Explanation Of How RSWR Grant-Making Works:
- If your project is chosen, RSWR provides your organization the amount of the grant you have requested. Our grant limit is US$5,500. (Please see the Guidelines attached for more information.)
- With this grant money, RSWR expects your organization to LOAN this money to members of your group so that they can start small businesses (INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS) . This loan is called SEED MONEY as it seeds new businesses. We expect that all the seed money will be used for income generating projects and that your proposal will clearly describe all the income generating activities.
- The women who receive the loans (beneficiaries) must pay back their loans to your group. All of the seed money lent to members must be repaid.
- The repaid funds (REVOLVING FUNDS) will be lent to other women who will start their own businesses. In this manner, the original grant money which your organization receives from RSWR will continue to be recycled and grow throughout your community so that many people will be able to start businesses.
Income Generating Projects (IGP)
IGPs must be well-thought-out and well-run so that they continue to make money for their owners long after the original seed money has been repaid to the group. It is the responsibility of your organization and the group members to think of a profitable business (or businesses) idea. RSWR expects that the women, themselves, will have a strong voice in decision making about the project particulars, including what income generating projects they wish to propose, how they will repay their original loans, and how much money they will save monthly.
Writing Your Budget
In addition to the seed money which you are requesting, we expect that an organization will take responsibility to train the members of your group in how to undertake their business, maintain their accounts, and generally make the business a success. We also expect that any good project will require staffing to support and oversee the project management and also have some administrative costs for mailing and auditing and other office expenses. Therefore, we expect that a well devised budget will include categories for seed money (we require that a minimum of 50% of your proposed budget be for seed money), training, staffing, administration and perhaps travel expenses.
Proposal Checklist
In order to assist you in writing a good proposal, please review the check list below and insure that your proposal has responded to each item on the list. RSWR expects that proposals will be unique to your organization’s needs, be designed in consultation with the women who will benefit from the loans and will be written with all of the details below included. While you may wish to engage the assistance of a proposal writer, proposals which are not clearly originated from and designed by your organization in consultation with the women beneficiaries will not be considered by RSWR.
DO NOT RETURN THIS CHECK LIST TO RSWR. IT IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE ONLY
check when complete
| 1. A clear and detailed description of the income generating projec(s) the women will engage in. NOTE: If your group is undertaking more than one business project, you must describe each project, giving the details for each. | |
| 2. The number of women who will receive the initial loans from the RSWR grant. Are the women members of a self help group? Describe the group. | |
| 3. How much money will each woman be lent? | |
| 4. Give the expected income for each income generating project you propose. What is the gross monthly income each woman can make? What are the monthly expenses? (Expenses must be included in the anticipated economic plan.) What is the net income after all expenses, including repayment of the loan, are deducted? | |
| 5 Tell how each woman will repay her business loan. How much will she repay each month? Will you charge interest? If so, how much? (RSWR expects that the group members will be part of the decision making about the amount of interest paid and the monthly repayment amount. We also expect that it will be a reasonable interest rate.) | |
| 6. RSWR expects that each proposal will include a savings plan for each woman so that she may begin the discipline of saving some money each month for family emergency needs. Have you described how much each woman will save monthly? | |
| 7. RSWR expects that each proposal will include an organization’s most recent annual financial audit (unless that organization is unable to do an audit for financial reasons). This audit must include the entire NGO’s budget. | |
| 8. Does your budgetary request include the following items: A. Seed money requested, B. Staffing, C. Training, D. Administration, E. Travel (if appropriate)? | |
| 9. Are all of your mathematical figures correct? | |
| 10. Is your project consistent? For example, do you give the same information about the number of beneficiaries and the income generating project throughout the proposal? |
If you have questions about writing your proposal you may contact RSWR consultants in your country.
KENYA: Aquavis, Samson Ababu, samson@rswr.org
INDIA: Dr. R. Kannan, kannan@rswr.org
SIERRA LEONE: Mr. Harold Johnson, harold@rswr.org
or you may write our office directly by contacting
Cindi Goslee
Program Director
101 Quaker Hill Drive
Richmond, IN 47374
cindi@rswr.org
updated 9/26/2011
