home Business blog How to write a grant project example. Grant application - sample filling and submission procedure

How to write a grant project example. Grant application - sample filling and submission procedure

You will need

Instructions

First of all, decide on the main idea of your grant proposal. You can go two ways: look for a competition for a specific idea or look for an idea for a specific competition. Currently, a huge number of foundations (state and non-state, Russian and international, regional and foreign) offer to take part in competitions to receive. Each of them has strict application requirements that must be strictly met.

Come up with a succinct name that reflects the main idea. Complete the " Title page» in accordance with the template proposed by the grantor.

Carefully work through the “Resume” section ( summary)". Typically this section takes up exactly half of an A4 page and answers the questions:
- what is new and relevant;
- what are its goals and objectives, the main stages and expected results from the implementation of the project;
- what is the project budget, how much funds need to be raised and how much you yourself are willing to invest in. Return to this section again and again, gradually bringing it to perfection.

Proceed to writing the “Introduction-Familiarization” and “Substantiation of the Problem” sections. Use simple language. Do not overload the text with professional terms. Give vivid and imaginative examples of the current situation, leading to the conclusions you need.

The “Goals and Objectives” section should have one main goal and several task-stages to achieve it. Proper setting of tasks will make it easier to write the “Methodology and Schedule” section, since the completion of each task should be the completion of the next stage in the plan.

Pay special attention to the “Summarizing and Evaluation” section. Clearly state the expected results (tangible and intangible), linking them with the completion of task-stages. Use quantitative and qualitative evaluation indicators so that you can provide specific numbers of positive things that happened as a result of the project.

When preparing the Budget and Budget Explanation section, use the form provided by the grantmaker and only those cost items specified by the grantor. Indicate amounts taking into account necessary taxes. Be sure to consult with an experienced accountant about what costs you may incur if you receive grant funding. It is also better to tie the budget to stages, since the grant giver often transfers funds in parts. Each expense item must be justified in the appropriate section of the application. Indicate in this section: the total cost of the project, the amount of funds requested, the amount of available funds (at least 30% of the total amount).

When starting the “Future Financing” section, describe possible options for prolongation (continuation) of the project, and also indicate at what cost this can be accomplished. Possible options: fundraising (attracting sponsorship) or self-sufficiency.

In the “Applications” section, place materials that can help create favorable attitude to the draft of the commission members. These can be illustrations, layouts, diplomas, publications, documentary evidence of previous victories in similar competitions, results of other projects, and the like. Enlist the support of reputable people and organizations. Have them write “letters of support for the project”, indicating that the project is of particular importance, and its author is well-respected in a particular social environment; that, if funding is received, these people (organizations) are ready to take part in the implementation of the project to the best of their ability.

Start preparing a “Covering Letter” to the competition organizers. Don't forget to include your contact information. Make an inventory of the attached documents. Record a copy of the application on electronic media. Attach it to your application. Send the package of documents by registered mail with notification to the competition organizers in advance, so that if there are any shortcomings, they can be promptly corrected.

From the editor: After the anniversary celebrations of the millennium of the baptism of Rus', which took place in 1988, tremendous opportunities opened up for the Russian Old Believers. The pressure from state and party structures has stopped. Censorship was abolished. Since the late 1980s, the state has for many years withdrawn itself from any control over liturgical, publishing and educational activities. It would seem that a new golden period had arrived, when the Old Believers could develop church institutions, open new parishes and, most importantly, calmly and loudly preach the truth of the old faith.

However, it turned out that over the years Soviet power much was lost. In particular, the classes that formed the economic basis of the Old Believers were destroyed. Merchant patrons were exterminated or expelled immediately after the October Revolution. In the early 90s, there were practically no people willing to provide financial and organizational assistance in church construction and educational activities. Fortunately, over the past decade and a half, the situation has begun to change. Benefactors appeared, the state began to provide more active assistance to the Old Believer consents. Thus, in Moscow in 2007-2014, thanks to the assistance of the city authorities, a significant part of the Rogozhsky historical and architectural ensemble was reconstructed.

One of the new tools to support educational initiatives is federal grant system. Thanks to these subsidies, it became possible to solve a number of problems related to educational activities. Among them are publishing activities, holding fairs and concerts of sacred music, creating Internet resources, museums and much more. IN last years The state has allocated tens and hundreds of millions of rubles for such purposes. The opportunities that opened up allowed representatives of the Old Believer consensus to implement many important projects.

However, successes in this area cannot be called unambiguous. Over several years, statistics on negative experiences have accumulated. Sometimes vague goals of grant projects, poor elaboration of the mechanism for implementing the assigned tasks, low qualifications of performers, lack of interaction with the media lead to the fact that “ coefficient useful action » grant subsidies remain low. Outside observers sometimes get the impression that the purpose of the grant is not so much to educate and educate society, but rather to improve the financial situation of the project participants.

