When it comes to bid writing for schools, telling your school's story is an essential component of crafting a compelling narrative that will capture the attention of funders and increase your chances of success. A strong narrative can help funders understand the unique needs and opportunities of your school, and how their investment can make a meaningful impact.
Here are some tips for crafting a compelling narrative in your bid writing:
Know your audience
Understanding who your funders are is crucial in crafting a narrative that resonates with them.
Research the funder's priorities, missions and values to understand what they care about and how they allocate their funds. You can typically find this information on their website or in their funding guidelines. For example, a funder may prioritize STEM education or programs that serve underprivileged students. Once you have a good understanding of the funder's priorities, mission, and values, you can tailor your narrative to their interests.
Highlight your school's strengths
Showcase your school's unique qualities and achievements.
When you showcase the achievements and qualities of your school, you are demonstrating to funders that your school has a clear understanding of its strengths and is committed to building on them. For example, you could highlight your school's academic achievements, extracurricular programs, or partnerships with community organisations.
Identify challenges and opportunities
Funders want to see that you have a clear understanding of the challenges facing your school.
By clearly articulating the challenges facing your school and the opportunities that exist to address them, you can demonstrate to funders that your proposed project is well-informed, well-planned, and likely to have a significant impact.
Once you've identified challenges and opportunities, explain how your proposed project will address those challenges and take advantage of those opportunities. Be specific about the expected outcomes and the impact your project will have on your school community.
Use data and evidence
Using data and evidence is an important aspect of crafting a compelling narrative in bid writing.
Only by using data and evidence can you provide objective support for your claims and demonstrate to funders that your proposed project is well-informed and likely to have a significant impact. This could include statistics on student achievement, testimonials from parents or students, or research on best practices in education. Be specific where you can and be sure to explain why it is significant.
Be concise and clear
Keep your narrative clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to funders, and use concise language that gets to the point quickly and avoids unnecessary details or information. This is essential for ensuring that funders understand the purpose and scope of your proposed project, as well as the impact it will have on your school community.
Engage stakeholders
Involve teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders in crafting your narrative. This can help ensure that your bid writing reflects the diverse perspectives and needs of your school community.
By following these tips, you can create a compelling narrative that tells your school's story and increases your chances of success in bid writing. Remember, funders are looking for schools that are passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated to making a positive impact on their students and communities. A strong narrative can help you demonstrate all these qualities and more.
If you require specialist help with securing funding or with marketing your school, Chameleon Consultancy and Training are an award winning business with a proven track record. We provide tailored training and marketing services for your school with a focus on results, as well as masterclasses focused on how to write successful bids.
Contact Chameleon Consultancy today on 07877883023 or visit https://chameleon-training.co.uk/contact to get in touch.