Cry, the Beloved Country Final Project

Grant Proposal
Alan Patons novel Cry, the Beloved Country illustrates many needs and
struggles in 1940s South Africa. However, these needs and struggles are
not unique to that time and place; they remain an issue today in many
parts of the world. Just as Paton vividly depicts characters fight to
promote justice and healing in their nation, people continue to fight today
with compassion and zeal for what is right.
Imagine that two Christian business owners one South African and the
other Cambodian - want to donate $100,000 of their companies profits to
a worthy cause. They are offering a grant to any group that can best serve
their nations current needs in a way that is respectful to local citizens and
beneficial to the countrys long-term development and well-being. As with
most grants, each company will select a winner from among all the
proposals.
Your group represents an NGO in either South Africa or Cambodia. Your
task is to create a plan addressing one of the following areas mentioned in
the novel:
Delinquent
Rural
Race relations
youth
education
Slums
Agriculture
Mining

You will work together to research needs related to that area and to
develop a way that your NGO could help address those needs. Each
group member will contribute to a shared note-taking document so
that you will have access to everyones research as you collaborate
in class to brainstorm ideas. Then you will write a grant proposal
requesting funds for your plan. Each of you will be responsible for a
specific section of the plan. At the end, you will have one more class
period together to proofread, unify, and finalize your proposal. Then
you will have 5-8 minutes to present your proposal, after which we
will vote as a class on the best proposal.
Grading: 50 points total. Each group member will receive 20
points for the shared sections and 30 points for their own section.
Group grade:
Notes document reflecting a close reading of 5+ sources = 5 points
Cover letter, unified formatting throughout, conclusion, and workscited page = 10 points
Presentation = 5 points
Individual grade:
Thorough in-text citations with correct formatting = 5 points
Logical, well-explained ideas = 5 points
Thoughtful use of plentiful evidence = 5 points
Clear, yet professional word choice = 5 points
Simple, direct sentences = 5 points
Accurate conventions = 5 points

Key dates:
Week of January 12-16: work days (feel free to bring your own
device)
January 19 or 20, beginning of class - notes due with a rough outline
of your groups proposal
Monday or Tuesday, January 26-27 work day to finalize proposal
(individuals should complete their sections before class)
Wednesday or Thursday, January 28-29 final proposal and
presentation due

Excerpts from Joyaux Guidelines for Proposal Writing and

How to Write a Non-Profit Proposal by Ian Lauder

Make sure that your budget is realistic. Dont inflate your costs. Its bad
business and the funder may realise that you are inflating costs; that
makes you look unprofessional.

Write well. See some of the suggestions from Love Thy Reader at
www.aherncomm.com (Also available at www.simonejoyaux.com.) Not all
of Love Thy Reader is applicable but most of it is! For example:
o Write at the 8th grade level so it doesnt take too much work to
read. (8th grade level refers to 8 years of schooling starting as a
child. Write simply so it is easy to understand.)
o Dont hide the important information. (For example, important
information belongs at the start of the paragraph, not in the middle
or at the end.)
o Avoid long paragraphs. Also avoid compound sentences when
possible. Aim for 16 to 20 words or less per sentence. Vary sentence
and paragraph length so reading isnt boring.
o Dont use technical vocabulary unless absolutely necessary. Make
sure there is no easier way to say it. Dont use a technical term
unless at least 95% of your readers will understand it.
o Substantiate what you say. Do not make unsubstantiated claims.
Provide supporting evidence / facts.
o Dont use sexist, racist, homophobic or culturally biased language.
There is no excuse. As the world becomes more and more global,
sensitivity and inclusion are critical.
Once you feel your proposal information and formatting is complete,
carefully proofread and spell-check all the pages. You should have
someone who is unfamiliar with your proposal proof it as well, because it's
very common to miss mistakes in your own work.
http://www.simonejoyaux.com/downloads/IFCProposalDevelopmentOutline.
pdf
https://www.proposalkit.com/htm/how-to-write-a-non-profit-proposal.htm