Too often we our minds are so filled with the beautiful end product that we forget to explain what the final results will be through well-articulated goals and objectives. Recently I was in a committee meeting for a service organization to talk about getting their fundraising projects more organized. It was almost an hour till someone said the phrase "the overall goal is...." As soon as that phrase was said it was obvious that light bulbs suddenly turned on in almost everyone in the room's heads. Don't be that meeting. Don't waste your potential funder's time, they are reading lots of proposals. Directly tell that what you are going to accomplish and how.
Goal - A goal is a focus of accomplishment supported by a series of objectives needed to realize it or a broadly-stated subsidiary results.
Look at your need statement. What is the one big overall thing that will happen if your proposal is funded? Put that one thing into a sentence. That is your goal.
Objective - An objective is a significant step toward a goal; or a precise, measurable, time-phased result.
Let me use my committee meeting last week as an example.
The GOAL is for the whole club to be more active.
Objective 1 - At least 20 new members will volunteer for the upcoming 5K fundraiser.
Objective 2 - More than 40 members will attend the luncheon in December.
Objective 3 - The number of members who made a donation this year compared to last year will increase by 50%.
Notice the goal is the big idea. The objectives are outcomes and outputs that make the big idea achievable.
As you prepare the objectives component of the proposal, keep the following in mind:
- Objectives should be stated in quantifiable terms
- Objectives should be stated in terms of outcomes, not activities or processes
- Objectives should specify the result of an activity
- Objectives should clearly identify the target audience or community being served
- Objectives should be realistic and capable of being accomplished
These Objectives are the end result. The Methods, which we'll go over in the next Blog posting, are the means of reaching those ends.
When developing your objectives, answer these 5 questions to help you clearly articulate what the organization wants to accomplish.
1. What is the key area your organization is hoping to change?
2. What segment of the population will be involved in the change?
3. What is the direction of the change (increase, decrease, etc.) your organization will be looking for?
4. What is the amount (percent, specific number, etc.) your organization will be looking for?
5. What is the deadline for reaching that degree of change?
Objectives are outputs and outcomes. Goals are the impact you will have.
6 Tips for things to include in the above:
- Make sure goals and objectives tie directly to the need statement
- Include all relevant parties in the target population
- Allow plenty of time for the objectives to be accomplished
- Remember that outcome objectives to do describe methods
- Determine how your organization is going to measure the change projected in each objective
- Always try to write at least one quantitative objective into your plan and determine how you will measure it
Ok, get writing. Remember this is a grant proposal, not a race. When we finish these steps you will have everything you need to have a complete, string grant proposal.
Stay tuned.... Methods come next....
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