Step 9 in the text provides an overview of the organizational background component (ATTACHED). In 300 words, write up a background on the organization you have selected for your project

Step 9—Writing the Organizational Background Component 93

Tips for Writing the Organization Background Component

Background Statement Start with why and when the organization was founded. Its mission state- ment should be front and center. Next, focus on explaining what the orga- nization does, how it goes about its work, and whom it serves.

This is one of the few sections of a proposal that can be created as a standard component and used repeatedly. Note that grantseekers will be required to make small edits to tailor the background statement for individ- ual funders or to highlight items of special interest to a funder. Otherwise, this section is standard for most proposals.

Here is the organizational background component from Alyson Eats:

Sample Organizational Background Component

Alyson Eats began in 2002 as a joint project of the state university’s School of Social Work and the city’s Girl Scouts. At the time it was called Feeding Our Neighbors. Every other Friday, the program’s volunteers would provide a free, hot meal for hungry or homeless people or anyone who walked in. The dining halls varied as the volunteers were able to secure donated space – a church kitchen one week, a theater basement two weeks later – but they were always so full that volunteers had to turn people away.

It soon became clear that Feeding Our Neighbors, well-meaning as it was, missed the mark in some important ways. The rotating locations made it hard to find; the people providing the service had little input from the people who needed the service regarding how they could make the program more effec- tive and accessible; and Feeding Our Neighbors only functioned during the school year. Despite this, the fact that the dining halls were full to bursting each time revealed just how much hunger there was in Alyson – and that the city needed a much larger and more comprehensive program.

In 2004, Alyson Eats was established as a 501(c)(3) organization, with the help of the state university. The organization has grown from a staff of one to a staff of nine (four full-time and five part-time), with the ability to help ease hunger in numerous ways for thousands of Alyson residents each year. Our board of directors, once composed largely of volunteers from the north side plus a few south-side clergy members, now has most members from the south side who have been personally affected by hunger. Other members of the 12-person board represent our corporate and institutional partners and/or bring specific expertise or resources to the organization. The board is 75 percent people of color. Our executive director grew up hungry in Alyson and is the author of the memoir Coming Up Empty.

Using Worksheet 9.1A, the Organization Background Exercise, gather the information for this section of your organization’s proposal. See how Alyson Eats used the worksheet in 9.1B.

Next, write the narrative, using the Sample Organization Background Component as a guide. Finally, review the work using the Organization Background Review Questions. Organizations should be able to answer yes to each question.

O'Neal-McElrath, T., Kanter, L., & Jenkins, E. L. (2019). Winning grants step by step : The complete workbook for planning, developing, and writing successful proposals. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Created from ashford-ebooks on 2024-01-08 04:15:30.

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