About the most common mistakes when filling out grant applications and how they can be avoided, a member of the Old Believer community in Kirov, Candidate of Cultural Studies, Associate Professor of the Department of Journalism and Integrated Communications of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education tells us today. Vyatsky State University " Winner of grants from the President of the Russian Federation, Russian Humanitarian Foundation, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Federal expert All-Russian competition youth projects (Ministry of Education and Science Russian Federation, Federal agency for youth affairs).

Since November 1, 2018, two grants have been implemented under the leadership of Elena Vasilievna: “ Preservation, popularization and research of Old Believer book culture" And " Educational mobile exhibition of ancient Russian icon-painting heritage for the 400th anniversary of the birth of Archpriest Avvakum “The Spiritual Light of Russian Orthodoxy”».

***

To achieve social, charitable, cultural, educational, scientific goals, to protect the health of citizens, development physical culture and sports, satisfying the spiritual needs of citizens, protecting the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and organizations, providing legal assistance, as well as for other purposes aimed at achieving public benefits, the state provides comprehensive support to social projects in the form of grants. The main grantmaker in Russia for NGOs is the Presidential Grants Fund (presidential grants.rf).

A social project is a set of activities aimed at solving social problem. A social project smoothes out or neutralizes social problems and promotes the harmonious development of civil society.

What is the structure of a social project?

As a rule, the required elements of the project are:

Project name.
Abstract of the project, that is short description project, including “1) a description of the main idea and specific actions to implement the project (without justification of relevance and social significance); 2) indication of the target audience; 3) the most significant expected results; 4) for long-term projects - justification for choosing the implementation period (why the implementation of the project is impossible or inappropriate in a longer period of time) short time)" (according to the recommendations of the Grant Fund of the President of the Russian Federation).
Geography of the project.
Project implementation period.
Justification of the social significance of the project.
Project target groups.
The purpose and objectives of the project.
Expected quantitative and qualitative results of the project.
Project budget
Project roadmap (schedule plan).
Project team.
Information about the organization from which the grant application is being submitted.

What is a problem and how to formulate it?

It’s better to start a project not by searching for an idea (for example, I had the idea to create advanced training courses for teachers Sunday schools), and from searching for a specific problems in society.

Social problem - social situation, which is identified by society as difficult and undesirable. The problem needs to be solved. The problem is usually limited to the circle of beneficiaries and geographical area. That's why in the formulation and/or description of the problem, it is advisable to indicate the target audience and geographical scope(see more about this in the following sections of the instructions).

A problem is a negative phenomenon. Therefore, the problem statement should include words such as “no”, “missing”, “insufficient”, “ low level"etc.

It is incorrect to say that " We are working on the problem of popularizing the Russian language”, since dissemination and promotion of the native language is not a problem. The problem may be: an insufficiently developed unified open Russian-language educational space; decline in the popularity and prestige of the Russian language and education in Russian in the world; a decrease in the level of proficiency in Russian as a state language and a narrowing of the scope of its functioning as a means of international communication; deterioration in the level of teaching Russian as a native, non-native and foreign language, etc.

The problem must be relevant, uncontrived, genuine. Accordingly, her it is necessary to justify, that is, to prove. It is incorrect to use general vague phrases to justify the significance, such as: “The social, public and scientific-pedagogical significance of the project is associated with the ever-increasing need in the context of international political, socio-economic and cultural transformations to preserve, strengthen and spread the Russian language as the fundamental basis of civil self-identification, cultural, scientific and educational unity of multinational Russia, interstate dialogue and civilizational cooperation.” Instead of vague formulations, a set of arguments is needed. They could be:

1. Survey (questioning, interviewing) of the target audience. The opinions of beneficiaries will help confirm the existence of a problem, and will also likely suggest ways to overcome contradictions.
2. Analysis of regulatory documents. In target programs you can find formulations of problems and algorithms for solving them. For example, to substantiate the relevance of the project “Creation of a digital educational environment for the Russian language”, studying the Federal target program"Russian language" for 2016-2020.
3. Statistical data. For example, resources such as:

Federal State Statistics Service (www.gks.ru/). The site contains official statistical information on all aspects of life Russian society, information and analytical materials characterizing various aspects of the economy and social life countries.
Statistics.RU. Reference and analytical web resource of the State Statistics Committee. Contains tables with data and text publications, statistical news on issues of social, economic life, environmental problems, criminology, etc.
Multistat. Multifunctional statistical portal (www.multistat.ru/). Web resource of the Main Interregional Center for Processing and Dissemination of Statistical Information of the State Statistics Committee.
Statistics Russian education(http://stat.edu.ru/). The site contains information about educational levels, Unified State Examination results, regional data, international comparisons, statistical materials for the media.

4. Scientific research. For example, research by scientists in sociology, history, cultural studies and other areas of humanities.
5. Searching the media for interviews with industry experts and leaders public opinion etc.
6. Statements by civil servants and government officials. However, direct quotation is best avoided.
7. Studying the experience of solving problems of other regions and countries.

