The organizational profile, also called organizational background, organizational history or NGO profile, is the part of the proposal where you can talk about your own NGO. The organizational profile can help donors decide if you will be a good partner if you have the capacity to complete the proposed project, and in some cases even help the donor complete their due diligence procedures.

The organizational profile can take many forms. Some donors may request you complete an NGO profile form which will directly state what needs to be included. If the donor does not provide a profile form, the requirements are much more flexible. It may be a few sentences, a couple paragraphs, a table, a side box, a series of attachments, or just a link. It could be placed near the front of the proposal, in the end, in the annex, or dispersed throughout the proposal.

In general, the organizational profile should be as short as possible and either dispersed or placed near the end of the proposal. The focus of the proposal should be on the project, and donors should be able to learn about your organization online or through their networks. Some NGOs may even choose to completely leave out the organizational profile.

What to include
Being able to describe your NGO and its work succinctly is extremely important. Also remember to use this space to market your NGO!

Organization name
Organization age
Registration status
Organization type (NGO, CBO, network, faith-based, etc.)
Specialty area
Scope of work
Partners (if any relevant to project)
Link to more information
What not to include
Unless specifically requested, it is better to leave this information out of the proposal at this stage:

Registration certificate
Full bank details
Staff list/ organizational chart
List of board members
Resumes/ CVs
Complete list of accomplishments
Founding story
In multi-stage application processes, typically donors do not require a detailed organizational profile until after your proposal makes the short list. However in one-stage applications, including most small grant applications, the donor may require a very detailed organizational profile up front. If the instructions seem unclear, try contacting the donor for more information.