Tips for Submitting to IGP

The ASAE Foundation asked past Innovation Grants Program applicants for the advice they would give potential applicants. Here are their top tips for successful proposals.

  1. Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm! You’ve found this page because you have lots of ideas. What ideas may have been deemed “too risky” in the past? Work through them (and talk about them with others) to decide on the one that will be practical to implement next year, have a positive impact on your organization, and serve as inspiration for the association industry.

  2. Familiarize yourself with the existing literature on innovation. It helps to understand what has been done and what the trends are now. How do you see your organization expanding the conversation about the innovative methods associations are using to pursue their goals and achieve success?

  3. State how you defined “innovation.” Be sure to align your goals and objectives with your definition.

  4. Think about the overall impact of your submission. Is it well written? Does it make sense? Is it practical?

  5. Clearly state the need or issue your project addresses and describe how your project will have an impact on it. Explain how you will apply the outcome of the project. Define how you will measure success.

  6. Think about how the concept of the project is transferable to other organizations and other industries, and address this in your proposal. Many ideas are meaningful for a specific organization but are not transferable to other types of organizations or industries.

  7. Include a clear, concise, informative timeline for anticipated project activities. Be sure it is realistic.

  8. Clearly state how the $10,000 you receive from the grant will make a difference to your work. What will the funding enable you to do that you could not do otherwise?

  9. Describe the long-term effects of your project. How will this project foster a culture of innovation in your organization during the grant year and afterward?

  10. Share your proposal abstract with a colleague or friend, and make sure he or she can identify the key points you want to convey and how your goals will be accomplished.