Proposal Writing

by Soraya M. Coley, Cynthia A. Scheinberg

This is an excellent resource for anyone who needs to write grant proposals that compete effectively for funds. The book focuses on the mechanics of developing and writing grant applications with coverage of brainstorming, writing the proposal, testing the funding environment, developing a good problem statement, selecting realistic and measurable objectives, and programme implementation and evaluation. There are solid, practical guidelines and well documented examples including a mini-proposal with critiques of each section.

Genres: School, Writing, Textbooks

Paperback

First published November 1, 1990

Reviews

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was assigned this book as part of my Master of Social Work coursework ("Social Work Practice in Communities & Organizations"). I have not ever written a professional grant, so I cannot speak to this book's accuracy for writing "real" grants.

This book was easy to read (even though legal/technical jargon normally makes my head spin), organized well, and gave enough detail to create a comprehensive overview of the grant-writing process without becoming overly verbose. I liked how the book described the components of a proposal and then went into more detail on each one. In the field, I could see myself referencing each section as needed.

As with most technical and social science textbooks, I can see this book quickly becoming outdated, especially with the recent political landscape surrounding federal funding. In future editions, I would like to see some acknowledgment of that.

In short, I feel like I got a good primer in the field of proposal writing. Which is exactly what this book sought to do!

[Lindsay Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for those just getting introduced to grant writing. It covers all the basics and gives a good foundation knowledge for anyone getting into the field. Highly recommend as a reference book.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Students love that this text is easy to read. The older version of the text had great supplemental forms for class activities. I'm not sure why those were not updated and included for this version. The examples given were helpful, but I would have liked a grant 'case study' used throughout the text.

[Yeva · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I felt some of the lessons in this book were a little outdated, the content was strong and the examples were good. The format of the text is easy to follow, and it is handy for students working through the grant writing process.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offered a full overview of the proposal writing process, and works well in tandem with "Winning Grants Step by Step" by Tori O'Neal-McGrath.