The Grant Proposal's Statement of Need

(Excerpted from Proposal Writing Part 1, From the Foundation Center Learning Lab (The Foundation Center, 1995-2001). Used with permission.)

If [your organization's prospective] funder reads beyond the executive summary [of your grant proposal], you have successfully piqued his or her interest.
Your next task is to build on this initial interest in your project by enabling the funder to understand the problem that the project will remedy.

The statement of need will enable the reader to learn more about the issues.  It presents the facts and evidence that support the need for the project and establishes that your nonprofit understands the problems and therefore can reasonably address them.  The information used to support the case can come from authorities in the field, as well as from your agency's own experience.

You want the need section to be succinct, yet persuasive.  Like a good debater, you must assemble all the arguments. Then present them in a logical sequence that will readily convince the reader of their importance.  As you marshal your arguments, consider the following six points.

1. Decide which facts or statistics best support the project.
Be sure the data you present are accurate.  There are few things more embarrassing than to have the funder tell you that your information is out of date or incorrect.  Information that is too generic or broad will not help you develop a winning argument for your project.  Information that does not relate to your organization or the project you are presenting will cause the funder to question the entire proposal.  There also should be a balance between the information presented and the scale of the program.

2. Give the reader hope.  The picture you paint should not be so grim that the solution appears hopeless.  The funder will wonder whether an investment in a solution will be worthwhile.  Here's an example of a solid statement of need:  "Breast cancer kills. But statistics prove that regular check-ups catch most breast cancer in the early stages, reducing the likelihood of death.  Hence, a program to encourage preventive check-ups will
reduce the risk of death due to breast cancer. "Avoid overstatement and overly emotional appeals.

3. Decide if you want to put your project forward as a model. This could expand the base of potential funders, but serving as a model works only for certain types of projects.  Don't try to make this argument if it doesn't really fit.  Funders may well expect your agency to follow through with a replication plan if you present your project as a model.

If the decision about a model is affirmative, you should document how the problem you are addressing occurs in other communities.  Be sure to explain how your solution could be a solution for others as well.

4. Determine whether it is reasonable to portray the need as acute. You are asking the funder to pay more attention to your proposal because either the problem you address is worse than others or the solution you propose makes more sense than others.  Here is an example of a balanced but weighty statement: "Drug abuse is a national problem.  Each day, children all over
the country die from drug overdose.  In the South Bronx the problem is worse.  More children die here than any place else.  It is an epidemic. Hence, our drug prevention program is needed more in the South Bronx than in any other part of the city."

5. Decide whether you can demonstrate that your program addresses the need differently or better than other projects that preceded it. It is often difficult to describe the need for your project without being critical of the competition.  But you must be careful not to do so.  Being critical of other nonprofits will not be well received by the funder.  It may cause the funder to look more carefully at your own project to see why you felt you had to build your case by demeaning others.  The funder may have invested in these other projects or may begin to consider them, now that you have brought them to their attention.

If possible, you should make it clear that you are cognizant of, and on good terms with, others doing work in your field.  Keep in mind that today's funders are very interested in collaboration.  They may even ask why you are not collaborating with those you view as key competitors.  So at the least you need to describe how your work complements, but does not duplicate, the works of
others.

6. Avoid circular reasoning. In circular reasoning, you present
the absence of your solution as the actual problem.  Then your solution is offered as the way to solve the problem.  For example, the circular reasoning for building a community swimming pool might go like this:  "The problem is that we have no pool in our community.  Building a pool will solve the problem."  A more persuasive case would cite what a pool has meant to a
neighboring community, permitting it to offer recreation, exercise, and physical therapy programs.  The statement might refer to a survey that underscores the target audience's planned usage of the facility and conclude with the connection between the proposed usage and potential benefits to enhance life in the community.

The statement of need does not have to be long and involved.  Short, concise information captures the reader's attention.

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