NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY www.ned.

org Proposal Preparation Guidelines This document provides guidance for writing a funding proposal to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The guidelines are designed to enable applicants to provide the focused information necessary for the Endowment to gain a clear understanding of proposed projects. Please limit proposals to about ten pages in length. When possible, please send the proposal by e-mail, addressed to info@ned.org, or to NED regional staff with whom you are in contact.

A COVER PAGE should list the following information: __________________________________________________________________________ Organization Name Name, title and contact information of contact person or persons (Include e-mail address, phone, fax, mailing address, and website address) Project Title Country or region of focus Beginning and ending dates of project (up to one year) Amount of budget request for the project period (in U.S. dollars) ____________________________________________________________________________ Following the COVER PAGE, please follow the format below:

I.

SUMMARY (1-2 paragraphs)

In one or two paragraphs, clearly and concisely summarize your proposal.

II.

BACKGROUND (1-2 pages)

Describe the relevant political, economic, or social environment as it affects the development of democracy in the country or region that your project addresses. Identify the needs or problems that exist and briefly explain how your proposed project will make an impact as it addresses those challenges.

III. PROJECT OBJECTIVES (1-2 short paragraphs or bullet points) State the specific objectives you hope to achieve with an Endowment grant through the proposed activities. The objectives should address the specific needs or problems identified in the "Background" section. In most cases, one or two objectives are sufficient. Objectives should be reasonably measurable, and therefore capable of being evaluated. Project objectives should be limited in scope and time, and identify specifically what will be achieved with the funds requested for the particular project. An objective such as to enhance the growth of democracy in the country is too broad and not reasonably measurable. You may distinguish between short-term and long-term objectives when appropriate. Also, be sure to distinguish objectives from activities. For example, to hold a workshop is a proposed activity, not an objective. Here are some examples of well-stated objectives for different projects: To strengthen the organizational capabilities of local civic groups. To foster the development of a legal framework for a free press in (specify country).

IV.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES (2-4 pages)

Describe in detail the planned activities of your proposed project. This section is an opportunity to show the level of planning and preparation you have done for the project. Please describe the specific content and message of publications, curricula, training sessions, and other products and activities. If the project activity includes workshops or other events, provide the following information: duration (number of days or hours per workshop or seminar) planned topics and formats (lectures, discussions, brainstorming, role-playing or other interactive exercises, etc.) number and profile of expected participants expected speakers or trainers plans for disseminating any workshop manuals, publications or reports, and any other relevant details.

If the project includes a publication or website, please describe: editorial philosophy and mission how content will be created (in-house writers, outside contributors, translation, or reprinting from other sources, etc) language(s)

target audience(s) expected circulation numbers for paper and e-mail distribution or website traffic statistics length of each issue or new posting frequency of printing or updates mechanisms for reader or user feedback, and whether the product will be for sale, distributed without charge, or both.

If the project is the second or third phase of a longer project, include information about the achievements of the project in the earlier phases. If the project will require funding from more than one source, please describe any other funding you have obtained, or hope to obtain.

V.

EVALUATION PLAN (2-4 paragraphs or bullet points)

Monitoring and Evaluation: Endowment procedures require grantees to monitor the progress of their project and submit periodic reports to the Endowment that document the activities carried out, and assess the progress being made toward achieving the stated objectives, during each reporting period (usually four (4) times during the year). At the end of the grant period, grantees also submit a separate Evaluation Report presenting the result of the grantees selfevaluation, based on the grants Evaluation Plan, documenting the projects overall success in reaching the stated objectives. The projects Evaluation Plan should describe how you will measure the project's progress toward its stated objectives. The plan should indicate what types of changes or results would indicate that project objectives have been achieved. Also describe the types of evidence you will gather that will indicate change. Evaluation Plan Example A: Objective: To strengthen the organizational capacity of local civic groups. If each participating group is able to launch at least one new activity, reduce staff or volunteer turnover, increase fundraising income, or achieve at least one other organizational goal, these changes will indicate that the participating groups have become stronger and the workshop will have made reasonable progress toward the objective. In order to measure progress, the [applicant organization] will collect information on each participating groups existing activity levels or management problems both before the workshops series and again four months afterwards, and will compare the results. In addition, groups self-perception of areas of improvement will also provide evidence of progress. Before the workshop series begins, and again four months after it ends, participating groups will fill out a brief questionnaire on the groups strengths and weaknesses in the five areas of training (financial management, strategic planning, personnel management, project management, and external communications).

