Transcript Abstract Theme

Getting Your Ideas Funded:
Grant Writing Techniques
North Texas Consortium of Schools of Nursing and Practice
http://www.dfwhc.org/documents/grantwritingsession.pdf
12:11 PM
Harmona . Epps
August 8, 2011
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Agenda
Introductions
 Audience assessment
 Parking lot questions
 Exercise
Q& A

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http://www.dfwhc.org/documents/grantwritingsession.pdf
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Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:
 Find grant opportunities(research)
 Evaluate grant opportunities
 Understand the key components of an
application
 Know the top 10 mistakes and how to avoid
them
 Know where to find help
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What is a grant?

A conditional gift with
stings attached

The Funder identifies
the problem and funds
are available to solicit
suggestions on how to
solve the problem.
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Types of Funding
 Grant

Cooperative
Agreement

Contract
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What is a Proposal?
Although the two terms (grant and proposal)
are often used interchangeably.
A proposal is a written narrative submitted to a
funding resource requesting approval to
receive grant funds to implement an
approved program or project.
You are writing a proposal to receive a grant.
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PLANNING
Planning and
Priority Setting(org)
White Paper/ Exec.
Summary
Identify Potential
Funding Sources
Initial Contact and
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Cultivation
Result
Submit Proposal
Write Proposal
Develop A Team
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GRANT RESEARCH
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Grant Research
Who awards Grants ?
Private Foundations
 Public Charities
 Government (Local/State/Federal)
 Corporations (Direct Corporate Giving)

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Process
1.
Write a white paper(Identify funding needs)
2.
Develop a targeted list of funders
3.
Match the funders interest to your project
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1. White Paper/Ex. Summary

Why do you need funding and what kind do
you need?

How much do you need?

When do you need the funds?
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2. Develop a List

Who funds my area of interest?

Who funds in my geographic region?

Who will provide the type of support
needed?
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Where do I go to find
grants?
Grants.gov
 Corporate Sites
 Friends
 Colleagues
 GO
 Foundation Center
 Newspaper
 Grant Research Services
 Nonprofit Organizations
 Library
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
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3. Match Funders
Ask Questions
 Does the funder share your
mission/goals/objectives?

Is the funder interested in the same
populations?
Has the funder funded projects similar to
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yours?

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Happy Hunting!!
Each time allocate at least 1.5 hours to researching sources
On-Line Exercise
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Grant Writing
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Writing a grant is like playing a game!
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You must play by the
Rules!
GET the guidelines
 READ the guidelines
 FOLLOW the guidelines

Follow the guidelines exactly. If interpretations
is an issue contact the funding source for
translation and intent.(Project Officer)
 Adhere to format restrictions
 Use headings that correspond to the guidelines

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The Process
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Read the Guidelines
Read the Guidelines
again
Is it a good idea? Good
fit?
Assemble a team
Create a detailed
timeline
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Get by-in from
leadership
Discuss with Finance,
IT,Grant Manager
Contact funder(Project
Officer)
Review grant
exclusions and
eligibility requirements
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Call the program/grant officer
If there is nothing prohibiting it, find
a reason to contact the program officer.
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Things to consider before you write

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Conflict of Interest
Due Date –
received/postmarked

Numbering

Margin requirement

Font requirement

Letters of support

Timeline
Page limitations
Spacing
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Planning
•
Develop a timeline from the date you decide to
pursue the funding out until to 1 week before the
grant is due for submission.
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Other things to consider
Internally


Internal timelines for
review and signatures
Review list of required
supporting material

List of board members

Who has the 501 c 3
letter

Financial Documents

Resumes/Bio-sketches
Budget approval timelines
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TEAMWORK

Grant Manager –understands grant management
regulations

Project Manager-understands how to run a project
but may not understand all of the rules and
regulations
Financial Staff- understands accounting, budgeting
but nothing about the project

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TEAMWORK
If you work with a team
 You will have less to do
 Your application will be more competitive
 Common technical and proofing errors may
be avoided

Your eye will read what is written and your brain
will translate it to what you meant – so you will
miss errors during editing and proofing---
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TEAMWORK
Dew know trussed yore spell chequer two
fined awl yore mist aches.
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FOCUSED FREEWRITE
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Readable StyleThink of the Reviewer
Make sure all pages are not just solid text
 Use bullets
 Use graphics in the methodology and needs
sections
 Use headings and subheadings
 Use bold and underline
 Do not justify


NOTE: Make sure everything is legible when reproduced in
black and white
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WRITING STYLE
Write to inform
 Write to persuade
 Write to the funding source

No jargon
 Not in the 1st person
 Clear and concise

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Write to the Reviewers
The goal of the
program should
parallel those of the
funding agency
 Allow plenty of time for
the writing process,
especially for editing
and reading by an
outsider.

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Writing tips
Tell the reader a story

Use active and future
tenses
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BEST PRACTICE

Often the hardest part of grant writing is
converting a grant vision into concrete
language with the benefits quantified and the
objectives measureable.
With each draft tighten the language and let
details convey the projects worthiness rather
than depending on empty adjectives.
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BePMspecific
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
BEST PRACTICE
There is a fine balance between wordiness
and brevity that equals clarity.
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ACADEMIC WRITING
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Scholarly pursuit:
 Individual passion
Past oriented:
 Work that has been done
Theme-centered:
 Theory and thesis
Expository rhetoric:
 Explaining to reader
Impersonal tone:
 Objective, dispassionate
Individualistic:
 Primarily a solo activity
Few length constraints:
 Verbosity rewarded
Specialized terminology:

“Insider jargon”
GRANT WRITING
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Sponsor goals:
 Service attitude
Future oriented:
 Work that should be done
Project-centered:
 Objectives and activities
Persuasive rhetoric:
 “Selling” the reader
Personal tone:
 Conveys excitement
Team-focused:
 Feedback needed
Strict length constraints:
 Brevity rewarded
Accessible language:
 Easily understood
12:11 Porter,
PM R.(2007) Why academics have a hard time writing good grant proposals.
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Four Important Questions
What new knowledge will result from this project?
2. Why is this worth knowing?
3. How do we know the conclusions are valid?
4. How will this knowledge be disseminated?
Funders look for:
 Quality programs that meet a real need
 Track record of effective program delivery
 Capable leadership
 Strong organizational and financial infrastructure
1.
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Write to the Reviewers
Consider
 What is it about


Why it’s important

What will you accomplish

Can you do it

Is it worth doing

Who will benefit
How will you do it
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Read the
Follow Instructions &
Read the GUIDELINESagain!
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Basic Proposal Contents



Executive
Summary/Abstract
Statement of
Need/Problem
Statement
Project Description

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Goals & Objectives
Methodology
Evaluation
Sustainability
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Organization
Information
Budget
Supporting Materials

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Annotations
Letters of Support
Resumes
501 c 3 letter
Cover letter/signature
page
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Executive/Project Abstract

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

Should be able to
stand alone
Cover all key elements
in order
Provide overview of the
proposal
State the problem &
solution
Organizational
Expertise
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Publishable quality

Clear, concise one
page, single space

Do not refer to
proposal in the
abstract
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Statement of Need/Needs
Assessment
The Problem Statement/Needs
Assessment/Statement of Needs set the
framework for the goals, objectives,
methods, and evaluation
 Define gaps and provide supporting data
 Include literature review
 Describe the fit with overall organizational
goals

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NEED
What significant needs
are you trying to meet?
 What is the current
status of the needs?
 Will this project help
meet the need?
 What services will be
delivered by whom and
to whom?

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What does the
literature say about the
significance of the
problem at a local,
state, regional national
level?
 What previous work
has been done?
 What will be the
impact?

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Example
Children are exhibiting violent and
disruptive behavior.
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Clarify the assumptions and anticipate the
questions

The harsh truth is that growing numbers of children
in America are exhibiting violent and disruptive
behavior or externalizing behavior(also referred to
as antiosocial behavior, challenging behavior,
defiance, noncompliance, aggressive behavior,
acting-out etc) beyond the occasional minor
incident typical of most children during the normal
course of development. Such behavior has
become one of the most pressing issues in
schools.
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Best Practices
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First sentence is the problem
Clarify the problem
State that this is a pressing need and rooted in factual
information
Show you know what’s going on in the field
Use data
Emphasize the significance of the project
Include the priorities of the funding agency
Forecast the usefulness and importance of the results
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Statement of
Need/Problem Statement
DO
 Provide thorough
explanation of your need
 Demonstrate that this is
an important problem to
solve
 Include statistical data
 Demonstrate that your
approach is creative or
innovative
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DON’T
 Don’t assume anyone
has ever thought about
your idea
 Don’t use generic data,
use local data that
supports your project
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Program Description
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Project Description

Methods(goal/objectives)

Staffing and Administration

Sustainability

Collaboration/ partnerships

Evaluation
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A well thought out Project
Will have:

One or two goals

Several objectives directly related to the goals

Many methodological steps to achieve each
objective
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
Goals

General statement of the overall purpose

Objectives
 Measurable
outcomes that can be achieved in a
specified period of time
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The Goal

The goal should convey the ultimate intent of
the proposed project the overarching
philosophy

Should read-” the goal of this project is to….”
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SMART OBJ’s

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely
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Good Words for OBJ’s
 To explain
 To identify
 To contrast
 To organize
 To evaluate
 To use
 To solve
 To develop
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






Words to avoid
To know
To understand
To fully understand
To appreciate
To internalize
To grasp the significance of
To have an awareness of
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Objective

Our after-school
program will help
children read better
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Our after-school remedial
education program will
assist 50 children
improve their reading
scores by one grade
level. Progress will be
demonstrated on
standardized reading test
administered after
participating in the
program for six months.
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Project Method or Design
The project method outlines the tasks
that will be accomplished with the
available resources.
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Method




The most detailed and lengthy section
Usually this is the area allotted the most points
Most proposals are turned down because of the
methodology is not sound
Include a timeline




Breakdown into manageable tasks with clear outcomes
Estimate time and effort for each task
Logically sequence tasks and display as a bar chart
Specify who is in charge of each task(position)
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Method

Structure the method
as a timeline

How will activities be
conducted

Walk the reader
through the project

When will it happen

How long will it take
Who will do it
Where will it be done

Describe the activities
as they relate to obj’s
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
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Conclusion/Wrap Up




Make your final appeal
What will you accomplish
Why is it important
Who will benefit
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Follow instructions!
READ THE GUIDELINES-AGAIN
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Evaluation
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A Good Evaluation Plan

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Covers both process and product
Tells who will perform and how they were chosen
Defines the criteria by which the program will be
evaluated
Evaluates the achievement of each objective
Describes data gathering methods
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Explains assessment instruments, questionnaires
other materials
Describes data analysis procedures
Relates evaluation findings to a plan for program
improvement
Describes evaluation reports to be produced
Consider using a third party
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Evaluation
Formative
 Who participated
 Were they organized
 Were materials available
 Were they of high quality
 Was the full range of
topics covered
 Problems
 Modifications
 Timing
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Summative
 What obstacles
prevented implementing
change

Were changes made
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
Summative Evaluation
How the program will be valuated when it is
finished
 Did the program work?
 Did it attain its goals?
 Were the desired outcomes for participants
achieved,and were they worth the cost
 Should the program be continued

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
Formative evaluation

How the project will be evaluated as it
progresses
 What
are the programs strengths and weaknesses
 Are participants progressing toward desired
outcomes
 Which participants do better than adherers why?
 Can the program operate more efficiently without
compromising quality?
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Budget

Leaving the budget until last is a huge
mistake because there is often a disconnect
between the lofty goals, the project cost and
reality.

