Beyond the Grant: Establishing Philanthropic Proposal Writing as a Subgenre of Technical Communication

Philanthropic proposal writing has become an increasingly vital yet underexamined form of professional communication. While grant writing has received extensive attention within technical and professional communication, philanthropy—characterized by donor-centered persuasion, ethical storytelling, and relational collaboration—remains largely absent from both scholarship and pedagogy. This dissertation argues that philanthropic proposal writing constitutes a distinct subgenre within technical communication, requiring rhetorical and ethical competencies that differ significantly from those emphasized in traditional grant-writing instruction. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study integrates thematic genre analysis, semi-structured interviews, and autoethnographic reflection to examine how philanthropic proposals operate rhetorically and pedagogically. Findings reveal that grant proposals prioritize bureaucratic neutrality, compliance, and evidence-based logic, while philanthropic proposals rely on narrative resonance, emotional appeal, and sustained donor relationships. Through interviews with academic instructors and industry professionals, the study identifies critical gaps in how proposal writing is taught, highlighting that while universities train students to write grants, most professionals learn donor-centered communication informally in the workplace through mentorship, collaboration, and trial and error. By naming philanthropic proposal writing as a distinct subgenre, this study expands the scope of genre theory and technical communication pedagogy. It offers a framework for integrating donor-centered rhetoric, ethical reflection, and relational adaptability into proposal-writing curricula. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that preparing students for contemporary funding landscapes requires not only structural proficiency but also rhetorical agility—the ability to navigate the boundaries between institutional compliance and human connection that define philanthropic communication today.