GRANTWRITING AND FUNDRAISING OUTCOMES GOAL AND OBJECTIVES Background Information

Following the needs statement and as a logical conclusion to it, you need to tell what is to happen as a result of the project -- the outcome(s). The outcome(s) must be directly related to the need or problem and should project some change for the better.

The needs/problem statement section should end with a statement of the proposal's impact -- usually as a separate paragraph comparable to the "Solution" paragraph of your concept paper. Begin the next section with a brief re-statement of the project (use the catchy title you've assigned to it and print it in bold) and what will happen as a result of your plan. Be crisp and to the point.

 

Goal Statement

The goal statement is a generic statement of the project's outcome (There may be more than one outcome -- for example an economic one and a social one -- but it is usually best to have a single focus, that is, one goal -- two at the most.). Goals are stated in general terms and are non-measureable. It's the long term and the broad connection to the larger problem. Most funding sources prefer the addition of one or more specific statements of end results or outcomes, that is the expected impact on the client group in the future. Some guidelines may call for a goal or a statement of purpose followed by specific objectives designed to achieve the general outcome.

 

Objective Statement(s)

Objectives are specific statements of outcomes and usually include a unit of measure and an expected completion date. These elements provide the basis for evaluation of the objective. Inclusion of these performance criteria providees confidence that the organization has the ability to carry out the project. Specific objectives will also assist in management and evaluation of the project during implementation.

For your objectives (more about this later) select outcomes for the target client group. Some possible phrases to use are:

• As a result of Project XYZ, we anticipate the following outcomes: <
  • "The migrant worker will ..."

• Funding Project ABC will result in the following:
• "Inner city children will be able to ..."

• Through Project MNO, we plan to attain the following:
• "Library users will be able to ..."

Match every objective with a realistic outcome or evaluative criteria (the unit of measure) and include a time within which the objective will be achieved (the completion date). Think about the outcome not the task or the way of accomplishing the objective (This will be part of your methods/implementation section). In other words, one of your objectives would NOT be to recruit volunteers; rather, this would be part of your plan of work.

For a small grant, three strong objectives should be sufficient; two may be enough.

In summary, the outcomes section flows from the problem or need statement. Some of the characteristics of this section are:

• -- Shows ends, results, or benefits to be achieved
  
• -- Is usually expressed as goals or objectives
  
• -- Addresses the needs described in the previous section
  
• -- Should not be confused with the means to accomplish the end.