Social service group projects target a particular issue in a community such as elder care, abandoned and abused children, domestic violence or teen pregnancy. To be successful, these programs need input from different professionals and agencies. Writing a proposal for the program allows the group to focus in on the problem and how best to provide solutions. It also ensures that everyone in the group understands the issue and desired outcome.

Identify service providers. They may include social workers, case managers and parents or guardians of minor children. You may also need the services of health and legal professionals. Depending on the type of program, input from each of these parties is needed in developing a social service program.

Schedule meetings. The initial meeting will introduce the service providers. Their input will be important and may reshape the initial mission and program idea.

Draft a clear mission statement for the group proposal. The goal is to determine the primary program's objectives. This should be based on local community social service needs. Professionals working daily in a social work environment will be aware of various aspects of recurring social service concerns.

Create an outline of the project proposal. The written proposal should include an executive summary, social needs that can be documented from professional reports, objective, plan of action, evaluation component, qualification of participants, timetable and proposed budget.

Create a professional appearance. This includes proofreading the proposal and a clean presentation. Review prior successful social work proposals if you have this access. The book "Proposal Writing: Effective Grantsmanship," by Soraya M. Coley and Cynthia A. Scheinberg is a good guide for developing a proposal.

Warning

When developing social service projects, privacy is a matter social service agencies observe based on applicable laws.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice.