If you are doing a big “ask”   – asking for land, investments, memberships, volunteer time, a well-written prospectus can help inform people about your plans and get them on your side. One way to start planning to write the prospectus is to ask some basic question about who will read it. Who, what, why, when where and how?

WHO

• is the prospectus for? What kind of people are they?

Are there different categories of people you will use the prospectus for?

Do you need different versions?

WHAT

• do you want achieve with your prospectus?
• do your audience want to know from the prospectus?
• do they know already?
• do you want them to know after they read the prospectus.
• form will you offer it in? Printed, as pdf.

WHY

• write a prospectus? Are other forms of communication more appropriate – powerpoint, verbal presentation?
• would your audience want to read you prospectus?

WHEN

• Will the prospectus be read – before you start your initiative, before you ask for more money, members, investments?
• Will readers get the prospectus -at members’ meetings, at other kinds of meetings through the post, downloaded from website?
• Will the project start – be finished?  Readers may want to see some kind of time plan.

WHERE

will you prospectus be read – on the train- at a desk, at home on the sofa?

HOW

• do you want your readers to feel, to act after they read your prospectus?
• can you make it more effective? Diagrams? Arguments?
• can you make it easier to understand – headings, index, quotes?