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Developing a formal proposal

Your formal proposal will have seven elements, regardless of to whom it is being sent.  The first document is an Executive Summary, which is typically 1 - 2 pages in document format.  (Word is preferred.)  Although this is on the top of your proposal, you will probably write it last, after completing the six sections below.

The remaining six parts should be in a PowerPoint presentation, ready for your contact to present to the decision makers of the company or non-profit.  Sending it in PowerPoint eliminates the need for your contact to make a PowerPoint from scratch for his presentation, which may move your proposal to the top of the stack.

The first slide or two contains an overview of your project, including your idea, your proposed delivery method, and the benefits to the sponsor.  The next slide will be a short profile of you and your company, stating your experience in the field you are pursuing. 

Next comes your promotion plan.  This is the part where you imagine that you have gotten everything from the sponsor you asked for.  Don't get hung up on the fact that you cannot do any of these things without their support.  If they turn you down, it really doesn't matter what you promised to do; and if they sponsor you, you will be able to do all of the things you have listed, so it's okay to talk about things you don't currently have the funding or expertise to do on your own.

The next slide again lists the sponsor benefits.  You cannot hit this point too hard.  You want them to walk away from the meeting convinced that they are missing out on a huge opportunity if they do not sponsor you.  State your benefits in the most tangible terms possible.  For example, if your plan will give them increased sales as well as enhanced image, list the increased sales first and make an attempt to quantify by how much you think their sales could increase.  You may not have enough data to do this, but if you do, make sure to mention it.

The next slide tells the company that you have considered potential risks and mitigating factors.  For example, if you are asking the company to spend money on your project, expecting that they will see an increase in their market share, a key risk might be that market share goes down after the event.  For every risk you list, include what steps you will take to mitigate that eventuality.

The next slide lists the steps required to "make it happen."  This is where you ask for what you want, but ask in terms of how the company can use you to achieve their goals.  For example, instead of saying "you need to do X" approach it from the standpoint of "By doing X, you will enable Y to happen."

The last slide is your contact information.  It's very important that the person who ends up deciding on your proposal know how to contact you with the good news.  Give them several options:  phone, e-mail, and snail mail, at the very least.