Good government grant proposals tell a compelling story. To tell a compelling story you must have strong Win-Themes because they help reviewers understand why you can provide the best solution to the problem identified in the grant guidelines. When you start your proposal, first create your Win-Themes.

Developing compelling Win-Themes for your government grant proposal is not an easy process. It will involve several meetings with your proposal team and plenty of brainstorming. However, the results will justify the effort because your Win-Themes will provide overarching story lines for your entire proposal.

A Strong Win-Theme:
  • Links your solution to the problem identified in the grant guidelines –
    a problem or a need that your project is supposed to address.
  • Supports your solution by providing evidence that your program will
    help address the problem or need
  • Provides reasons and proof that evaluators need to give you a high rating.

A Strong Win-Theme has Three Elements:
  Features are characteristics or elements of your solution. They may be
    software or the number of key personnel, to use a few examples. They
    are the means to your end, not the end itself.

  Benefits are advantages that solve the government agency’s problem
    or address a major concern. In grant proposals, they usually involve the
    provision of services. Benefits address the all-important “So What” question.

  Proof is the evidence that demonstrates your solution is likely to work.

Creating Great Win-Themes
  Step 1: State the basic problem or need identified in the grant guidelines.
    Example: Increase contraceptive use in Ethiopia.
  Step 2: Add your features and benefits. Example: A social marketing
    campaign (feature) will increase contraceptive use by 5 percent over
    three years (benefit).
  Step 3: Add proof. Example: The same campaign has been successfully
    implemented in Sudan and Kenya.

Now there’s a great Win-Theme: Our social marketing campaign will increase contraceptive use in Ethiopia by 5 percent over a three-year-period, as it already has done in Sudan and Kenya.

A terrible Win-Theme simply rehashes the grant guidelines and fails to answer the “So What?” question. A bad Win-Theme is all features and no benefits. A great Win-Theme combines features, benefits, and proof to frame your grant proposal.

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Dr. Jayme Sokolow, founder and president of The Development Source, Inc.,
helps nonprofit organizations develop successful proposals to government agencies. Contact Jayme Sokolow