Funding Proposals

• Government Scheme Proposals: Applications for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (MGNREGA, SHG schemes, Skill India), Ministry grants, and State Government welfare department programmes — in prescribed government formats
• Bilateral Aid Proposals: Full log-frame proposals for USAID, DFID/FCDO, GIZ, EU, UN agencies, and World Bank programmes — with SMART objectives, indicators, baselines, and M&E frameworks
• Corporate CSR Proposals: Project concept notes and detailed proposals for corporate CSR committees — aligned with the company's CSR policy, annual priorities, and reporting requirements
• Private Foundation Grants: Applications for Indian foundations (Azim Premji, Tata Trusts, Mahindra Foundation, HDFC Parivarthan) and international foundations (Ford, Gates, MacArthur) — formatted to each foundation's application guidelines
• Concept Notes: 2–4 page initial expressions of interest for multi-stage grant processes
• Letters of Intent (LoI): One-page competitive expressions of interest for foundations and trusts with open grant rounds

• Problem Statement: Data-backed description of the problem — using Census, NFHS, NSSO, and local research data relevant to the funder's geography and sector focus
• Theory of Change: Clear logical chain from activities to outcomes to long-term impact — presented as both narrative and visual log-frame
• Objectives and Indicators: SMART objectives with baseline values, annual targets, and data collection methods for each indicator
• Implementation Strategy: Detailed methodology showing how the programme will achieve outcomes — specific, not generic
• Budget: Realistic, justified line-item budget with cost-per-beneficiary calculations and value-for-money rationale
• Organisational Capacity: Evidence of track record, key personnel expertise, and financial management systems
• Sustainability: Credible plan for programme sustainability beyond the grant period
• Risk Management: Identification of key implementation risks and realistic mitigation strategies

Q: Can MFiling write proposals for sectors the NGO has no previous experience in?
A well-prepared proposal must demonstrate organisational experience in the relevant sector. If the NGO lacks direct experience, MFiling advises on positioning the proposal to emphasise transferable competencies, partnership arrangements with experienced sector organisations, and a credible capacity-building plan. Proposals for sectors with no organisational track record are difficult to win in competitive grant processes.

Q: Does MFiling work on a success-fee basis?
No. MFiling charges a professional fee for proposal preparation regardless of grant outcome, consistent with professional ethics standards for grant writing. Success-fee arrangements would create conflicts of interest in proposal development and are not standard practice for reputable professional service providers.

Most grant proposal rejections are avoidable. Understanding the most common mistakes helps NGOs submit stronger applications and avoid the frustration of a technically strong programme being rejected for a preventable reason.

Top 10 Proposal Mistakes MFiling Has Observed:

1. Generic problem statement: Not using data specific to the target geography and population — funders can tell when NGOs paste the same problem description across multiple proposals
2. Unclear theory of change: Activities are described but the logical chain to outcomes is missing — the reviewer cannot see how the activities will produce the claimed results
3. Inflated budget: Line items without justification, or cost-per-beneficiary that is clearly out of line with sector norms — raises questions about financial management capability
4. Underbudgeted admin costs: Artificially low administrative cost percentages may look good to donors but set the NGO up for budget overruns and programme quality compromise
5. Unrealistic timelines: Programme timelines that compress 12 months of activities into 6 — reveals lack of ground-level experience
6. Missing sustainability plan: No credible plan for what happens after the grant ends — bilateral and institutional donors require this increasingly
7. Poor M&E framework: Vague indicators ("improved livelihoods") without baselines, targets, and data collection methodology
8. Not tailoring to the funder: Proposals that do not explicitly connect to the funder's stated priorities, geographic focus, and thematic areas
9. Compliance gaps: Applying for FCRA-source grants without FCRA registration, or CSR grants without CSR-1 registration
10. Weak organisational profile: Key personnel CVs that don't demonstrate sector-relevant experience; no evidence of past similar projects