough and easy questions they would ask regarding the business plan once the plan has been completed and presented in front of the community.

The post How to Build a Strong Case for Community Project Funding appeared first on ValleyArtsNJ.com.

The business mind also plays an important role to ensure whether the community projects will be funded completely or not. Therefore, they are able to do a Community project which meets everyone’s needs. Here we will be having a look at the most creative and innovative ideas through which the businesses will be able to gather funds for their next Community project. It is important to get the input from all the community members so that the community project goes as planned and if the community members aren’t willing to participate in the same, the results might not be satisfactory to the business. Therefore, the creative ways in which the individuals will be able to fund their next Community project are as follows-

1.   Good Fundraisers

This is known to be the most creative way in which businesses can gather funds for their next Community project. In this way, the businesses have to create a good fundraising project for their business and specify all the needs. This process will take a while as it is a complex process, but once the businesses have done the same, they will be able to attract the fundraisers and get the funds according to their needs.

2.   Offline Events

Events are one of the most popular ways the business will be able to grab the attention of individuals who might be willing to invest their money in their Community project. The businesses can even host some offline events like a car wash, sales of bakery items, and much more through which they will be able to inform the individuals about their community projects. After that, they just have to educate the community members about their projects so they could take an initiative in the same.

3.   Asking Local Businesses for Help

Local businesses also play an important role to determine whether the Community project will be funded completely or not. The businesses can ask for matching donations from the local businesses, and this can go through the dollar-by-dollar method which ensures that the Community project deal will be beneficial for both parties. As the contributions are multiplied, it will also encourage other community members to start donating towards the project. Another way is that the businessmen can even go for a partnership with other local businesses to ensure long-term benefits for mutual interest.

4.   Being a Sponsor

There are many sports events like marathons, cycle races, and much more that take place during the summer months. During this time, businesses can even sponsor these events to help them gain publicity. As they will be sponsoring the event, they will also get a chance to inform the community about their project, making the process of raising funds easier for the businesses. If they have sponsored any event, there are chances that the other sponsors might reach out to the businesses for their donations towards the project and be a sponsor.

5.   Collection of Donations through Schools

The last way is through the donations taken by school fundraising. Schools can also help businesses as they have a good amount of students who can try to get funds for the community project through their parents. Permission must be taken from the school before the school fundraising begins and the school will be informing the students about the project through emails, messages, and newsletters.

The post 5 Creative Ways to Fund Your Next Community Project appeared first on ValleyArtsNJ.com.