Creating a fundraising proposal

Put together a simple proposal which outlines what you are planning to do in your gap year and some background on the project you will be joining. A pamphlet is a nice accessible way of presenting the information, and will make you look professional and serious about your fundraising. A quick look through it should let the reader know about you, what you are wanting to do and what you want from them.

Keep the pamphlet concise and focused. It needs to have just the right level of information, but without being too long. The people you’re approaching aren’t going to want to read through pages and pages of waffle. You should assume the reader has no knowledge of the project or the country you’re visiting. Provide some facts and statistics, but don’t overdo them.

What to include in your pamphlet

• Cover page – a nice inspiring picture
• Project outline – 1 page
• Cost breakdown – 1 page
• Optional page – outlining any media coverage or fundraising activities you have planned
• CV - 2 pages maximum (don’t try to pad it out with waffle – keep to the facts – its OK if it’s just 1 page long)
• References – 1 page (do you know any local influential people you could ask for a reference? Or even your headmistress or University lecturer)

Ring bind the document with an acetate cover and a hard back. This will make it look nice and professional and easy to read. Send your pamphlet off with a covering letter (see advice below on writing a covering letter), for any requests for sponsorship or funding.

Make sure you are really on the ball with what your project is doing and why – you may well get asked questions on it. Try to project enthusiasm for what you are going to do

How to write a covering letter

Always write a covering letter that is tailored to the grant/business/organisation. Triple check it for spelling mistakes. Break long paragraphs up and use headings to make it more readable. Keep it brief, professional and enthusiastic. Never go over one side of A4. Ask someone else to read it for you to give you an opinion on it. It’s a good idea to make sure your email address is a sensible one, even if it means opening a new account. You don’t really want saucysally@gmail on a serious proposal.

Layout of the covering letter

• Include your full contact details
• Make sure the name and address of whom you’re writing to is correct
• Include the date
• Include a subject heading, which explains the purpose of the letter
• Paragraph 1 - briefly sum up your project plan - what, when, why, how and who with.
• Paragraph 2 - Explain what it means to you to do the project – be personal and enthusiastic
• Paragraph 3 – explain what you need from them. The cost of the project, any donation they could offer. Don’t just ask for money – tell them what you could do in exchange.
• Round off with some more enthusiasm and reiterate how much it means to you.

Following up your pamphlet

When you send your pamphlet off to a trust charity, company, organisation or whatever, always follow it up with a phone call. Make sure they received it, ask if you can talk to anyone about it. If they are not interested in sponsoring you, make sure you keep a friendly tone. Ask them if they have any feedback for you, or know anyone else who may be interested. If they are interested in donating money, then brilliant! Politely enquire much are they proposing to offer you, and what can you do for them in return? You might be desperate to find out when they will produce the cash, but don’t be too pushy. Just make them aware of deadlines you have for paying deposits and/or booking flights etc.

Always keep notes on your telephone calls so you can keep track of who you spoke to and what they said. You don’t want to get confused and risk ruining your chances by chasing the same person twice.