Evaluation Plan Example B: Objective: To encourage the development of a legal framework for a free press in (specify country). The key measure of success will be passage of new media legislation endorsed by independent journalists associations and human-rights groups, and, following that, at least three test cases in the courts affirming press freedom. Even if all of these developments do not occur within the next year, some progress would be evident if, as a result of the project activities, additional influential groups and individuals endorse the necessary changes and/or court outcomes, especially political parties and candidates, academic experts, civil society organizations, judicial officials, lawyers groups, and media outlets. The project staff will also assess media coverage of the project activities and comments on the topic made by ordinary citizens, including in Internet forums, to determine whether the project stimulated additional public awareness and support for strengthening the legal framework. Because the self-evaluation will occur immediately upon completion of the project, it will only be possible to measure short-term achievements. The evaluation plan should consider this limitation but still provide a reasonable way to measure the projects success. Note that the implementation of planned activities does not demonstrate the success of the project. For example, All five workshops for youth will take place does not constitute an evaluation point because it describes an activity. More relevant evaluation measures would include observing whether participants made concrete plans during the workshop; what activities participants carried out after the workshop, making use of the knowledge, skills, or alliances formed as a result of the workshop; and participants perception of the workshops value to their work (especially when there are objective measures of demand, such as receiving numerous requests for additional or follow-up trainings).

VI.

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND (Up to 1 page)

Describe your organization's qualifications for this particular project. Provide information about its mission, size, geographical reach, professional and/or political character, and registration or incorporation status, including date. Also, briefly describe the history of your organization and the type of work it has conducted in the past. If your organization has a Board of Directors, provide their names. In addition, identify the key individuals, whether paid staff or volunteers, who will be in charge of carrying out the proposed project and describe their most relevant qualifications. Other funding: If your organization has received or is receiving financial support from other sources for the proposed activity or other activities, please provide a list of the donors, the level of support you received and a short description of the projects being funded. Please indicate whether this support is monetary or in-kind, domestic or foreign. Also, provide the names and contact information for any other funding organizations to which this proposal is being

submitted. References: Please provide names and contact information for two or more individuals who know the organizations work or the work of its key staff and volunteers.

VII. INTERIM ASSESSMENT -- if applying for a renewal of a current NED grant (1-2 pages) If you are applying for a renewal of a current NED grant, please provide a brief interim assessment describing the projects major accomplishments, the obstacles it faced, and its overall impact on the project objectives to date. This section should address the points outlined in the current grants Evaluation Plan.

VIII. BUDGET (1-2 pages) First, state the total amount you are requesting for your project. Next, present a line-item budget covering one year or less for each request. The budget should relate directly to the description of project activities. If the "Project Activities" section shows, for example, four workshops, the budget should clearly reflect the costs necessary for their successful implementation. The line-item budget should follow the following format: ITEM (subitem) (subitem) (subitem)

(subtotal) (subtotal) (subtotal) (TOTAL)

ITEM (subitem) (subitem) (subitem)

(subtotal) (subtotal) (subtotal) (TOTAL)

Grand total: IX.

TOTAL REQUEST

DESCRIPTION OF BUDGET ITEMS

Salaries

Includes employees of the organization working on NED projects during the grant period. Budget should show the titles of those employees to be paid and indicate the percentage of time devoted to project and duration (months) of total annual salary that NED funds will

cover. (See also Benefits, Taxes & Allowances for a discussion of 13th month pay or other host county laws applicable to salaries.)

Not included are consultant fees, honoraria, temporary services, and other fees for services. (See additional categories below.) Note that for all people who receive a salary paid for in part or in whole from NED funds, grantee must complete time sheets. Sample time sheets are available from NED.

