-PERSUASIVE PROPOSAL ASSIGNMENT
Funding a Deserving Organization
1. Create and deliver a 7-9 minute persuasive proposal specifically adapted to your classroom audience. Your objective is to persuade your classmates to give financial or participatory support to an existing organization or agency that improves life in some way (ex – Benny’s Pantry, Aid for Friends, Proud to be Pocatello). The best proposals will be those directed at support for a specific project or event. The proposal should not be facetious (don’t persuade us to give you money so you can improve your visual aids for the next speech). Effective time management will be considered in the grade. Presentations that are undertime show a lack of idea development, which is worse than presentations that are overtime (which show a lack of selecting/editing of information). Plan carefully and practice thoroughly.
2. Using guidelines in your text, analyze your audience to determine if they are favorable, apathetic, neutral, active, hostile, or mixed. You’ll prepare a questionnaire to determine predisposition toward your topic. All questionnaires will be distributed on the same day (Thursday, 5/21). You will use the information you get from your questionnaires to help you structure you speech. Throughout your preparation, employ the Strategies for Adapting to Specific Audiences outlined on pages 108-109 of your text.
3. Choose and employ the strategic persuasive structure (N-A-R, Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, Balance, Problem-Solution) that you believe would be the most effective given your audience.
4. Employ clear reasoning and help the audience follow it by employing the appropriate structure and by creating effective transitions. Use strong evidence to support your claims – examples, statistics, testimony from experts – that will be seen as credible by your audience.
5. Use strong emotional appeals chosen with this audience’s motivations clearly in mind (examples: desire for money, compassion for others, patriotism).
6. Prepare a complete sentence outline due the day you speak (Tuesday, 5/26). At the end of your outline you must provide:
A. Citations for at least four sources (please use MLA format).
B. A paragraph in which you identify:
i. The classification of your audience (favorable, apathetic, neutral, active, hostile, or mixed.
ii. The strategic persuasive structure you chose as most appropriate for this audience/topic – explain (be specific) why it is the most appropriate.
iii. At least 3 motives to which you appeal in the speech.
7. Deliver the speech extemporaneously.
8. Be prepared for a question and answer session following your speech (which will not count towards your allotted speaking time.
Note: All proposals are expected to offer well-supported specifics and evidence regarding the existence of the community need. Remember that the “need” is not the organization’s lack of funds or volunteers. The need is the “reason” the organization exists (e.g., adolescent substance abuse, lack of affordable low-income housing, opportunities for accessible outdoor family recreation activity, high number of stray/homeless animals). Your proposal must argue that the organization effectively responds to this need and, therefore, is deserving of financial or participatory support.
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