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Respond to each peer initial post with a response about 3-4 sentences long Peer# 1 ces A request for proposal, or RFP, is a document that describes a project’s needs and asks for proposed solutions from qualified vendors (Peters, 2011). A good RFP can help confirm you have suitable vendors and your project is finalized as scheduled. Though some of the components may vary form proposal to proposal here are some of the main components used in a request for proposal for nonprofit services: Give the funders what they want. “It is therefore essential to pay very close attention to this document. Those who pay closest attention to the rules are the ones who get awarded. It is, after all, the funding source’s money. If you want their money, you have to play by their rules (Bradley, 2017)!” Surveys amongst team members is a good way to respond effectively to RFP’s or grant announcements as you can score them based off of everyone’s opinions. Nonprofits can be assured the grant proposal addressed all aspects effectively in the following ways: Even with the perfect proposal there is no guarantee that the grant will be awarded. There is always more grant proposal submitted than there are actual grant funds available. Peer#2 An RFP offers your organization the invaluable opportunity to recruit the best possible vendors for your particular project. An RFP must always begin with an introduction and overview of the organization issuing the request and the problem or project where help is needed. The introduction is usually no more than a paragraph or two, and must also include the due date for the project and the proposed budget. Including this information helps firms make a decision about whether to respond to the RFP. Element of an RFP are Organizational background which Provide a short description of your organization’s mission and projects. This gives the vendor some background and focus as to the needs of the project. Also, a short project description, Project requirements and project objectives. The requirements and objectives is often the lengthiest section of the RFP, as it describes the characteristics that define a successful outcome in your estimation. Keep in mind that, in general, specific, close

d questions are easier to evaluate and score than open-ended ones. Try to include your audience, list required and desired features, add any system integration needs and indicate any preferred tools or systems. Be sure to include the project budget, milestones and deadlines ,contact information and lastly, deadline for submissions (fivepaths, 2018). The most important is to make sure that the program qualifies for the grant. The single most common reason for a grant application to be denied is failure to follow instructions. Good, comprehensive reading skills are required to be an effective grant writer. There is a lot of information you must locate, identify and consider when developing any grant application. When properly utilized, this information becomes the building blocks for developing the application to match the funding source’s goals and objectives. It also prevents you from making an unintentional error, which would get your application denied. Lastly, be sure to edit and revise. The goal of this process is uniformity and accuracy. Be sure to correct punctuation errors, spelling errors, pronoun agreements, verb agreement and umbers (Deeb, 2015). To be assured the grant proposal effectively addressed all aspects of a RFP or grant announcement. The writer must follow the directions! This instruction cannot be repeated enough. This means not only following the subject matter requirements, but the formatting ones as well. Do not underestimate the importance of following instructions; proposals have been discarded because an applicant didn’t sign the original with blue ink. Plan your program thoroughly and make sure you give as much information as possible. Proofreading is very important. The more the RFP is filled with typos and is internally inconsistent, the greater the likelihood you won’t get any money. One way to avoid this is to proofread several times and have someone read behind you. The goal is to be as efficient as possible, eliminating surprises or problems as you move along. While there are no guarantees that what you write will be funded stay positive and follow directions. If the grant gets rejected, ask the funder what needed improvement and try again at a later time (Paisner).