# The RFP Decoder This prompt chain reads any Request for Proposals or funder guidelines and produces three outputs: a requirements checklist, an evaluation-criteria map, and a section-by-section proposal outline. Budget about 20 to 30 minutes the first time through. After that, most users run it in under 15. --- **Confidentiality and verification note.** Do not paste text that is restricted by the funder or that contains donor, client, or beneficiary information without checking your organization's data policy first. AI output is a starting draft. Every requirement, deadline, and figure must be verified against the actual RFP before you write a single word of your proposal. --- ## Step 1: Prepare Your Inputs Before running any prompt, gather the following: - The full RFP or funder guidelines text (copy and paste the entire document, not a summary) - The funder name and program name exactly as written in the RFP - The submission deadline, including time and time zone if stated - Any supplemental attachments the funder provided (budget templates, forms, appendices) Have all of these open and ready. The prompts below reference them directly. --- ## Step 2: Extract the Requirements Checklist Paste the prompt below into your AI tool. Replace each `[BRACKETED]` placeholder with your actual content. ``` You are helping a nonprofit grant writer analyze a funding opportunity. Below is the full text of an RFP or funder guidelines document. Funder name and program: [FUNDER NAME AND PROGRAM NAME] Submission deadline: [DEADLINE INCLUDING TIME AND TIME ZONE IF STATED] RFP text: [PASTE THE FULL RFP OR GUIDELINES TEXT HERE] Your task: Extract every mandatory requirement and produce a checklist. Include the following categories, and add any others present in this document: - Eligibility requirements - Submission deadline and any interim deadlines - Page limits and word limits - Formatting requirements (font, margins, file type, file naming) - Required attachments and forms - Budget caps, match requirements, or allowable cost restrictions - Submission method and platform For each checklist item: 1. State the requirement in plain language. 2. Quote the exact RFP language that establishes it (use quotation marks and note the section or page number if available). 3. Flag any item where the language is ambiguous or contradictory rather than guessing at its meaning. Do not invent any requirement that is not stated in the RFP text above. If a category has no stated requirement, write "Not specified in document." ``` Read every line of the output. Cross-reference it against the actual RFP before moving on. --- ## Step 3: Map the Evaluation Criteria Run this prompt after Step 2. Use the same RFP text. ``` You are helping a nonprofit grant writer analyze a funding opportunity. Below is the full text of an RFP or funder guidelines document. Funder name and program: [FUNDER NAME AND PROGRAM NAME] RFP text: [PASTE THE FULL RFP OR GUIDELINES TEXT HERE] Your task: Extract every scoring criterion or evaluation factor the funder uses to review proposals. Then produce an evaluation-criteria map. For each criterion: 1. State the criterion name as written by the funder. 2. Note the point value or weight if stated. If no scoring system is given, note that. 3. Quote the exact RFP language that describes the criterion (use quotation marks and note section or page number if available). 4. Identify which section or sections of a proposal must address this criterion. Organize your output as a table with four columns: Criterion, Weight or Points, RFP Language, and Proposal Section. Do not invent criteria that are not stated in the RFP text above. If scoring weights are not specified, say so explicitly. ``` Keep this map open while you build the outline in Step 4. --- ## Step 4: Build the Section-by-Section Outline Run this prompt after Step 3. It uses the checklist and criteria map as inputs alongside the RFP. ``` You are helping a nonprofit grant writer plan a proposal. Below is the full text of an RFP or funder guidelines document, followed by a requirements checklist and an evaluation-criteria map produced from that document. Funder name and program: [FUNDER NAME AND PROGRAM NAME] Submission deadline: [DEADLINE] RFP text: [PASTE THE FULL RFP OR GUIDELINES TEXT HERE] Requirements checklist from Step 2: [PASTE THE CHECKLIST OUTPUT FROM STEP 2] Evaluation-criteria map from Step 3: [PASTE THE TABLE OUTPUT FROM STEP 3] Your task: Produce a section-by-section proposal outline that matches the structure required by the RFP. For each section: 1. Use the section name and order specified in the RFP. If the RFP does not specify order, follow common grant-writing practice and note that you are doing so. 2. State a word or page target based on the limits identified in the checklist. If the RFP gives an overall limit but no per-section guidance, divide the budget proportionally and note your reasoning. 3. List the specific requirement(s) from the checklist this section must satisfy. 4. List the evaluation criterion or criteria from the criteria map this section must address. 5. Note two or three key points or questions this section should answer, based on the RFP language. Do not add sections the RFP does not require. Do not invent requirements or criteria not found in the documents above. ``` The output is your working outline. It is a planning tool, not a finished draft. --- ## Final Verification Pass Before you write the proposal, run through this checklist manually. Do not skip it. - [ ] Compare every item in the Step 2 checklist against the actual RFP page by page. Confirm nothing was missed and nothing was invented. - [ ] Confirm the submission deadline, including time and time zone, against the actual RFP. Check it twice. - [ ] Confirm all page limits and word limits against the actual RFP. Check them twice. - [ ] Confirm the submission method and platform against the actual RFP. - [ ] Verify that every section in the Step 4 outline maps to a section the RFP actually requires. - [ ] Check that every required attachment identified in the checklist is on your production list. - [ ] If the funder posted a Q and A period or addendum, verify that the checklist and outline reflect any updated guidance. If anything in the AI output contradicts the actual RFP, the RFP controls. Correct the checklist and outline before you proceed. --- Part of The Nonprofit Grant & Fundraising Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/nonprofit