| Guidelines and Instructions |
Timing |
Ideally, the foundation should be identified well in advance of your project start date. For example, perhaps your research indicates that the CCF grant deadlines are: February, June, and October. Ideally your proposal should reach us well clear of an earlier deadline and well before the next i.e. at least two months before the next deadline or date of your project start.
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With two months until the next deadline, foundation staff has ample time to request a full proposal, and the grant writer has time to prepare that lengthier submission. |
Hence, kindly ensure your letter of Inquiry reached CCF a minimum of two months before the requirement of first instalment of grant. |
Mailing |
Letters of inquiry should be sent through either registered regular mail or a reliable courier. |
| Instructions |
Please provide the legal name of the organization that will manage the proposed project, the submission date, the project title, and the name and email address of the person who can answer questions about the proposed project. |
| General Questions |
Please answer the questions to the best of your ability. Your answers to these questions will help the foundation to determine how to appropriately route your LOI for internal review and have no bearing on whether the foundation will decide to approve or decline your request. This section will not count against your four page limit. |
| Response to the following sections is limited to a total of four pages |
I. Project Purpose And Background |
Describe the purpose of the project and how it will impact the health problem being addressed. Provide a brief overview of the prior work leading to your project and if similar projects have been executed in the past, attach annexure of details if so. Describe how the proposed project relates to the broader context of ongoing activities in the field. |
II. Project Framework |
The foundation uses a modified logical framework model to help you present your project in a clear, concise, and logical way. The Project Framework is not intended to show every detail of the project or to limit its scope. It is simply a convenient, systematic summary of the key factors from which foundation staff will assess how your project aligns with foundation priorities. In the event you are requested to submit a full proposal, the Project Framework will form the basis of your dialogue with foundation staff and you will be required to fully elaborate on the details of your plan. |
Using the guidelines provided below, please build your framework accordingly: |
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Step One – Building from the top down |
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Strategic Area – From the list provided identify the foundation strategic area to which your project will directly contribute. If other strategic areas are applicable or secondarily relevant, please describe.
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Project Goal – Identify the ultimate impact your project will have if you achieve your stated objectives. This should be a clear, singular goal. |
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Objectives – List a small number of objectives or major components of the project required to achieve the project goal and a brief summary of your approach to achieving the objectives. In the event you are requested to submit a full proposal you will be required to identify the actual activities or tasks that will be needed to meet the stated objectives. |
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Step Two – Working across the framework |
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Indicators of Success – What will success of the project look like? Identify the quantitative or qualitative ways of measuring or assessing: the impact of the project on the strategic area; progress toward the project goal; and progress toward achieving the stated objectives. Indicators of success can be either outputs or outcomes. Outputs are direct, tangible products or services of the project (e.g. reports produced). Outcomes reflect changes or benefits measuring the impact expected to occur as a result of the project (e.g. performance gains through application of new knowledge, health benefits). Please note: you are not expected to quantify or specify specific measures at this time; only to indicate the methods that will be used. |
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Monitoring and Evaluation – Identify the methods and sources by which you will measure and evaluate the progress and impact on the strategic area, project goal and stated objectives. Please note: monitoring and evaluation may not be relevant at the strategic area level for your project. |
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III. General Approach |
Describe in general how you plan to approach this project. Provide a summary of the activities required to support achievement of the stated objectives. |
| IV. Major Assumptions |
Describe any external factors that could influence the success of the project but are likely beyond your direct control. |
| V. Budget |
Provide a preliminary project budget by the stated objective(s) and by using a table format for each area of expense. In addition, please indicate the total organization revenue for the most recent financial year. If applicable, indicate whether additional support (in-kind or financial) will be provided for this project by other organizations.
All financial figures must be provided in INR.
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VI. Organizational Experience And Collaborative Partnerships |
Briefly describe the relevant experience and comparative advantage your organization brings to accomplishing the targeted objectives of the project. If the project will involve a consortium or collaborative partnership, please provide this information for each organization along with a rationale for your selection of collaborators. The rationale should include how the work will be distributed, how duplication will be avoided, and how the efficiency of the collaboration will be maximized. |
| VII. Certification |
By submitting this letter of inquiry, you certify to the Chronic Care Foundation that you are authorized to apply for this project on behalf of your institution |
| Introductory Paragraph for LOI |
Example: We take pleasure in requesting support for Healthy Haven's facility expansion, which will increase social service program space and construct 36 units of permanent, affordable housing for mentally ill adults. Healthy Haven seeks a grant of INR 40,000, payable over two years, from the Chronic Care Foundation. The first payment of INR 20,000 will be applied toward hard construction costs of the ground floor homeless services department. The second payment of INR 20,000 will be used for furniture and fixtures to prepare the building for occupancy. |
Synopsis: The first paragraph should provide a synopsis of the project and the requested funding amount. Assume that the foundation staff will use this paragraph as the project summary on internal documents. Whenever possible, quantify project services, such as the number of participants who will be served or the number of housing units to be built. |
Impact: Focus on philanthropic needs rather than institutional needs. The example above identifies the target population of mentally ill adults. Even if you seek funding for a new conference or fellowship, emphasize how improved levels of care will impact vital services for people in need of treatment or allow improved advocacy on social issues or enhance skills of professionals involved, thereby directly impacting the efficiency and proficiency of care delivered to patients. |
Positive: Use the verb tense will to describe anticipated project accomplishments. The conditional sentence structure If we receive the grant, then we could... conveys less authority and certainty that a definitive statement: A CCF grant will fund the skill development of 80 medical practitioners in India for XYZ. |
Ownership: Because this sample letter has a double signature, the pronoun "we" is used. For small orgranizations, referring to the institution as "our program" rather than "the program" often seems more natural and compassionate. |
Gift Terms: For large grants, suggest logical payment periods. In the example, half the grant would be needed within two months /year for XYZ , but the other grant monies can be deferred until the conference / fellowship etc is finished. The payments also allow additional opportunities for project updates to CCF and monitoring mechanism. |
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