And other facts and arguments confirming the importance and urgency of the identified problem, the urgent need to solve it.

How to set a goal and identify tasks?

After the problem is formulated and justified, you need to identify the goal and objectives project activities. A goal is a specific expected result that a project is aimed at achieving, that is, a goal is the highest point of what is desired, a solution to a problem.

When formulating a goal, you need to pay attention to several aspects. Firstly, the goal is always the same. It is more effective, easier and more realistic to work towards achieving a single result than to try to focus on several aspirations. One goal helps to build clear and feasible logistics. Figuratively speaking, we can say that it is difficult to sit on two chairs and in pursuit of two birds with one stone, not everyone can catch at least one.

Secondly, a goal is always a completed action, not a process. The goal is limited in time. Accordingly, it would be incorrect to say that “the goal of the project is to educate patriotism among young people,” since education is a process that can last for many years. Instead, it is worth naming a specific action (activity, event) that is aimed at patriotic education: for example, “the goal is to hold the “Candle of Memory” event.”

Setting a SMART goal can be a good help when formulating a goal. This method goal setting includes five criteria that create the acronym S.M.A.R.T.:

It is worth saying that when formulating a goal for social projects, in addition to the five SMART criteria, you can specify a super mission. An example of a SMART goal with a mission could be the following goal setting: “Formation of a project culture through online training for three thousand Old Believers by the end of 2018.”

Objectives are a specific description of what will be accomplished and achieved, particular results, stages on the way to achieving the goal. Solving problems must inevitably lead to achieving the set goal. Objectives reflect the strategy for implementing the project idea.

Signs of correct formulation of tasks are:

A logical and consistent solution to the problem.
Relationship with project activities (each project activity must be associated with one of the tasks).
Clear and specific statements of objectives, not expressed in general terms, but in quantitative and qualitative indicators that can become indicators of the success of the project.

When formulating project objectives, it is recommended not to use words such as “maintain”, “improve”, “strengthen”, “facilitate”, “coordinate”, “rebuild”. It’s better to say: “prepare”, “distribute”, “increase”, “reduce”, “organise”, “establish order”. In other words, it is better to avoid imperfective verbs and use perfective verbs, since they are the ones that demonstrate the grant applicant’s focus on results.

What should you pay attention to when describing the mechanism for implementing a project?

The project implementation mechanism must be synchronized with the tasks, scrupulously detailed and, if possible, include innovative techniques.

In more detail, each event on the calendar plan (road map) should be aimed at solving the tasks given in the project description. The description of the activity should include detailed information about how it will be implemented and for which target group. It is necessary to indicate the timing and specific results (according to quantitative indicators) for each event.

If you offer fundamentally new and fresh mechanisms for solving a problem, then this can be a good bonus when experts evaluate your project idea. At the same time, innovations must ensure effective smoothing or neutralization of problems. For example, if your goal is to develop environmental awareness through environmental activities, then the traditionally proposed activities for cleaning river banks from garbage or holding master classes on ecology will be unproductive. These works are necessary, but they do not solve the problem: after cleaning the territory, it is polluted again. An original solution that would contribute to greater effectiveness in eliminating the environmental disaster could be the exchange of collected garbage for tree seedlings and their planting.

What quantitative and qualitative results should be included in the grant application?

Qualitative results should include indicators characterizing changes in the target group thanks to the implementation of the project.

Quantitative indicators - numbers that can be used to determine the proportionality of the requested grant amount and the results of the project. It is most convenient to focus on the project’s activities in the calendar plan.

“Adequacy (the indicator characterizes the real situation as a result of achieving a goal or solving a problem);
achievability (the values of this indicator can be realistically obtained within the framework of the project);
reliability (the method of collecting and processing source information can be documented);
measurability (the indicator must have numerical values);
objectivity (the use of indicators that can improve when the real situation worsens is not allowed);
unambiguity (the meaning of the indicator should not cause discrepancies, therefore complex formulations should be avoided).”

An example of the planned quantitative and qualitative indicators, the rationale for their achievability for the project to create a digital educational environment for the Russian language can be the following excerpt from the grant application.

The implementation of the goals and objectives provided for in the project will ensure the achievement of the following indicators:

— quality indicators:

an accessible, free, and based on modern digital educational methods and teaching technologies, a system for studying and teaching Russian as a native, non-native and foreign language has been created;
a steady interest has been formed in the development of the Russian world and the improvement of language culture,
Dialogue interethnic relations have been established.

— quantitative indicators:

seven multimedia and interactive online courses have been developed in a unified digital educational environment for organizing teaching in the Russian language and in Russian at all levels of training,
a daily updated database of educational, gaming, multimedia materials has been created teaching materials for studying Russian as a native, non-native and foreign language, including a printed collection of educational exercises in the Russian language for foreigners;
the number of people who have completed online courses is at least 2.5 thousand people,
At least 250 schoolchildren took part in the Internet Olympiad in the Russian language for gifted children;
advanced training of at least 250 teachers was carried out;
more than 350 persons with disabilities were able to undergo training taking into account special conditions and requirements.

