Chapter 9 Flashcards
Proposals
are persuasive written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment or other goods.
Many organizations, including in the nonprofit sector, earn a sizable portion of their income from proposals (which are often called grant applications in the nonprofit sector).
What are the two significant characteristics of proposals
(1) they use easy-to-understand language, and;
(2) they show the value and benefits of the product or services being recommended.
What are the ways proposals can be classified as?
(a) informal or formal
(b) internal or external, and
(c) solicited or unsolicited.
What are the parts to an informal proposal?
(a) an introduction or description of the problem;
(b) pertinent background information or a statement of need;
(c) the proposal benefits and schedule for completion;
(d) the staffing requirements;
(e) a budget; and
(f) a conclusion that may include an authorization request.
What are the additional parts that formal reports have?
a copy of the request for proposal (RFP),
a letter of transmittal,
an abstract and/or executive summary,
a title page,
a table of contents,
figures,
appendixes containing such items as detailed budgets and staffing information.
Executive summary
Provides an overview of a longer report to people who may not have time to read the entire document.
What are the six parts of a “letter” proposal?
1) Introduction
2) background
3) Proposal or plan
4) Staffing
5) Budget
6) Authorization Request
What are the particular elements to be aware of before submitting a formal report?
Format
Consistency
Graphics
Heading Levels
Accuracy
Mechanics
Primary data
Data that comes firsthand experience and observations
Secondary data
Reading from what others have experienced and observed
Why should you document your data properly?
To strengthen your argument
To protect yourself
To instruct the reader or audience
To avoid plagiarism when should you credit your sources?
Another person’s ideas, opinions, examples, or theory
Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that are not common knowledge
Quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words
Paraphrases of another person’s spoken or written words
Visuals, images, and any kind of electronic media
Who uses Request for Proposals (RFPs)?
RFPs are used by both large and small companies, organizations, and agencies. RFPs enables them to compare “apples to apples.” That is, they can compare the prices that different companies would charge for completing the same project.
Why is the budget section of a proposal especially important?
The budget section lists the project costs and represents a contract for the work; you can’t raise the price later—even if your costs increase. A budget also helps you to define the project, including limiting its scope
Why do formal report writers include visuals in reports?
Formal report writers include visuals and graphics in reports to clarify data, create visual interest for the reader, and make the numerical data more meaningful
