Grant Writing 101
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Transcript of Grant Writing 101
Grant Writing 101 - Preparing a Successful Proposal
John Izzo
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Today’s Speaker
Hosting:
Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership
John IzzoCo-Founder,
Community Grants Associates, Inc.
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Grants
Grants Are
• Competitive
• Time Sensitive
• Project Based
• Conditional
Grants are NOT
• Formula-Based
• Continual
• For things or general support
• “Free Money”
“When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers”- Oscar Wilde
Preparing to Write
Issues
• Most Grants are lost before writing begins
• Organizational Issues
• Branding
• Power of Data
• Collaboration
• Mission Driven $$
Power of Data
• Rule: Funders increasingly demand measurement
• Collection of data is meaningless without management of data.
• Best Practices
• Longitudinal Data
Branding
• Rule: Run like a business
• What is your community profile
• Social Media
Collaboration
What it Means?
• Want big $$- collaborate
• Power of Synergy
• Selection of Partners
What it Does?
• Raises profile and shows community buy-in
• Specialization & Cost Saving
• Reputable
• Add Value
• Play Nice with Others
Mission Driven $$$
Rule: Do not chase $$$- let your mission lead to funding
What Do Funders Look For
• Social Research and Development
• Innovation is not scary!
– E.g. “Repeat”
• Reputable and Dynamic
• Need is OK – Results are Better
Finding Funders continued
• Technology and Change
• Glass Pockets Initiative• www.glasspockets.org• Transparency in Funding and
What it Means
REVIEWING THE RFP
“Have you even seen how complex these things are? If Einstein had to fill one these things out, God only knows
if we’d know what E equals”Josiah Bartlett (as played by Martin Sheen on T.V. Show “The West
Wing”)
Approach
• Read critically – What is mission and purpose?
– What about program design?
• Measurement
• Scoring Criteria
• Layout
• Read Conditional Language Unconditionally
• Review Scoring Criteria– This will help set up the narrative
FOLLOW THE MONEY?
“Money often costs too much”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A fire drill does not require a fire”
Bartholomew J. Simpson
Writing the Narrative
The Rules
The basics
• Follow the Directions (no matter how illogical)
• Good Writing is Good Writing– Write to win, not to impress– Simple sentence structure is better
• Data – Current and relevant data please
Let the RFP Do The Work
• Contains all questions, sub- questions and scoring
• Organizing Principle & Narrative Outline
• Scoring = How Much of Narrative to Devote to each section/question
Hemingway is Dead
• Answer the question……
• ….directly
• You are trying to convince people to give you money!
The power of G*O*A*M*s
Grant Writing Pyramid
• Goals
• Objectives
• Activities
• Measures of Success
G
O
A
Ms
Goals & Objectives
Goals
• Typically One of Two – E.g. Reduce Truancy in
Minority Youth in East Moncton
• Big Think but Be Real
• While not Quantifiable-Believable
Objectives
• Align under goals
– Reduce truancy by at least 20% in target population
• Flesh out the steps to get to goals
• Quantifiable
Activities
• The specific steps undertaken– E.g. Identify 300 youth who meet project criteria over three year
life of project– Provide after school programs/summer programs for 100 youth
per year.
• When, Where, Why, How
• Each activity is quantifiable when ever possible
Measures for Success
• Below Activities
• Quantifiable
• Measure Against Baseline Data
• Cumulative- i.e. if met for activities and objectives likely will reach goal
• Longitudinal – i.e. how you met Goal
• MUST HAVE
Benefits of Approach
• The Process Builds on Itself
• Should Use in Project Design
• Makes Writing Evaluation Easy
Why Limit Goals
Goal #1 Goal #2
G
O
A
Ms
G
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Ms
Program Narrative = Story Telling
• The Funder Has Never Heard the Story Before – Grab Him or Her Quick Before Interest Lost
• Supported with Specific Data– Your organization (annual report)
– Prior Proposals
• Walk me Though the Process – Especially for Comprehensive Programs
Saving Space & Consistency
• Consistent Messaging– Typically 2 -3 key messages in narrative
• Need for creativity– E.g. if only 50% of a population has a high school diploma,
that means at least 50% have no college degree
• Importance of Page Limits– Remember the limitations in the RFP
• Space Saving Devices– Signals– Tables, Charts, Footnotes, etc.
Evaluation
• A well- written proposal should generate data
• Funders Demand It More Often
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative Measurement
Evaluation – cont’d
• Hiring and Outside Evaluator– Credentials = Data/Statistical Expertise
– The evaluator should be involved in writing the proposal
• Costs• Evaluator can cost up to 10-15% of project budget
• Negotiate up front
• Do Your Homework
Evaluation and G*O*A*M*S
• Sets the basis of an evaluation
• Typically use it to set up evaluation table• Power of Repetition
• Remember confidentiality protocols
– If applicable
Project Staff
• Appropriate people doing appropriate things
• Percentage of time dedicated to the project
• Cultural Competency
Narrative
• Must be consistent with the rest of the application
• Be persuasive
• Prepare Multiple Drafts & Have Someone Review .
Budgets
• Very Important – Often Overlooked
• Financial Road Map
• Involve Budget Folks Early
Sustainability
• What happens after the $$ is spent– It is OK to talk about fundraising strategy
– Nobody likes to pay for everything
• Program Design
Support
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Letter of Commitment
• Letter of Support
MOU
• A Contract
• Each Party Specifies What They Will Do
• Usually Involves Legal Review
• Takes the Longest
Letter of Commitment v. Support
Letter of Commitment
• Written by Project Partner
• Partner Agrees to Specific Tasks
• Stronger
Letter of Support
• Provided by Politician or Other Senior Official
• Encouragement
• Usually Weaker
Budgeting Pitfalls
Overselling
• Overly Competitive
• Grant as Loss Leader
• Victory?
• Consequences
Gold Plating
• Grant = Lottery Ticket
• Red Flags
– Excessive Travel
– Entertainment
– Lifestyle Audit
• Consequences
Matching
• Cash Match • Usually Spend with Grant Funds• A Variety of Sources• Can Match Grants with Grants • Limitations• Sustainability
• In-Kind • Fair Market Value • Time CAN Equal Money• Rule: No Such Thing as 110%
Winning and Losing
• Winning• Thank You• Kick-Off Event/Recognition• Alert the Media• Manage Well
• Losing • How do I Improve• Ask Why• Schedule Phone Call/Meeting if Possible
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