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Grant Writing

Workshop Highlights

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The Grant Training Center Highlights

Prepared by:

Kathy Korman Frey

Entrepreneur in Residence

GWSB Dept of Management

frey@gwu.edu

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Today

• About

• 8 Takeaways

• 5 Examples

• Many Resources and Links

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Reviewer

• Dept of Education

• National Science Foundation

Reviewing – Good way to stay current in grant world

Dr. Matilda Harris

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95% success rate

How?

• Target

• Follows steps from course

Write the one grant and get it, versus shotgun.

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About grants

436 billion given out in grants

• 14% Federal government

• 7% Foundations

• 3% Corporations

• 76% individual donors

• Grants.gov - 90% increase in traffic.

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About grants

Typical process:

• Inquiry (one page letter)

• Donor requests a concept

paper, or a proposal, or both.

Never send in a proposal cold. Develop a relationship

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Today

• About

• 8 Takeaways

• 5 Examples

• Many Resources and Links

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#1 Target Smart

• Smart networking • Focus on attendance

Events and networking: At what events are the donors sitting “right there?”

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#2 Collaborate

Three key words in grants

• Collaboration

• Partnership

• Interdisciplinary

Example: AAUW “coalition partners”

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#3 Prep

40% better chance - submit the week before.

50% better chance - second submission.

Takeaway: You’re prepared. Fewer errors. They know you.

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#4 Build relationship

• Know the officer• Talk to them• Follow through

There should be no outstanding questions at the time of submission.

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#5 Follow Instructions

50% of proposals to NIH • ELIMINATED• Not following instructions

The best way to get a grant: Follow the instructions.”

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#6 Good writing

a. Abstract – firstb. Statement of need - secondc. Grab them there, or it’s over

Know your audience. Write in short, concise sentences. No passive voice. Bullets, charts. Share it with a trusted colleague first.

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#7 It’s a Human(with very little time)

Proposal goes to a Human

• One hour (review)

• 8 minutes of discussion

Take the reader by the hand. Never make the reviewer work for you. (Happens a lot).

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#8 Tell a story

• Must have hard data.• Must have lit review. • But there must be a good

story.

Example: NIH researcher, single mom on foodstamps.

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Today

• About

• 10 Takeaways

• Examples

• Resources and Links

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Hot Mommas Examples

• IBM – No relationship, no follow up

• Shell – No relationship, poor research

• Xerox – Weak relationship, poor research

• AAUW – Poor process management

• Schwab Foundation – Good relationship, good research, good follow up and process management

Schwab funded the Hot Mommas Project financial literacy category.

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Partnership

• Development• Alumni Relations• Communications• Donor

Thank you Schwab and GW! News feature.Click here (Windows Media Required)

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ResourcesGeneral resources • #1 See if university has subscription • www.Foundationcenter.org (You can go to library of Foundation

Directory on CD rom at Library – 17th at K for free)• Subscrip-http://www.cos.com/ - you may be able to sign up as

individual• www.Grantsnet.com – for those who don’t have cos.com• http://www.grants.com• Subscrip-http://www.infoed.org/new_spin/spin.asp• http://www.researchresearch.com/entry/entry.htm• Taproot Foundation – will help build donor lists and provide

technical assistance• www.nsf.gov• Funding sources www.decadeofbehavior.org• www.acls.org – “Advancing the Humanities”• www.cfda.gov – Great resources for writing, search by agencies,

successful applications. • www.archives.gov – Search awarded grants• www.guidestar.com – View all charitable donations of a foundation

and 990

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ResourcesContinued• Journal of Higher Ed – Will show who got funded,

what grants are coming up.• Chronicle of Philanthropy – What’s coming up in gifts

and grants. Where foundations and gifts are going?• WK Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook

Evaluations• American Evaluation Association (AED) – you can hire

evaluators.• CDC Evaluation Working Group – TONS of tools• Center for Research on Learning and Teaching• School Grants Example: Western Michigan evaluation

site- see “Student Outcomes”

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Links– GTC Facebook– GTC Website– GTC Newsletter

GWSB.wordpress.com

Get copy of PPT and post your own resources here