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Writing pack · 6 templates

Grant proposals and donor reports, in clear, honest English

Six templates for the writing that funds and sustains a project: the executive summary, the project description, the needs statement, the progress report, a beneficiary story told with dignity, and the first email to a partner. Write your notes in Arabic or English and get English a donor can read quickly and trust.

See the templates

Who this pack is for

  • Staff of local NGOs and community initiatives applying to international donors and foundations.
  • Project officers who write progress reports and success stories every quarter.
  • Volunteers and young professionals writing proposals for small organisations without a grant writer.

What the donor looks for

  1. A problem backed by evidence Numbers with a source, from your own survey or a published one, rather than strong adjectives.
  2. Results, not only activities What will be different, for how many people, by when, and how you will know.
  3. A realistic plan and budget Activities that fit the time, the team and the money requested.
  4. Honest reporting What worked, what did not, and what you did about it. Donors trust partners who report problems.
  5. Respect for the people served Dignity, consent and their own voice, never pity.

The templates in this pack

Write a draft from a short form, or open the outline in the workspace with the recommended settings and write it in your own words.

  1. Grant proposal executive summary

    The whole proposal on one page: the problem, the project, the results and the amount you are asking for.

    Write a draft Open the outline
    Tips, outline and settings

    What the donor looks for

    • The whole proposal in one page: problem, project, results, cost.
    • Numbers that come from a source you can name.
    • Results you can measure, not only activities.
    • The amount requested, stated clearly.

    Recommended workspace settings

    Mode
    Business
    Emotion
    Neutral
    Vocabulary
    Standard
    Length
    Balanced

    Outline

    [Who you are: your organisation in one sentence, where you work and since when.][The problem: who is affected and how much, with one number and its source.][The project: what you will do, for whom, where and for how long.][The results: what will change, for how many people, by when.][The request: the amount requested and the total budget.]

  2. Project description

    Objectives, activities, participants and timeline, with each activity tied to the result it serves.

    Write a draft Open the outline
    Tips, outline and settings

    What the donor looks for

    • Every activity linked to an objective.
    • Who takes part and how they are chosen, described with respect.
    • Who does what, where and when.
    • A plan that fits the time, the team and the budget.

    Recommended workspace settings

    Mode
    Business
    Emotion
    Neutral
    Vocabulary
    Standard
    Length
    Balanced

    Outline

    [Goal: the change the project works towards, in one sentence.][Objectives: two or three measurable objectives.][Activities: for each objective, what you will do.][Participants: who takes part, how many, and how they are selected.][Timeline: the main phases, by month.][Team and partners: who runs it, and with what experience.]

  3. Needs statement

    The problem your project answers, built on evidence: who is affected, how much, why now and what is missing.

    Write a draft Open the outline
    Tips, outline and settings

    What the donor looks for

    • Evidence with sources: your survey, official data or a published study.
    • Who is affected and how many, as precisely as you can.
    • Why now, and what is missing in current services.
    • People described with dignity, not as victims.

    Recommended workspace settings

    Mode
    Business
    Emotion
    Neutral
    Vocabulary
    Standard
    Length
    Balanced

    Outline

    [The community: who and where, in one or two sentences.][The need: what is wrong, with numbers and their sources.][The causes: why it happens.][The gap: what exists now, and what is missing.][Why now: what happens if nothing changes.]

  4. Donor progress report

    What was planned against what was achieved, the challenges and what you did about them, and the next period, in honest numbers.

    Write a draft Open the outline
    Tips, outline and settings

    What the donor looks for

    • A two-sentence summary at the top.
    • Planned against achieved, in the same units as the proposal.
    • Challenges reported honestly, with what you did about them.
    • Spending, and the plan for the next period.

    Recommended workspace settings

    Mode
    Business
    Emotion
    Neutral
    Vocabulary
    Standard
    Length
    Balanced

    Outline

    [Summary: two sentences on overall progress.][Planned against achieved: each target, with the number reached.][Challenges: what went wrong or changed, and what you did about it.][Budget: what was spent, and any change.][Next period: the main activities and dates.]

  5. Beneficiary success story

    A short story for a report or newsletter that shows what a person did, told with dignity and with their consent.

    Write a draft Open the outline
    Tips, outline and settings

    What donors and readers look for

    • Consent first: the person agreed, and knows where the story will appear.
    • The person as the main actor: their decisions and their effort.
    • One concrete change, in facts.
    • Their own words, only if they really said them.