Achievability of program indicators and indicators

How to correctly evaluate project resources?

Before requesting a certain amount of money from a grantmaker, you need to evaluate the available resources. As a rule, an adequate assessment of the resource base can significantly reduce financial requirements and make the project budget commensurate with the results.

Project resources:

Material resources. For example, the availability of laptops, event space, shovels, garbage bags, etc.
Human resources. When describing the project team, it is necessary to show that it can cope with solving the tasks specified in the application, that it has sufficient knowledge, experience and competencies for the high-quality implementation of the project. It is important to explain: who exactly will perform what tasks, what practical experience each team member has. The Grant Fund of the President of the Russian Federation recommends specifying 5-7 key team members (it is possible to add up to 15 people in total).
Administrative Resources. When implementing projects with state support It is advisable to enlist the support of the authorities. The attention of local authorities to the project and its support will not only contribute to the implementation of the project, but also at the same time indicate the significance of the problem being solved.
Informational resources. Your organization must be informationally open: have accounts on social media. networks and messengers, if possible - a website. Publish information about your activities in the media. It should be clear to the expert, and then to the public, that government funding did not go to random applicants, but to positively proven organizations.
Financial resources. This is one of the most important points grant application. When forming a budget, a detailed financial and economic justification of the project is necessary. You can get acquainted with all the nuances of budgeting on the website of the Grant Fund of the President of the Russian Federation, located at https://presidentialgrants.rf/public/home/documents.

How to characterize the target audience and geographic area of the project?

The target audience is beneficiaries, social group, for the sake of which the project is being done. The more accurate the portrait of the target audience is, the easier it is to identify its problems and find ways to solve problems.

The target audience can be characterized by the following criteria:

Age.
Quantity. It is incorrect to indicate, for example, that the beneficiaries are all the youth of the Nth region. Since these figures are far from reality: an expert will look at Rosstat that 20 thousand young people live in the region, but the project is designed for only 3 thousand. It is better to indicate the approximate number of participants at future events. In addition, among the participants it is worth indicating only those who will actually be involved in the project activities. There is no need to include those who can view, for example, videos and banners of the project in the public domain on the Internet, since finding evidence that it was viewed by the designated target group will be problematic. There may be fewer beneficiaries, but their number will correspond to reality.
Social status (children, schoolchildren, pensioners, large families, students, dysfunctional families, people without a fixed place of residence, etc.).
Geography. The geographical territory must not contradict that specified in the charter of the NPO.

What are the criteria for evaluating projects?

Project evaluation criteria may vary among different grant providers. The Russian Presidential Grants Fund evaluates projects depending on the amount requested according to the following criteria:

Relevance and social significance of the project.
Logical coherence and feasibility of the project, compliance of project activities with its goals, objectives and expected results.
Innovation, uniqueness of the project.
The relationship between the planned costs of implementing the project and its expected results, the adequacy, measurability and achievability of such results.
The feasibility of the project budget and the reasonableness of the planned costs for the implementation of the project.
Scale of project implementation.
The organization’s own contribution and additional resources attracted to implement the project, prospects for its further development.
Organizational experience in successful implementation programs, projects in the relevant area of activity.
Compliance of the experience and competencies of the project team with the planned activities.
Information openness of the organization.

Participation in grant activities requires the grant applicant to desire to tirelessly improve the world and solve problems in society, and makes it possible to build the country’s civil society according to the laws of philanthropy. This means that it is simply necessary to participate in the social projects competition.

At the end of 2017, the winner of the presidential grant competition was the Russian Orthodox Church Center project “Development of scientific, cultural and educational activities in the field of Old Russian culture and Old Believers,” aimed at creating a set of unique scientific, educational and information materials about Old Russian culture and Old Believers with their subsequent placement on the official website Russian Orthodox Church - rpsc.ru

To draw up estimates, the cash method is used: all expenses are taken into account in the budget (and subsequently in reports) as they are paid Money.

The estimate must strictly correspond to the content of the project. When changing the content of the project, you should check the budget for the need for adjustments.

The estimate must meet the requirements of realism, validity, transparency, intended use, efficiency and completeness.

Low scores for various applications were often related to the size of the funds requested. The “ask for more, we’ll give less” method does not work in the presidential grant competition. How more money the organization requested, the more severely its application was assessed.

When assessing the project estimate, experts will be guided by the following criteria:

the feasibility of the project budget and the reasonableness of the planned costs for the implementation of the project;
the ratio of the planned costs of implementing the project and its expected results, the adequacy, measurability and achievability of such results;
the organization’s own contribution and additional resources attracted to implement the project.

Payment for services of third parties and individual entrepreneurs At the expense of the grant funds, it should be planned in an amount of no more than 30% of the requested grant amount. The indicated amount does not include office expenses, rental of premises, other property and property rights, travel expenses, accommodation, meals as part of travel expenses and expenses for holding events.

