Criteria for Project Support

As you prepare your application for support, consider the following criteria used by Ad Council staff and volunteers when reviewing your proposal.

The Community Need You're Addressing
It's important to be as clear as possible about the specific problem or issue and how it impacts our community. Whenever possible, use data to support statements you make about the magnitude or relevance of the need you have identified. The data you use may be from primary or secondary research conducted regarding an issue or need.

What You Hope to Achieve (Outcomes)
Please articulate what you hope to achieve at two levels: 1) the overall program/project goals and 2) goals you plan to achieve with the communications support. Again, it's important to be as specific and focused as possible. Perhaps one of the most common outcome statements used "increase awareness of..." While not impossible to achieve, it is an exceptionally broad outcome that will require immense resources to track and measure and is usually not the desired outcome of your program. How will attitudes and/or behavior change relative to the awareness?

Monitoring and Measuring Indicators
How do you plan on monitoring, tracking and measuring your progress toward your desired outcome? Quite simply, once you've set your goal, how will you know - and be able to demonstrate to others - that you are indeed moving toward your goal?

Collaborative and/or Cooperative Approach
We strongly encourage and support collaborative or cooperative solutions to community issues. We look to you, as an expert in the delivery of health, human and community services to identify the key organizations that should be involved in your particular initiative. Our primary objective is to ensure that projects we support do not serve as a competitive advantage to a particular nonprofit; rather, a community-based solution.

There are two instances when a collaborative approach may not be necessary:

1. your organization is the only provider of a particular service that addresses the specific need;
2. you have written endorsements from other organizations in the community offering similar services, indicating their support of your project or proposed campaign.

Opportunity for Marketing and Communications to Help
Last, but not least, your proposal will be reviewed with an eye toward a realistic assessment of the role marketing communications can play in achieving your goals. Tell us how you envision we can help make a difference. Bear in mind that sometimes — despite our interest in your initiative — there is simply not a significant role for us to play in addressing your area of concern.