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446

To Write a Proposal

  1. Question the communication situation.
    • Subject: What topic does your proposal address?
    • Purpose: Why are you writing—to explain, to suggest, to plan?
    • Audience: Who will read the proposal? What do they need to know?
  2. Plan your proposal.
    • Identify your specific topic and goal.
    • Learn about the form. Review the example proposal (page 447).
  3. Research the topic.
    • Searching: Learn as much as you can about your topic. Consult primary and secondary sources. (See pages 376–391.)
    • Focusing: Identify the key features of your writing—project questions, materials, steps, and due dates.
    • Shaping: Arrange the key features as shown on page 447 or according to your instructor’s requirements.
  4. Create the first draft of your proposal.
    • Introduce the topic.
    • Follow with the supporting details (materials, steps, and timeline) that explain your proposal.
    • End with an explanation of your proposal’s expected outcome.
  5. Improve your first draft.
    • Evaluate your first draft.

      Purpose: Is the proposal clear and convincing?

      Audience: Does it provide enough information for the reader to act?

    • Revise your writing.

      Rewrite parts that are confusing or unclear.

      Add details to explain your proposal more fully.

      Cut parts that don’t support your topic and goal.

      Reorder sentences, if necessary, to make your proposal plain.

    • Edit your revised writing.

      Replace words that are too general.

      Check your writing for accuracy using page 242 as a guide.

      Follow an accepted format.

  6. Present the final copy of your proposal or submit it to a competition.
447

Proposal for a Project

Date: March 12, 2012

To: Mr. Todd Willems

From: Eric Stevenson

Topic: Haitian School Design Project

The beginning introduces the project.

Project: For a rural community in Haiti, we will design an affordable school that maximizes limited space. Our project will include a blueprint, site map, budget proposal, and a scale model of the school.

Group members: Keema Gray, Shaun Gill, and Eric Stevenson

Project questions: What are the needs of rural Haitians? How large is the proposed school’s building site? What is the budget?

The middle part identifies the questions, materials, steps, and due dates.

Materials:

  • Articles and documentaries on Haitian culture and education
  • Scale model materials: open-cell foam, cardboard, see-through plastic, colored paper, scissors, tape, and glue
  • Blueprint: Graphing paper, rulers, calculators, projectors
  • Site map: SmartDraw computer program
  • Budget estimate: Microsoft Excel

Description: The site map will show the school in relation to its immediate surroundings. The blueprint, or floor plan, will feature a drawing of the inside of the school, including its dimensions, while the scale model will show the relative proportions of the main classroom in the school. Finally, the budget proposal will provide a cost estimate of the project on a spreadsheet and will include at least two graphs.

Steps and due dates:

  • April 1-7: Complete research on rural Haitian culture and education.
  • April 8-14: Plan and create the site map using SmartDraw.
  • April 15-21: Plan and draw the blueprint on graphing paper.
  • April 22-28: Plan and build the scale model.
  • May 8: Present the project.
The ending states the value of the project and asks for approval.

Outcome: Our project will offer a realistic design proposal for building a cost-effective and space-efficient school in Haiti.

Please let me know if this proposal is acceptable. I am willing to answer any questions and make necessary changes.

 
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Additional Resources

Web Page: Proposal Writer's Guide

Web Page: Grant Proposals (or Give Me the Money!)