Co-financing is indicated only in terms of co-financing of the project submitted to the competition (should not include financing of the entire current activities organization, for example, renting the entire premises used to house all the organization’s personnel).

A sample project estimate is provided “Social 3D Modeling”

1. Remuneration

1.1. Payment of full-time employees

Job title	Salary per month (in rubles, including personal income tax)	Number of months (no more than 18 months)	Total cost, in rubles		Requested amount
Project manager, accountant	20 000,00	9	180 000,00	0,00	180 000,00
Leading webinar designer	20 000,00	9	180 000,00	0,00	180 000,00
Project curator	12 500,00	9	112 500,00	0,00	112 500,00
Webinar presenter-psychologist	17 000,00	9	153 000,00	0,00	153 000,00
Total for the article:			625 500,00	0,00	625 500,00

This section of the estimate indicates labor costs only for the part of the salary that is paid to the employee for work on the declared project.

The wages of project workers are set taking into account the average wage in the corresponding region, and it is recommended to determine the level of wages in such a way that the average wage of project personnel does not exceed 48 thousand rubles per month per employee (in the part financed by the grant ).

1.2 Payments to individuals (except for individual entrepreneurs) for the provision of services (performance of work) under civil contracts

1.3 Insurance premiums

We invite you to webinars on emotional intelligence for children and adults. Webinars are a base that will help you understand the huge flow of information on emotional intelligence.

It is difficult to imagine developing emotional stability without knowledge of your own emotionality. It is necessary to understand and identify your emotions and the emotions of other people. The range of feelings and emotions is very large, and we often know how to recognize and use no more than 10.

2. Travel expenses

This estimate item only includes travel expenses for project employees working on employment contracts, related directly to events in the calendar plan.

3. Office expenses (rent of non-residential premises, utilities, communication services, banking services, electronic document management, postal services, computer equipment and software (including reference information systems, accounting software), stationery and consumables)

The Fund does not encourage the use of cash payments and, accordingly, the costs associated with receiving cash from the cash desk. In this case, it is allowed to compensate the employee for expenses incurred on the advance report by transferring to bank card such an employee.

4. Purchase and rental of specialized equipment, inventory and related expenses

expenditures	Unit cost (in rubles)	Number of units	total cost	Co-financing (for the entire period, in rubles)	Requested amount
Rent a 3D printer	12000,00	1	6 000,00	0,00	6 000,00
PLA rod, weighing 1 kg	678,00	8	5 424,00	0,00	5 424,00
PLA rods, weighing 2.5 kg	1 798,00	2	3 596,00	0,00	3 596,00
Delivery	700,00	1	700,00	0,00	700,00
Total for the article:			15 720,00	0,00	15 720,00

We invite you to webinars “How to independently increase weak motivation to learn” .

One of the main problems of modern pedagogy is the lack of desire and interest in children to learn and gain knowledge. Some children are motivated to educational process disappears before it can appear. For others, it is lost over time for various reasons. Mind maps, when used correctly, can increase motivation to learn.

5. Development and support of websites, information systems and other similar expenses

6. Payment for legal, information, consulting services and other similar expenses

The budget item includes payment for external organizations involved to provide legal, information, consulting and other similar services. These services must be necessary for the implementation of the project and require professional knowledge.

7. Event expenses

expenditures	Unit cost (in rubles)	Number of units	Total cost, in rubles	Co-financing (for the entire period, in rubles)	Requested amount
Monetary equivalent of free volunteer labor	43 200,00	1	43 200,00	43 200,00	0,00
Rent for premises for holding webinars, maintaining a forum, maintaining project reports.	72 000,00	1	72 000,00	72 000,00	0,00
Internet payment	5 310,00	1	5 310,00	0,00	5 310,00
Payment for the webinar room	19 800,00	1	19 800,00	0,00	19 800,00
Asus laptop	17 060,00	1	17 060,00	17 060,00	0,00
Epson Styles Photo R-200 color inkjet printer	4 601,00	1	4 601,00	4 601,00	0,00
Set of cartridges for Epson Styles Photo R-200 printer	4 080,00	1	4 080,00	4 080,00	0,00
Total for the article:			166 051,00	140 941,00	25 110,00

8. Publishing, printing and related costs

9. Other direct expenses

This section of the estimate must include expenses required for the implementation of the project that are not provided for in other items of the project budget. However, the inclusion of such items as “Unforeseen expenses” or similar items at the expense of the grant is not allowed.

What cost items can the grant funds be used for?

Grant funds can be used to pay for the following costs:
1. Remuneration:

remuneration of full-time employees;
payments to individuals (except for individual entrepreneurs) for the provision of services (performance of work) under civil contracts;
insurance contributions to extra-budgetary funds.

2. Travel expenses.
3. Office expenses.
4. Purchase, rental of specialized equipment, inventory and related expenses.
5. Website development and support, information systems and other similar expenses.
6. Payments for legal, information, consulting services and other similar expenses.
7. Expenses for holding events.
8. Publishing, printing and related expenses.
9. Other direct expenses corresponding to the intended purpose of the grant.

