Have you ever enjoyed a picnic at Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park or taken a quiet moment at Shriners Hospital’s rooftop garden? These were both completed by participants of a 10-month leadership development program — Leadership Greenville.
In fact, you can see Leadership Greenville’s impact all around the city. Check out the map of previous projects.
Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park was a Class 25 project, installing a picnic area + playground.
Photo via Greenville County Rec
Every year, Leadership Greenville invites local nonprofits to submit proposals for service projects. But this year is particularly special — this class marks the 50th anniversary of the program. This year’s proposals will be presented to Leadership Greenville Class 50 in September for each project team to make their selection. The chosen projects will be completed by May 2024.
Ready to apply? The due date is Friday, June 30. Your organization will need to provide a project statement + a list of estimated expenses.
We got the inside scoop on what makes a project proposal pop. Here are some tips on perfecting that proposal from Ryan Heafy — Leadership Greenville Class 40 alum and one of GVLtoday’s cofounders:
- Keep expenses low. The cap is $25,000, but Ryan recommends going for under $10,000. He also advises giving the team time to fundraise.
- The project should be completed within a six to nine-month time frame, but be flexible to change. Ryan recommends limiting a project’s labor time to 10-20 hours of on-site work.
- Add value to the community. How does your project both benefit the community and provide opportunities for the members of the Leadership Greenville team to grow?
Ryan’s big-picture advice? Remember “SMARTIE.” Make sure your project is: Strategic, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable.
