Nearly every grant proposal requires you to submit a statement of need.  It’s usually the second section right after the executive summary.  Essentially, the statement of need will describe the social, environmental, and/or economic problem that your playground project will alleviate.  This is your opportunity to educate the reader about the issues at hand, presenting facts and evidence to support your project.  Don’t confuse the length of your statement of need with the degree of need; a few concise paragraphs may be sufficient.  Here are just a few questions you should answer when describing why your community needs a playspace: 

Which facts or statistics can you use to support the need for a new playspace in your area?

• Poll teachers/parents and ask for number of injuries recently incurred by children on an existing playground. 
• Use national statistics on playground safety
• Count the number of playgrounds within a certain radius of your proposed site?  Do any exist?  If so, how many?
• How old are the existing playspaces?
• How many youth live in the area and would benefit from your playspace project? 

How bad is it?

Be sure to give the reader hope.  You want to paint a desperate picture that will move a funder to action, yet create a sense of hope.  The reader must feel as though your situation is manageable and that there is a way to solve, or at least lessen, the problem. 

Is it reasonable to portray the need as acute?

Don’t expect the funder to pay more attention to your proposal than another because you believe your situation is worse.  Be honest, it’s not worth overstating.  Make sure any statement you make is balanced and fair. 

Can your project serve as a model?

YES!!! That’s a great thing about a community builds.  This model easily can be replicated for a number of similar projects.  Once the community builds a playspace in a day, they will be moved to act quickly for a similar cause. 

Does your project address a particular problem differently or better than other, similar projects?

The benefits of a community build are endless: increased confidence, development of new skills for volunteers, opportunity for team-building, corporate sponsors attract new business to the area, and a properly maintained playspace will last 15-20 years, serving all the children in the community .  We’re confident you can continue this list! 

Stay tuned for next week’s grantwriting tip: Writing the Project Description, or read last week's installment about writing an executive summary.