Benefits, Taxes and Allowances

Includes actual known costs of fringe benefits provided by the employer. Examples may include health insurance, life insurance, social security (employers share), disability insurance, pension plan, vacation, holiday, and sick leave pay. For countries where 13th month pay is a legal requirement and is accounted for as a Benefit, it should be included with this line item. Not included are US federal and state income taxes withheld (these are part of the employee's salary).

Office Space and Utilities

Includes rental costs of organizations office space and utilities such as electricity, gas, oil, and water. The amounts for rent and utilities should be shown separately and include the monthly costs and how many months the space will be rented. Not included is rent of space to hold meetings or conferences (this goes under Other Direct Costs).

Supplies and Equipment

Includes purchase of equipment and supplies for use in the project. Each item costing more then $500 should be listed separately and the price per unit indicated. The equipment budget should include the costs for accessories, transportation of equipment, in-transit insurance, taxes, and installation. If the amount for supplies exceeds 10% of the total budget, a detailed list of items by type should be provided. Not included are costs for rented or leased equipment (these go under Contractual Services), except for rental or lease of vehicles for travel which may go under Travel & Per Diem.

Communications and Postage

Includes telephones (land line and cell), e-mail, internet, postage, fax, courier services, and distribution of publications. If the amount for communications and postage exceeds 10% of the total budget, a detailed list of items by type should be provided. Not included is transportation of equipment (this goes under Supplies and Equipment).

Travel and Per Diem

Includes airfare, per diem, and other travel costs for travel on official business related to the project (including travel by consultants). The budget should separate international and domestic travel. Please note the following definitions: 1) 2) 3) 4) International Travel: travel between any two countries. Domestic Travel: travel entirely within one country. Local Travel: travel within a single city or its immediate surrounding areas (or suburbs). Per Diem: lodging + meals and incidentals (Incidentals includes laundry costs, small personal items such as tooth paste, shampoo, soap, etc. 5) Other Travel Costs: visas, airport tax, inoculations.

Each international trip should be listed separately, indicating the airfare (including origin and destination cities, if known. Otherwise list country, region, or continent), the per diem, (indicating number of days for the trip and the proposed per diem rate), and other travel costs. Also, if the international trip will include any local or in-country domestic travel, remember to include it in the budget in the appropriate line item. In some cases, it may not be possible to provide as much detail as desired. A possible example is a conference that is still being planed. In such instances, provide as much detail as possible.

Rental or lease of vehicles for specific travel should be included as part of Travel & Per Diem. Vehicle rental or lease for general office purposes should be listed under Contractual Services.

Contractual/Consultant Services

Includes any services that will be provided on a contract basis, including honoraria, temporary personnel services, translation services, rented or leased equipment, audit fees, legal fees, accounting services (if performed by an outside contractor rather than in-house). Please be sure to provide sufficient detail so that it is clear exactly what the contract is for. Includes hourly or daily fee (8-hour day) paid to consultants hired under written agreements. The budget should specify the number of days to be worked. The daily fee should be determined according to the qualifications and previous salary history of the individual, and the nature and scope of the service required, but through 2007 may not exceed $465/day.

Consultant fees in excess of this rate require additional justification and prior approval. Consultants' expenses may include communications and postage and clerical help directly related to the consultant's efforts. A single individual may not receive compensation from both salary and contractual/consultant services. Not included are travel expenses for consultants (these go under Travel and Per Diem).

Other Direct Costs

Includes items by major type such as printing costs, meeting and conference expenses (room rental, conference snacks and meals, audio visual services, interpretation, etc.). Smaller items in this category may include reference materials and bank service charges. Not included are travel to a conference (this goes under Travel and Per Diem). NED will not consider line items labeled Miscellaneous or Contingency; all proposed costs should be specified. Please note that if you include Publishing/Printing costs in your budget, you should detail the documents you plan to publish.

Support Grants Includes grants to be given by the direct NED grantee to another organization (sometimes also referred to as a subrecipient). The detailed budget of the proposed support grant should be provided in the proposal, using the same line items as described above. The direct NED grantee is responsible for verifying expenditures under the support grant award.

