Chapter 7 of Grant Seeking In An Eletronic Age provides guidlines to the proposal writing planning process.   Assessing resources, appointing positions, and delegating responisibilities are some of the major points presented in the chapter.  To begin with, the chapter highlights the importance of empoying a strategy for building credibility with potential sponsors by gaining their interest and prooving the teams ability to deliver.  In order to gain interest and proove ability the proposal writing team should be able to demonstrate skillful adaptation.  Adaptation begins with the understanding that every organization operates within a distinct culture.  Research and persuasive documents should be constructed by individuals who remain consistantly mindful of thier organization's (the ones they belong to, the ones they hope to advance, and the ones they colloborate with) objectives, goals, and values.  Understanding what defines and motivates the organization is important, however, this becomes almost useless without carefully selecting the lanquage used in written documents.  "Lanuage" in this context is meant to convey more than simply word selection.  Language should be viewed as an agreed upon or favorable way of speaking/writing/communicating with regards to the organizations and/or sponsors existing culture.  Writing in the organization/sponsors "language" helps the proposal team orient themselves to the world they will be working in, creates more fluid communication, helps to persuade and convince, and symbolizes cooperation. 

In addition to understanding and organizations culture and how to communicate within it, proper attention should be payed to sustaining the organizations culture by fulfilling the needs of those who comprise it.  In chapter 7 we learn that this requires a careful balance of "autonomy, creativity, and socialbility."  and "Structure and Stability."   I believe the point here is that too many constraints will squash an individuals ability to capitilize on what has inspired them to be involved in the first place, while a structureless operation free of an outcomes based mindset, timelines, and task delegation will find itself lacking sufficient productivity. 

The proposal writing team is characterized by three major rolls.  Chapter 7 describes the efforts that will need to be put forth by the lead writer, team accountant, and team secretary.  The lead writer is often adheres to the responsibilities of a project lead.  The fusing together of these two rolls is beneficial because the technical writing skills of a "lead writer type"  and the heart, dedication, and ambition of a project lead compliment each other.  These two functions can be more difficult to coordinate when performed by two separate individuals.  The reasoning is that a saavy proposal writer will be empowered by the stake they hold in the project.  It may be tricky for a project lead to convey their knowledge and vision in a way that a separate lead writer (regardless of their skill) can interpret and illustrate to the maximum extent. A team accountant is responsible for reviewing the proposal and then determining costs.  Once costs are determined, a budget should be prepared.  The accountant must carefully assess what can be defined as a "legitimate expense."   As the project develops, the team accountant is required to support the evolution and adaptation of the budget plan.  One of the most important functions of a team accountant is to ensure that the team is operating according to government rules and regulations.   A team secretary is responsible for collecting, creating, and distributing supportive graphs and charts for the organization, providing documentation of non-profit status, and obtaining/updating information regarding the organizations mission.  The secretary must be organized, and should keep track of deadlines.  The secretary may be responsible for creating an organizational chart, or at least a list of people associated with the organization.   The secretary takes meeting minutes.  Taking minutes is not simply procedure as the minutes themselves can be used as persuasive material for potential sponsors.  A team secretary should be prepared to communicate profesionally with supporters and stakeholders.  This includes providing these and other collaborators with up to date information.  

During the advance planning stage the proposal writing team should create an inventory of assets and needs.  An inventory of supplies, resources, equipment, space, and professional accomplishments should be established.  This inventory will keep everyone aware of what they have to work with, and acts as another source of credibility when dealing with sponsors.  The team should list "who" is involved in the collaborative effort (people, staff, management) in order to illustrate support for the project.  After a determination of who is involved, the team should strategically detail how this support is a piece of the overall goal of the project.   A clear understanding of what resourses or support are still needed is another major component.  How can these resourses be attained?  In order to answer this question the team needs catagorize its sought after resourses into personel, equipment, supplies, ect.  to be able to decide what mode of action should be taken.  An identification of the projects challenges and how the vision will remedy these challenges is important.  Similarly, the disadvantages of the vision NOT being realized should be documented.  Communicating the importance of the project will involve these modes of hypothetical analysis in conjunction with an active "outreaching" mode of operation involving networking, contact listing, attending meetings, and strengthening collaborative relationships. 

All of this organizing becomes the basis for proving that the project is "unique, timely, urgent, and compelling"  It is kind of like a snow-ball effect of support that grows larger and faster as it rolls down the hill.   The more rhetorical strategy employed in the planning phase, the easier it is for the project to grow.  Establishing strong connections and communication with the resourses and people already available makes it easier for others to latch on the the vision.  The more organizations and individuals latch on the more persuasive the mission becomes.