We invite you to webinars and consultations on psychosomatics. The webinars discuss psychosomatic disorders in children and diseases such as: eating disorders, anxiety, enuresis, sleep disorders, tics and stuttering, and will also give an adaptation test and several exercises and recommendations for relaxation and autogenic training.

(Visitors 8,514 all time, 58 visits today)

Share with friends

- Lilia, tell us about your experience project work and coaching activities.

I first learned what the public sector is in 2004, when in my hometown The first project was implemented. This happened thanks to cooperation with Ukrainian and English public organizations. I took part in the project as a member of the advisory council, being the head of the economics department of the district state administration. Social activities interested me, I started going to various trainings to learn more. In 2007, she completed training for trainers and consultants and began to engage in active social activities. The topics of my trainings are very wide: starting from writing project proposals, community activation and ending with the basics of media literacy for residents. Relatively own projects, now together with Polish partners we are implementing a project to develop Strategic plan development for the Bashtansky United Territorial Community in the Nikolaev region, where I come from. The document should be prepared by September 2017.

- How to decide on the idea of the project? Is it better to look for a competition for an idea or an idea for a competition?

In practice, it happens both ways. If there is a desire to bring something good to life and there are several people who can work together to realize this good thing, the plan becomes a reality.

- What role does the name of the project play?

Very important. The name of the project should clearly, succinctly and uniquely concentrate what you plan to do and what all this activity is intended to solve. Imagine that 100, 200, 300 projects can be submitted to competitions and they all have almost the same name. The ability to stand out is also important here.

- Which sections are usually included in a project and which of them should be given the most attention?

Each donor organization has its own application form. But the sections are actually important, everything from the project summary, information about the organization, description of the problem, definition of the goal and ending with tasks, activity plan, budget and applications.

Who is easier to receive and implement a grant: organizations or to an individual? Does the success of the project depend on the number of people involved in the project?

Individuals are mainly supported in the form of scholarships to study something, to conduct research work, and for the implementation of larger-scale projects - very rarely. For example, an initiative group of residents may become an exception. The vast majority of donor organizations work with public non-profit organizations. There are also opportunities for attracting extra-budgetary resources for local governments.

If we talk about the number of people covered by the project’s activities, that is, about the target group of the project, then the donor organization is interested in ensuring that, within the available budget, the coverage and involvement of the target group is as possible as possible. It is worth talking about the success of a project when our goal towards which the project activities were directed has already been achieved.

- How should you proceed if the project fails or the results do not meet expectations?

If you are submitting project application, it provides for the implementation of a specific action plan that will solve the problem that you describe in this application. Yes, it happens that not everything can be accomplished, or what we did did not lead to a solution to the problem, etc. It is difficult to advise what to do if such a situation arises. I think each specific case should be considered separately, but such situations do exist. Subsequently, this makes it much more difficult to support your next project, even from another donor organization, because they may be interested in feedback from cooperation with you.

Therefore, I would advise you to clearly prepare projects, and then implement them conscientiously, and everything will be fine.

- Is finance the reason for writing a project?

A project is written to solve some problem that worries many residents of a village or city, and getting money cannot be the goal of the project. We often come across phrases, especially among officials, like: “we received 10 computers worth 100 thousand UAH,” and sometimes also: “we spent 100 thousand UAH.” This is, of course, good, but it is worth focusing on the fact that, for example, 250 school students had the opportunity to practice their computer skills thanks to the installation of a computer class.

The goal of the project is, first of all, to focus on solving the problem; these are changes that we can make in the community by introducing an action plan, which, in fact, is provided for in the project.

There are small and very significant grants. Should people who are just starting out in grant work apply to competitions that involve large sums of money? Or is it better to limit yourself to small budgets?

I can tell you from my own experience: if your organization is very young, then you should start with a small amount. This way you will gain certain skills, which will be very useful. Then, when you decide to work with large sums, the experience gained will be able to confirm that you already have successful experience in implementing project activities.

Also, to gain experience, you can first work as a partner in a large public organization, which has successfully implemented many projects. This will also be an advantage, as opposed to your lack of experience at all.

But it is worth remembering that there are competitions where it is clearly stated that only organizations registered, for example, no later than 2014 can participate. If your organization was registered in 2015, then it cannot take part in this competition, either with or without experience.

Donor organizations often specify the clause “own contribution”. Does this mean that the authors of the project must contribute part of the funds themselves, or is there something else in mind?

Own contribution can indicate not only funds, but, most often, the work of activists on a volunteer basis, the presence of their own equipment, the provision of materials by activists for the implementation of the project (for example, paint for arranging a playground, etc.). But the information needs to be clarified in each specific case with the donor organization whose competition interests you.

- What should you do when the planned budget for the implementation of the project is not enough?

