Writing an Effective Statement of Need
The “statement of need”, is the most important component of the grant proposal. It is to the grant proposal what the market analysis is to the business plan. It makes the case for whatever service or product you are planning to provide. The statement of need should include the following core components:
- Accurate demographic data about the population to be served
- Analytical data and constituent surveys/ feedback that demonstrates a community need & want
- Demonstrate a service void that your program can fill
- A compelling narrative that explains why this need is relevant
1. Demographics – You want to ‘drill-down’ as deep as possible and be as specific as you can about who your services will benefit. Sometimes this information can be difficult to find. If you are planning a tutoring program for teenagers in Chicago, the aggregate rate of teenage illiteracy for the United States is irrelevant. You will need to get information relevant to Chicago, and perhaps compare it to data for the state of IL. And unless you program will be city-wide you should narrow your focus to the community where you will run the program. What is the poverty rate in that neighborhood? What is the drop out rate for the schools in that neighborhood? How do the test scores compare to other schools in the city and the state?
2. Analytic Data – How do you know the constituents you want to serve are interested? Are leaders in the community supportive? In the case of the tutoring program you will need the support of the Principals/ Headmasters. You may want to make presentations at the PTO or school board meetings to get feedback. This will demonstrate to potential funders that you have done your due diligence and your program is not only needed but wanted and therefore more likely to succeed. And the most important and time consuming aspect of this research is constituent feedback. Are the parents and students interested in the tutoring pro ram? If the school is open to the idea consider a student and/ or parent survey. And to make the survey more rigorous and data more meaningful you may need to conduct phone interviews with a statistically valid sample size of parents.
3. Service Need – Analogous to the competitor analyses of a business plan. You need to explain why your program is unique and provides a service that no other organization provides. Be specific. List the other groups working in the area and you may want to create a matrix for illustration. Have you already contacted any of these groups? Is there potential for collaboration? Funders LOVE This!
4. Get Personal – The hard part is over. Now you need to bring your idea to the human level. Give an example of a kid that has been through your tutoring program at another school and what a difference it has made in her life. Tell the story of a hard working parent who just wants the best for her son but there are no after school or enrichment programs. Remember, the people reviewing the proposal are people too and you want to tap into their emotions and help make a connection to your program.
Take your time and do this right. It will be time well spent.