The budget should be a restatement in dollar
terms of the method section of the
proposal(NO SURPRISES to the reviewer)
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Budget

WHO SHOULD PREPARE THE BUDGET?

Work with your accounting/finance/grants
department
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Budget Categories

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Salaries/Personnel
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Supplies
Equipment
Contractual
Consultants
Other
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Direct Cost
Indirect Cost
Cost Sharing
Cost Match
Program Income
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Budget Questions
Who are the individuals working on the
project?
 How much time will each spend on the
project?
 How much are they paid per year /hour?

TIP-- don’t forget to budget for salary increases
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Cost Share or Match
 Funders like to see that your organization is
putting money into the project

FIND OUT IF THE MATCH IS CASH AND/OR
IN-KIND
 NOTIFY FINANCE/ACCOUNTING DEPT.

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Types of Income
Program Income

Revenue generated
income from the sale of
goods and/or services
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Support

Other Grants,
contributions, donations
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In-kind donations can come in many forms!

Time

Space

Materials

Services
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Other Financial
Information

Audited financial statements

Organization-wide budgets for recent years

List of other funding sources

Budget Narrative

990
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Budget Preparation
Follow instructions
 Use recommended formats
 Check your math
 Don’t forget the budget narrative
 Reasonable and allowable expenses only
 KNOW WHAT’S NOT ALLOWED
 CONSISTENCY

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Read the Guidelines-again…This
time check for updates and FAQ’s!
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Organizational Information

Mission/Vision
History
 Expertise
 Program experience
 Financial Management

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Leadership-Board and staff
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Key Personnel
Funders wonder



Who are they and why should the we give them
money
Convince funder that you are capable of
accomplishing what you say you can accomplish
Highlight the expertise of all key personnel
Explain the role of external partners or consultants
who will fill gaps in experience/skill set.
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TIPS
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TIPS

Have mercy on the
reviewers


Go back and cut the
length of the proposal

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Re-Read the
guidelines after you’ve
finished the draft
Check transition and
writing styles
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
Edit
 Negativity

Fluff

Acronyms

Redundancy
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
Review your budget
objectively, is there
enough funding to
complete the project
professionally?

Don’t forget references
or literature cited
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TIPS

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

Avoid fancy covers
Be sure sections are easily identifiable
Signatures are in blue ink
All of the required passwords are accessible
No scheduled outages (your organization or
funder)
Verify you haven't exceeded the page #’s
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Submitting
 Know
the due date RECEIVED BY or
POSTMARKED BY
Can’t

FedEx to a PO Box
Is your Adobe Reader compatible with funders
Do
you know your DUNS#
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Note to Self..
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
Crisis on your part does not constitute a
crisis on my part!
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Top reasons for a rejected
proposals

Deadline not met

Guidelines not followed
Nothing intriguing


Did not meet priorities
Not complete

Methodology weak

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
Appeared beyond
capacity of the
organization

Poorly written

Poor literature review

Unrealistic budget
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After you complete the proposal
Set it aside for at least a day and then revise
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Outside Reviewer
Always allow someone who has no idea what
the proposal is about critique it. Provide the
narrative and the scoring criteria to the
reviewer.
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Finally

The biggest mistake of all is not to write the
proposal.

If your proposal is not funded simply revise it
and resubmit-

REWRITE….REVISE….RESUBMIT
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Links

Grants.gov

Cdc.gov/eval/framework.htm

http://meera.snre.umich.edu/

www.wkkf.org/pubs/tools/evaluation/pub770.pdf

Foundationcenter.org
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Questions
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Harmona Epps
972-719-4900
http://www.dfwhc.org/documents/grantwritings
ession.pdf
Foundation Center www.foundationcenter.org
Dallas Library www.dallaslibrary2.org/government/nonprofit.php
Grantsmanship Center www.tgci.com/
Center for Non Profit Management http://www.cnmdallas.org/
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