Typically, you have the amount of funding that was specified in the grant agreement. It is also important to understand why you did not have enough funds. Did you calculate your budget incorrectly? Have you planned one number of events or participants, but now you want more? The donor organization must be notified of all such cases.

If you want to do more activities than budgeted, you will have a great opportunity to practice attracting resources from other sources, for example, from residents whose problems this project is aimed at solving, from entrepreneurs who are open to implementing socially important projects. You can contact your city or village council. It's about not only about funds, but, for example, also about the free provision of equipment, volunteer work of activists, etc.

Have you personally encountered denial of grants? How to come to terms with the refusal of a donor organization and continue working?

Of course, there were refusals, but we must take them calmly. Yes, it’s a pity for the time and effort, but such situations exist. They keep you on your toes and don’t allow you to get too cocky and encourage you to constantly improve. Defeat should be taken as an opportunity to improve your idea or project for the next competitions.

- What could you wish for people who do not dare to start project work?

There is one good story about the Master and the student. One day a student asked the Master: “Master, how long will it take to wait for changes?” and received the answer: “If you wait, it will take a long time.”

We all have different reasons for not doing anything, ranging from the explanation “this is a matter for the city or village council, they were elected - let them do it” and our own everyday problems that require our time, ending with simply lack of confidence in our own abilities. But all these factors hold us back from starting something new, important for many, and not just for ourselves.

The reasons we justify our passivity are actually worth understanding. But it’s worth looking around and asking yourself, do I want the rest of my life to be like this? Or am I okay with everything? I live here, my children live here and I want me to be comfortable in my city or village! If the fact that I start some important project makes someone else feel better, that’s great, but it will make me feel better too. Therefore, I wish people who would like to do something, but have not yet dared, to start! You deserve good changes!

The introduction of project work in the Chernihiv region and the activation of the population to participate in various grant competitions is one of the tasks charitable foundation"The future of Chernihiv region." To date, the foundation has already held training forums in several communities in the region, where everyone could learn how to write grant projects.

Participants of the forums (and not only them) were able to apply knowledge in practice and participated in a grant competition from the charitable foundation “Future of Chernihiv Region”. In total, more than 60 projects were submitted to the competition, 21 authors received a grant to implement the proposed idea. And this is just the beginning - residents of the Chernihiv region are ready to continue developing their hometowns and villages.

03.03.2017

Steps from "A" to "Z" for beginners and experienced

Project: a set of planned actions taken to solve the problem of a specific target group, limited in time and resources, with specific results.

Social project: a program of real action, the goal of which is aimed at solving a pressing social problem in society, and the objectives are for positive results and changes in society.

Basic requirements that the project must meet:

relevance– the reason, the basis for the implementation of the project must correspond to the requirements of the time, a separate target group or other aspects that explain the emergence of the project idea;

time– the project must be limited in time;

resources– the project must have a clear description of the needs;

quality and results assessment– the scale for assessing the effectiveness of the project is determined in accordance with your goals, but the results you strive for must be clear, amenable to analysis and comprehension.

Projects can be simple and complex, short-term and long-term, with a limited and substantial budget, risky and with completely manageable risks, with different results. In any case, the project is aimed at solving a specific problem. The project must be systematic, logical and adequate, that is, each section must correspond to all the others (tasks must correspond to the goal, the mechanism must correspond to the goals and objectives, the budget must correspond to the goals, objectives and mechanism, etc.).

How to write and format a project? Steps from "A" to "Z"

Step #1: Decide on an idea, analyze the problem.

What would you like to change?

What and in what way (in the most general terms) would you like to achieve?

What problem do you want to solve?

You wrote down the answer → moved on to defining the scope of the project activity, defining the problem you will work on.
Analyzed the problem → determined what you want to change → a project idea arose → move on to detailing and describing the project.

Step #2: Write the goal of the project.

Target- a general description of the expected results and expectations, the highest point of achievement that the organization strives for during the implementation of the project. A goal is a course of action to achieve the desired result.

The goal should be formulated in such a way that its achievement completely solves the problem that has arisen. The formulation of the goal should be based on the formulation of the problem. We can say that the goal is the problem in reverse.

Ask questions for the purpose of your project:

Is there an exact expression of what exactly should be the outcome of the project?

Will we be able to see and measure the results of the project as a whole and its individual parts?

Is the goal realistic? Is it possible to achieve the stated goal given the available resources?

What benefits or benefits will be obtained as a result of achieving the goal by the project team and other stakeholders?

Step #3: Write the project objectives.

Project objectives- these are specific steps that need to be taken to change the existing situation for the better, these are steps to achieve the goal.

INimportant to remember! There can be several tasks, all tasks are steps towards achieving a goal, interconnected and related to the goal of the project.

Use verbs. For example, if you need to build a house, then the tasks will be: laying a foundation, erecting walls, building a roof, installing communications, doing interior decoration, etc.

Check. Objectives must completely cover the solution to the problem (the set goal).

