Winning Grants Step by Step: The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing and Writing Successful Proposals, 4th Edition

Step 3

Writing a Compelling Problem Statement

THIS STEP HIGHLIGHTS THE KEY ELEMENTS of a problem statement (for grantseeking purposes this statement might also be referred to as the statement of the need or need statement), including the four requirements for it to be successful. The section also offers a worksheet and sample to serve as guides to preparing a problem statement for a proposal.

Purpose of the Problem Statement

What is the problem to be addressed? An organization’s problem statement will—or at least it should—directly address this question. Therefore this is the best place to begin writing a proposal. A problem statement sets the framework for the entire proposal, as it describes a critical condition, set of conditions, or a social ...