Clancy

III. Project #4–The Short Proposal
 

1. Read Lannon, Ch. 24, “Proposals;” Ch. 12, “Designing Visual Information; Ch. 11, “Writing with a Professional Tone and Style.”

Project #4 Assignment Details
Professionals often give back to the community by volunteering on behalf of issues that they’ve observed in their work. This is your chance to put your professional writing skills to use for something that has meaning to you as an emerging professional.

You will first identify a local issue or problem and research its current state as well as its history, including how, when and why it developed. It might be something as straightforward as proposing your local health club start a recycling program or it might be as complex as proposing that a large employer offer child care facilities on site. You will then write a proposal describing action that you believe should be taken in connection with the issue. The proposal will be directed at the person or organization that can take action. You will need to research the feasibility of your proposed action, and provide the recipient of the proposal with precise, accurate and specific information to justify your proposal and instill confidence that it will have a positive impact in the community.

1. Research your local issue or problem, investigating the following issues and/or questions (if relevant to your issue. It might also address others of your own determination, depending on the nature of your project):

• The significance and history of the issue. How, when and why did it become a problem?
• Who recognizes it as a problem and why?
• What action are you proposing? What is your rationale? What evidence/proof can you offer?
• What results are expected? What benefits will be gained, both for the donor/reader and for the recipient(s)?
• Is there a possible downside? (Ethical communication means you must be honest about this)
• What is the budget? What materials and/or expertise will it require (if any)?
• What is the timeline? When might the work start and stop? Who will carry out the work?

1.  Organize your proposal with informative subheadings, one visual aid, and a glossary (only if needed).
2.  Include research from at least three credible sources, which means you will need in-text citations and a References page.

Format and Length:
2-3 single-spaced pages, at a minimum, not counting the References page. You may want to follow the sample on p. 609 of Lannon.