Analyze. Tasks must be effective (as a result, changes after the project consist of specific results).

Step #4: Check the goal and objectives according to the smart criterion.

We look at our goal and objectives, check them according to the SMART criterion, and adjust them if necessary.

	Specificity
	Measurable
	Achievable
	Rewarding
	Time bound

For example: Goal: “Construction of a house” - can be specified according to the SMART criterion as follows: “Construction and commissioning of a 2-story, 6-apartment building for families of young professionals in the village of Vychegda by the second quarter of 2014.”

Step #5. We build a logical chain of actions from tasks.

We have determined the goal and objectives → Let’s start planning: how it will all happen.

From each task we build a logical chain of actions: how we will achieve the result. Sometimes it helps to draw the entire chain of actions and tasks in order to understand the logic of the project in each direction.

For example, if we are talking about building a house for the families of young professionals, then our task blocks may be related to:

directly by construction

agreements with government authorities

with work with target audience– families of young professionals

working with the press on PR of the project and the event in general.

This logical chain will help us write a project schedule in its logical sequence.

Step No. 6. We write an action plan, a work schedule.

The plan determines the order in which all work will be performed: it describes what, who will do it and when, in a logical sequence + makes it clear what resources are needed. When planning you can use various shapes, schedules, plans.

For example: Project implementation plan. Example No. 1

Project implementation plan. Example No. 2

Project implementation plan. Example No. 3

It would also be useful to do network plan- schedule.

Step #7. We calculate how much our project will cost.

Each stage of project implementation requires a certain expenditure of funds and resources:

how much money is required to implement the project? What will they be spent on?

From what sources is the money expected to be received? Grants, subsidies, sponsorships, etc.?

This section of the project must relate very closely to other sections of the project, especially the implementation mechanism and project schedule.

Possible cost estimate for the project:

Name of items and expenses	Cost calculation	Financial costs for the project
Name of items and expenses	Cost calculation	Available funds	Requested funds

The “budget” (estimate) must be itemized.

Main expenses:

rental of premises and utility payments

travel and transportation expenses

equipment

communication and communication

holding special events

publishing costs

Consumables

and other direct costs that directly go to your project.

"Other expenses"- this is an optional item that is included in the budget if there are expenses that are not reflected in other items. This article must be especially carefully argued.

"Salary"- turns on directly wages project personnel and specialists hired temporarily under a contract, as well as “Accrual of taxes on income” - 35.8% of the total wage fund for personnel and attracted specialists.

It is necessary to pay special attention to the last three columns in the budget table: “available funds”, “requested funds”, “total”. The “available funds” column should indicate the funds that you and your organization are investing in the implementation of the project. For example: the involvement of volunteers as staff or external specialists must be reflected in the budget item “salaries” in the “available” column, and the amount will correspond to the costs that the organization would have incurred if paid employees had participated in the project implementation instead of volunteers specialists.

If the organization, you or sponsors provide any office equipment for the implementation of the project, then you should indicate it in the “available” column approximate cost taking into account the service life.

In the “required” column, it remains to indicate the amount of funds that the organization lacks to implement the project.

Step #8. We write the results.

When drawing up an action plan and calculating a budget, we may realize that the results may be even greater than we planned. It is important that our results correspond to the purpose of the project.

In a project, the results can be written down in text; here we suggest you fill out a worksheet to determine the results:

Quantitative result(what will be done?) - records the number of services provided, participants in events, recipients of specific assistance, number of books published, etc.

Quality result(what will change?) - should reflect the positive changes that will occur as a result of events, provision of services, etc.

Efficiency- Are the results obtained commensurate with the efforts expended?

The criteria for assessing the effectiveness of a project are results that demonstrate how well the developers understand what they are striving for and how they will achieve it.

Step #9. we draw up the project.

A completed project usually contains the following sections:

Brief summary of the project: briefly describe your idea (3-5 sentences), goals, results (no more than 1 A4 sheet, 12-14 font)

Detailed description of the project:

The relevance of the problem, why your project is important and necessary.

Goals and objectives of the project.

Target group of the project: who is your project intended for, for whom are you doing it.

Project implementation mechanism: stages, substantive activities, events, etc.

Schedule plan for project implementation (remember about visibility, schedules are welcome).

Budget (estimate).

Specific expected results (quantitative and qualitative), criteria and methods for evaluating results, the effect of the project in the long term.

Possible further development project, if expected.

applications (photo materials, diagrams, sketches, etc.)

The design of the project text is as important as its content. Use large font (at least 12 font) and one and a half spacing. Highlight the main points, structure the text to make it easier to read, use headings and subheadings, bold fonts and underlining, bulleted lists, etc.

If you need to make a presentation:

for each section no more than 1-2 slides;

the font should be as large as possible and readable even from afar, the title and text of the presentation slides should be printed in the same font, it is recommended to use a font size of at least 20 in the presentation;

when using a light background, the font should be black or a very dark shade of other colors (brown, blue); when using a dark background color, the font is white;