Statement of need template: a fill-in structure with an example

When to use this template

Use this template when a proposal asks for a statement of need, problem statement, needs assessment, or "community need" section. It also works for the need paragraph in a letter of inquiry or the "why this matters" section of an online form. For a deeper explanation of what reviewers look for, read our statement of need guide.

The template follows a logical sequence that reviewers find persuasive: the problem, who it affects, its size and consequences, its causes, the gap in current responses, and how your project fills that gap. Each section builds toward your program design.

The template

STATEMENT OF NEED: [PROJECT NAME]

1. THE PROBLEM
[ONE OR TWO SENTENCES THAT STATE THE PROBLEM PLAINLY, in terms of the people affected, e.g., "[GROUP] in [PLACE] face [PROBLEM], which leads to [CONSEQUENCE]."]

2. WHO IS AFFECTED AND WHERE
Our project will serve [TARGET POPULATION: age, characteristics, number] in [GEOGRAPHIC AREA: neighborhood, city, county, ZIP codes, schools]. [ONE OR TWO SENTENCES OF DEMOGRAPHIC CONTEXT, with a cited source, e.g., "According to [SOURCE, YEAR], [X%] of [GROUP] in [AREA] [CHARACTERISTIC]."]

3. THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM
[TWO TO FOUR SENTENCES WITH CURRENT, CITED DATA showing scale. Compare local data to a county, state, or national benchmark where it helps, e.g., "[LOCAL RATE] compared with [STATE OR NATIONAL RATE] ([SOURCE, YEAR])."]
[OPTIONAL: YOUR OWN PROGRAM DATA, e.g., "Last year we received [NUMBER] requests for [SERVICE] and could serve only [NUMBER]; [NUMBER] people remain on our waitlist."]

4. CONSEQUENCES
[TWO OR THREE SENTENCES ON WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED, for individuals, families, and the community. Use evidence where available, and avoid exaggeration.]

5. CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
[TWO TO FOUR SENTENCES ON WHY THE PROBLEM EXISTS OR PERSISTS in your area, such as barriers to access, cost, transportation, language, policy, or lack of services. Your project should address at least one of these causes.]

6. CURRENT RESPONSES AND THE GAP
[TWO TO FOUR SENTENCES DESCRIBING WHAT ALREADY EXISTS, including other organizations, public programs, or past efforts, and WHAT IS MISSING. Be accurate and respectful about other providers.]

7. COMMUNITY VOICE
[ONE TO THREE SENTENCES ON HOW YOU KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, such as surveys, focus groups, advisory councils, partner input, or participant feedback, with numbers, e.g., "In a [MONTH YEAR] survey of [NUMBER] [PARTICIPANTS/RESIDENTS], [X%] said [FINDING]."]
[OPTIONAL: A BRIEF, CONSENTED QUOTE OR ANONYMIZED STORY.]

8. HOW THIS PROJECT RESPONDS
[TWO OR THREE SENTENCES THAT BRIDGE TO YOUR PROGRAM DESIGN: name the project, the cause or gap it addresses, and why your approach fits, e.g., "[PROJECT NAME] addresses [CAUSE/GAP] by [APPROACH]. [EVIDENCE OR PAST RESULT SUPPORTING THE APPROACH]."]

SOURCES
[LIST EACH SOURCE: Author or agency, title, year, URL, as required by the funder's citation style.]

Filled-in example

STATEMENT OF NEED: Summer Reading Bridge

1. THE PROBLEM
Children in Riverside's Eastside neighborhood fall behind in reading during the summer months, and many begin each school year further behind than when they left.

2. WHO IS AFFECTED AND WHERE
Summer Reading Bridge will serve 120 students in grades 2–4 who attend Eastside, Maple, and Grant elementary schools in Riverside, Ohio. According to the district's published enrollment data for the 2025–26 school year, 78 percent of students at these schools qualify for free or reduced-price meals, compared with 41 percent districtwide.

3. THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM
On the most recent state reading assessment, 44 percent of third-graders at these three schools met the reading standard, compared with 63 percent across the district (district school report cards, 2025–26). Last year, Riverside Literacy Project received 188 summer enrollment requests from families at these schools and had space for 60 students.

4. CONSEQUENCES
Students who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade have more difficulty keeping up as schoolwork shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. Teachers at our partner schools report spending the first weeks of each fall re-teaching skills students had mastered in the spring.

5. CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
Most Eastside families cannot afford paid summer camps or tutoring. Many children have few books at home. The nearest public library branch offers summer reading activities only two mornings a week, and it is a 40-minute bus ride from Grant Elementary.

6. CURRENT RESPONSES AND THE GAP
The school district runs a summer school program for students who are significantly below grade level, but it serves only students referred by teachers and does not include students who are slightly below or at grade level and at risk of slipping. The library's program is popular but limited in hours and location. No free, small-group summer reading program operates within walking distance of these three schools.

7. COMMUNITY VOICE
In a March 2026 survey of 112 parents at our partner schools, 81 percent said they would enroll their child in a free summer reading program held at Eastside Elementary, and 64 percent named cost as the main reason their child had not attended a summer program before. One parent wrote, "My son loves the tutors. In summer there's nothing like that near us."

8. HOW THIS PROJECT RESPONDS
Summer Reading Bridge addresses the gaps in cost, access, and book ownership by offering free, small-group reading instruction four mornings a week at Eastside Elementary, within walking distance for most families, and by sending every student home with books of their own. During the school year, 64 percent of our students who attended at least 80 percent of sessions gained one or more reading levels on our pre/post assessment, and Summer Reading Bridge uses the same instructional model.

SOURCES
Riverside City School District. School Report Cards, 2025–26. [URL]
Riverside City School District. Enrollment and Free/Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility, 2025–26. [URL]
Riverside Literacy Project. Parent Survey, March 2026 (n=112). Internal data.
Riverside Literacy Project. Program enrollment and assessment records, 2025–26. Internal data.

Notice how each section leads to the next. The data is local and specific. The causes named in section 5 (cost, few books, limited library access) are exactly what the project addresses in section 8. That alignment is what makes a need statement persuasive.

Customizing tips

1. Go local. National statistics set context, but reviewers are persuaded by data about your actual service area. Look for county, city, ZIP code, school, or census tract data. The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey is a good starting point for demographics.
2. Use current data and date it. Note the year of every statistic. If the most recent data is several years old, say so and explain why.
3. Compare to a benchmark. A local rate means more next to a state or national rate.
4. Use your own data. Waitlists, intake numbers, and participant surveys are powerful because only you have them.
5. Avoid circular reasoning. "There is no program like ours, so the need is for our program" is not a need. Describe the problem first, then the gap.
6. Respect other providers. Funders often know the other organizations in your field. Describe them accurately and explain how your work complements theirs.
7. Keep the people at the center. Write about the people affected, with dignity. Avoid language that defines people only by their problems.
8. Match the funder's priorities. If the funder focuses on a specific population or outcome, emphasize the data that speaks to it, without stretching the facts.
9. For federal applications, follow the notice exactly. A notice of funding opportunity usually specifies required elements and evaluation criteria. Use its headings and address every criterion. See reading a NOFO.
10. Connect forward. The causes you identify should match your program design, and the consequences should match your outcomes. A logic model makes that alignment easy to check.