Native Women's Association of Canada Website

Have you developed an operating plan for the project?How will you put your idea into action? How much will it cost? What do youintend to deliver? Who will be responsible for supervision, finance, evaluation,and delivery? What are the possible contingencies you might run into?Can your organization afford to bridge finance the project?Anyone who has ever dealt with Government funding for projects can tell youabout the problems they have had in financing the project. Typically, Governmentwill only provide partial funding until the project is completed to their satisfaction.Cheques can be as late as two months after invoicing. Can your organizationkeep the project going and meet its creditors throughout this process?After all of this, if you and your advisors believe your idea is sound and that you have awell thought out and ordered plan, then it is time to proceed to identify and develop a listof potential funders for the project. Although there are different sources of funding, thisdocument will only be concerned with Federal Government sources. But as you willclearly see, there are many directions within Government to turn for most project ideas.As you start to talk with funders about your idea to determine if you meet their programscriteria and if there is interest (and indeed, funds available), you will find the Pre-Proposal a valuable tool.THE PRE-PROPOSAL (OR CONCEPT PAPER)Your pre-proposal is a starting point when you are developing a project. It is meant tobe used for three reasons:Your own clear look at the idea, and where you intend this project to go;Review by your organization, potential contractors, experts in the field, and thoseeffected by the project; andReview by potential funders of the concept of your idea.Basically the pre-proposal serves as a feedback document. It should be no more thanthree to four pages in length. A successful pre-proposal will contain the following:A Cover and Title: (the name of your idea, e.g. “Bringing Youth and EldersTogether -- A Development Concept”).A Table of Contents: what are the main sections of your plan and their names.Background: Explain your idea, how it developed and why it is needed. Identifythe benefits it will provide in your community and how. Provide a history of yourorganization and why this idea is relevant to your organization.Pg. 10