ITEMS NOT ALLOWABLE IN NED GRANTS The list of items not allowable includes, but is not limited to, the following: Entertainment, gifts, gratuities, donations, alcoholic beverages, fines, and penalties. Activities involving physical violence by any individual, group, or government. Costs related to campaigns of candidates for public office. Lobbying directed at influencing public policy decisions of local, state, or federal governments in the US. Costs related to education, training, or informing US audiences of any partisan policy or practice or candidate for office. Activities unlawful under local, state, or federal governments in the US Individuals who receive a salary from their national government may not also receive a salary in full or in part from NED funds. Miscellaneous and Contingency costs.

Please see the Sample Budget for examples.

Revised: 24 October 2007

BUDGET ITEM EXAMPLES: SAMPLE BUDGET

45%

$3,418 $10,000 $3,000 $1,021 $17,439

III. OFFICE SPACE & UTILITIES, 12 months Office rent, @ $200/month Training center rent @ $200/month Utilities

$2,400 $2,400 $1,800 $6,600

IV. SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Office Supplies Computer & Accessories (3) Printers (2 @ $800) Copy Machine (1)

$500 $3,000 $1,600 $7,500 $12,600

V. COMMUNICATIONS & POSTAGE Telephone, fax, e-mail, postage, and internet VI. TRAVEL & PER DIEM Example A: International Travel: 3 Round-Trip Airfare: Washington, DC - Buenos Aires @ $1,600 each Per Diem @ $110/day for 10 days for 3 people Domestic Argentina Travel: 2 Round-Trip Train: Buenos Aires - Regions @ $100 each 4 Round-Trip: Buenos Aires - La Plata @ $50 each Local Buenos Aires Travel: $150 each for 3 people Other Travel Costs for 3 people @ $50 each Example B: Domestic Chinese Travel: 3 Round-Trip Train: Beijing-Shanghai @ $20 each Per Diem @ $10/day for 5 days for 3 people Example C: Domestic Moldova Travel

$2,400

$4,800 $3,300 $1,500 $200 $200 $450 $150

$60 $150

$500

Revised: 24 October 2007

Example D: Local Travel (Abuja): 5 Trips/month for 6 months @ $10/trip for 2 people Example E: Local Amman Travel Example F: Kenya Conference International Travel: 3 Round-Trip Airfare: Europe - Nairobi, Kenya @ $1,500 each 4 Round-Trip Airfare: Asia - Nairobi, Kenya @ $2,500 each 2 Round-Trip Airfare: South America - Nairobi, Kenya @ $1,500 each Example G: Conference on Women in Islam International Travel: 4 Round-Trip Airfare: US - MENA @ $2,500 each 5 Round-Trip Airfare: Europe - MENA @ $1,500 each 10 Round-Trip Airfare: MENA Region - MENA @ $500 each Example H: Domestic travel, 20 participants @ $25 Car rental, Awareness Raising Campaign Lodging, 2 days, 10 @ $50 Example I: Domestic Serbia travel: Train: 50 participants @ $50 each Car Rental: $250 per day for 60 days

$600

$500

$4,500 $10,000 $3,000

$10,000 $7,500 $5,000

$500 $200 $1,000

$2,500 $15,000 $71,610

VII. CONTRACTUAL/CONSULTANT SERVICES Video Taping, Symposium Workshops Training consultants, 5 @ $200 Symposium Speakers, 4 @ $200 Campaign Organizer

$70 $1,000 $800 $200 $2,070

VIII. OTHER DIRECT COSTS Example A: Conference, 60 people for 3 days Space Rental Meals & Refreshments Materials Example B: Conference Meals and refreshments Lunch: 60 people @ $15 each Coffee Breaks, 2 @ $12 each for 60 people Dinner, 2 @ $15 each for 20 people Example C: Publication, printing, editing & distribution Printing , 30 page guide, 100 copies Printing , 30 page bulletin, 200 copies Brochure, posters, and leaflets Bank fees

$4,500

$900 $1,440 $600

$350 $680 $200 $200 $8,870 Grand Total