IIRR is seeking pro bono support to strengthen staff skills and practices in proposal development and writing. Our skills-gap assessment identified opportunities to improve how staff translate program ideas and organizational priorities into clear, specific, and competitive proposals.
In particular, staff would benefit from practical guidance on developing strong needs statements, tailoring proposals to a specific project and donor opportunity, adapting existing proposal materials appropriately rather than relying too heavily on previous submissions, and prioritizing key sections when working under a deadline.
We are looking for a subject-matter expert who can work with IIRR staff using a practical, hands-on approach. The goal is not simply to produce a stronger individual proposal, but to help staff build a repeatable approach they can apply to future proposal development and revision.
The project would ideally use an upcoming or recently developed IIRR proposal as a practical case study, allowing the consultant and staff to identify opportunities for improvement and work through revisions together.
By the end of the project, IIRR would like to have:
A reviewed and strengthened proposal based on an actual IIRR funding opportunity or proposal draft, with expert feedback and revisions focused on clarity, specificity, alignment, and overall persuasiveness.
A practical proposal development/revision framework or checklist that IIRR staff can use when developing or reviewing future proposals.
A hands-on learning session or working session with relevant staff demonstrating how to apply the framework, including how to assess a needs statement, tailor content to a specific opportunity, strengthen existing proposal language, and prioritize revisions when time is limited.
Actionable feedback for staff identifying recurring strengths and areas for continued development in proposal writing and development.
Success would mean that participating staff not only have a stronger proposal/product, but also have a clearer and more consistent process for independently developing, reviewing, and revising future proposals.