    Recommended workspace settings

    Mode
    Standard
    Emotion
    Balanced
    Vocabulary
    Standard
    Length
    Balanced

    Outline

    [The person: a first name or a changed name, as they agreed, and a few neutral words about them.][Before: their situation, in facts, without pity.][What they did: the decision they made and the support they used.][The change: one concrete result.][Their words: a short quote, only if they said it and agreed to share it.]

  6. Partner outreach email

    A first email to a possible partner: who you are, what you propose together, what they gain and one small next step.

    Write a draft Open the outline
    Tips, outline and settings

    What a possible partner looks for

    • Who you are, in one sentence.
    • A concrete proposal, not "explore synergies".
    • What they gain from it.
    • One small next step, such as a short call.

    Recommended workspace settings

    Mode
    Business
    Emotion
    Balanced
    Vocabulary
    Standard
    Length
    Shorter

    Outline

    Subject: [your organisation] and [their organisation]: [the idea in a few words]Dear [name],[Who you are: your organisation in one sentence.][Why them: what in their work made you write.][The proposal: what you would do together, concretely.][What they gain.][The next step: one small request, such as a 20-minute call.]Best regards,[Your name], [role][Organisation]

Common mistakes Arabic speakers make

Proposals from the region are often strong on commitment and weak on English that donors skim. These patterns are the most common, and the easiest to fix.

  1. Emotion instead of evidence

    Donors already know the situation is hard. A number with its source does more than any adjective.

    Before

    The situation is catastrophic and the people are suffering beyond imagination.

    After

    In the four neighbourhoods we serve, 62% of households have less than four hours of electricity a day (our survey of 410 households, March 2026).

  2. Long passive sentences

    Nominal chains like "the enhancement of the capacities of" hide who does what. Use people and verbs.

    Before

    It is aimed by the project to the enhancement of the capacities of the youth through the provision of trainings.

    After

    The project will train 120 young people in basic electrical repair over six months.

  3. "Trainings" and "informations"

    These nouns are uncountable in English. Count the sessions, the sheets or the people instead.

    Before

    We provided many trainings and informations to the beneficiaries.

    After

    We ran 14 training sessions and gave printed information sheets to 300 participants.

  4. Activities instead of results

    Workshops are what you do; results are what changes. Donors fund the change.

    Before

    We will conduct workshops and awareness sessions in the targeted areas.

    After

    By month six, 96 of the 120 trainees will have completed a supervised repair, checked by the trainers.

  5. Hiding problems in reports

    "All activities were implemented successfully" makes a reviewer suspicious. Report the gap and the fix.

    Before

    All activities were implemented successfully.

    After

    Nine of the twelve planned sessions took place. Three were moved to May because of road closures; their budget is unchanged.

  6. Stories that take away dignity

    Words like "helpless", "poor" or "saved" turn people into objects of pity. Show what they did, with their consent.

    Before

    Poor Fatima was helpless and desperate until our organisation saved her.

    After

    Fatima, a seamstress, used the grant to buy a second-hand machine. She now sews school uniforms for two schools in her area.

Write in Arabic, send it in English

  1. 1 Choose a template

    Write a draft from a short form, or open the outline in the workspace and write it yourself.

  2. 2 Write your notes in Arabic

    Choose "Arabic → English". Notes are enough: you do not need full sentences.

  3. 3 Check the English, then send

    You get natural English in the recommended mode. Check every name, number and date before you send it.

Questions people ask

How do I write a grant proposal in English?

Follow the donor's own headings and word limits. Most proposals ask for the same core parts: an executive summary, a needs statement, a project description with objectives and activities, expected results and how you will measure them, a budget and your organisation's experience. Write the needs statement first and the executive summary last.

What is the difference between a needs statement and a project description?

The needs statement explains the problem: who is affected, how much, why now, and what is missing, with evidence. The project description explains your answer to it: objectives, activities, participants, timeline and team. Reviewers check that every activity answers part of the need.

Can I write the proposal in Arabic first?

Yes. Fill in the templates' fields in Arabic, or open an outline in the workspace with "Arabic → English" selected. Numbers, dates, names and sources stay exactly as you wrote them.

Will HumanProse add statistics or results?

No. The templates use only the facts you give and leave a [bracket] where a number or source is missing. Check every figure against your data before you submit.

How do I write a beneficiary success story ethically?

Ask for informed consent and explain where the story will appear. Use a changed name or no name when the person prefers it, and leave out details that could identify them. Show their decisions and effort, quote only words they really said, and let them read the story first when you can.

Does a well-written proposal guarantee funding?

No. Donors decide on fit with their priorities, budget, track record and competition. Clear writing makes sure reviewers understand your project without effort.