Gitgrant bitfwd community
If you answer each question in the guidance cards below with two sentences of roughly 10 to 15 words you will have 400-600 words and that's all you need:)
Please have a read of all the cards before you start writing:)
This is not an academic assignment, so keep it light and enjoy sharing with your reader:)
An origin story is a nice way to connect with the reader. A narrative of some of the circumstances of your project’s inception and early stages, invites the reader to share in the motivations that got the founders fired-up in the first place.
This approach works well for projects developing new tech, facilitating growth, creating opportunity and simulating business.
Problem definition is when you define the problem that you project solves. Every project ultimately offers a solution, but telling the story of the problem your project seeks to solve is a very good way to invite the reader to put themselves in the shoes of the people who will benefit form the fruits of your project's labor.
This approach works well for projects making social, political or environmental impact as well as those supporting communities, nurturing nascent organizations and designing governance models.
How was the idea born?
What made it seem important at the time?
What connected the founders before this project?
How did the project evolve to become the project that it is today?
What’s going on that isn’t right?
How does it come about and what does it lead to?
How did the founders discover the problem?
How do they aim to solve it?
This part is about people and how they interact with your project. Anyone the project touches is a stakeholder. Although you will know best who your stakeholders really are, but the reader does not, so say a few words about:
Your team
Your community
Your benefactors
The stakeholder group that will be impacted by your project the most - your biggest stakeholder
Your most impactful stakeholder group
This is where you tell the reader about whatever it is that your project hopes to deliver. This part is all about your product/ your vision/ values you hope to build an organisation around/ and what it is that your project has to offer.
What are you building?
What does your project seek to accomplish?
How will it solve the problem?
How will it impact a greater community?
Now let's talk about what you have and what you need.
Where are you up to on your roadmap?
What would you do if you raised enough from this grant?
Are you seeking alliances/ talent/ mentors?
Your project is awesome and the reader will likely follow it’s socials, become a stakeholder, or know one and they will need something to talk about. So let's give them something to talk about, something to look out for and something they can take part in by funding you!
Where are you on your roadmap?
What’s next and when is it coming?
Do you have a funding target you must reach before you can start the next stage?
What happens if you raise way more than you expected?
What awesome things will you do with the additional resources?