Chapter 15
Preparing the Appendices

The appendices for the proposal provide additional, detailed information requested by the sponsor. You will want to be sure to include all of the information the sponsor requests. If you still have room in the appendices, you can add additional information that is relevant to the proposal, but which you do not have room for in the body of the proposal. In this chapter, you will identify what to include in the appendices, gather that information, and compile the appendices for your proposals. You will also learn the purposes served by the appendices: as reference tools, as influencers, and as demonstrations of commitment or support.

Learner Outcomes

After completing this chapter, you will be able to

  1. Determine what to include in the appendices

  2. Compile a complete set of appendices based on the sponsor's guidelines

Key Terms

Appendices—A The appendices are considered reference tools for the sponsor, but they also provide additional information to establish trust and build your nonprofit's credibility with the sponsor.

Fiscal agent—A A fiscal agent is an established nonprofit organization with an accounting staff that receives and disburses the funding for another nonprofit organization. If a nonprofit is still waiting for its IRS determination letter or if it is a fledgling nonprofit and does not yet have an accountant, it may have to use a fiscal agent to receive and disburse funds.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) letter of determination—A The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) letter of determination provides proof of nonprofit [501(c)(3)] status.

Will You Need Letters of Support?

There are five cases in which you should request letters of support or commitment:

  1. If the sponsor directly requests them, you will obviously want to solicit letters.

  2. If the sponsor does not directly request them but asks somewhere in the guidelines or forms whether target audiences helped determine the scope or activities of the project, then it is wise to get letters of support from key people or organizations in the target audience.

  3. If the sponsor does not directly request them but the project is going to be conducted by a consortium of organizations, then you will want letters of commitment and support from key people in the consortium who are not members of your organization.

  4. If the sponsor does not directly request them but key project personnel are from other organizations, you will want letters of commitment from those key personnel so that the sponsor knows they have agreed to work with your organization if it is funded.

  5. If the sponsor does not directly request them, but you have not used all of the space allotted for the appendices and you believe the letters would strengthen your case, you should request letters.

Summary

In Chapter 15 you learned what to put in your appendices to strengthen your case with the sponsor. The sponsor usually provides you with a list of what to include in the appendices and a page limit on the appendices. When you compile your appendices, you will want to keep in mind that appendices serve three major functions: as reference tools, as "influencers," and as a show of commitment or support. You will want to select your appendices carefully so that they increase your credibility with the sponsor.

Writing Assignment

  1. Read your sponsor's guidelines to determine what to include in the appendices and what the page limits are. Compile or write your appendices. Request letters of commitment or support if they will strengthen your case with the sponsor.
  2. Save your appendices in your electronic or print notebook.

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