GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

TODAY’S AGENDA

Grant Writing Overview

Getting Started

Determining Eligibility

Solicitation Rules

Forming your Response Team

Developing a Response Plan

Mapping out a Schedule

Writing the Response

Common Sections

Quality Writing & Citations

Good v/s Not-So-Good Statements

Sustainability Plans

Budget

Appendices

Quality Assurance

Submitting a Successful Grant

Peer Review Process

Overview

Who are Peer Reviewers

Quality of Proposals Reviewed

Peer Reviewers Recommendations

Grant Resources

Closing Remarks

GRANT WRITING OVERVIEW

•Getting Started

•Solicitation Rules

•Determining Eligibility

•Forming your Response Team

•Developing a Response Plan

•Mapping out a Schedule

GETTING STARTED

•Where to find grants

•Purpose of grants

•Funding terms

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

• Eligibility is unique to each solicitation

• Read this section first

• If unsure, contact the funding agency

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

Example: This solicitation is open to all public governmental

agencies, profit and nonprofit institutions, universities,

community groups and faith-based organizations. Proposals

should be of national relevance, significantly advance the field of

community policing, and demonstrate an understanding of community

policing as it pertains to the application topic. Applications that

represent partnerships between law enforcement agencies and

university and nonprofit institutions are encouraged. Initiatives

that primarily or solely benefit one or a limited number of law

enforcement agencies or other entities will not be considered for

funding. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated

funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be

imposed by law.

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

Example: Eligible Applicants: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS,

other than institutions of higher education.

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of

higher education. For profit organizations other than small businesses.

Additional Information on Eligibility: Eligible applicants are national, regional,

state, or local public and private entities, including for- profit (commercial) and

nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organizations),

faith-based and community organizations, institutions of higher education

(including tribal institutions of higher education), federally recognized Indian

tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, and units of

local government that support initiatives to improve the functioning of the criminal

justice system. For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or

management fee.

SOLICITATION RULES

•Rules are not suggestions

•Unique to each specific funding organization

•Highlight the rules – literally

PART I: FORMING YOUR RESPONSE

TEAM

•Single Point of Contact

•Team Members/Contributors

•Schedule Regular Meetings

•Need more than 1 person

•Delegate

DEVELOPING A RESPONSE PLAN

The Response Plan is a Written Plan:

•Team member names

•Roles & responsibilities

•Timeline with key dates and deadlines

•Write out a communications strategy

•Every team member get’s a copy of the

plan

•Review the plan with the team members

at our very first meeting

MAPPING OUT A SCHEDULE

•Deadlines are non-negotiable

•Things you can do today to expedite your

proposal response

•Standard timeframe 30-90 days

REVIEW OF TIPS

1. Sign up for e-notifications on funding opportunities

from foundations, corporations, state, and federal

government.

2. Read the eligibility requirements first.

3. Highlight the key phrases in the eligibility section to

make sure you are eligible to apply.

4. Immediately seek clarification about eligibility if the

messaging is confusing.

REVIEW OF TIPS

•Solicitation rules are NOT suggestions.

•Create a written response plan with key dates

and deadlines.

•More than 1 person should be involved with

preparing your proposal if you want to win.

•Submit your proposal at least 1 day early.

BREAK TIME & QUESTIONS

Questions? Send them to us via the

webinar tool and we’ll address some before

we begin the second half

WRITING THE RESPONSE

•Common Solicitation Sections

•Quality Writing & Citations

•Sustainability Plans

•Budgets

•Appendices

•Importance of Quality Assurance

•Submitting a Successful Grant

COMMON SECTIONS

•Abstract

•Need or Problem Statement

•A story supported by data (with citations!)

•Goals & Objectives

•Goals are broad & general statements

•Objectives are specific steps you will take to

accomplish each goal (SMART).

•Program Design

•Evaluation (ROI- Return on Investment)

•Sustainability Plan

•Budget

•Appendices

QUALITY WRITING & CITATIONS

•Every sentence should have meaning

•Avoid wordy sentences

•Avoid jargon and acronyms

•Quality Assurance is critical

•Citations are very important

GOOD VS NOT-SO-GOOD

Not-So-Good

“Our city experienced a 10%

increase in vehicle thefts in the last

year.”

Good

“Our city experienced a 10%

increase in vehicle thefts in the last

year.” (source, year)

“Research shows the need to

invest in license plate reader

technology.” (source, year)

“Research shows the need to

invest in license plate reader

technology.”

“In the next 5 years there will be a 20%

growth in our community.”

(source, year)

“In the next 5 years there will be a

20% growth in our community.”

SUSTAINABILITY PLANS

•The BIG QUESTION: How will the

program continue after funding is

expended?

•Corporate sponsorships?

•Fee for service?

•Fundraising/donations?

•Other?

•Sustainability Plans are based on

ASSUMPTIONS

BUDGET

•Direct Costs

•Personnel

•Supplies

•Equipment

•Travel

•Communication Costs

•Printing

•Contracted Services

•Miscellaneous

•Indirect Costs

•Usually a percentage of the Direct Costs

•Vulnerable Budget Areas

•Utilities

•Office Space

•Salary Increases

•Food

•Insurance

•Transportation

APPENDICES

Tip: The appendices should be well organized & formatted. Assign a team member to take charge.

•Formatting matters

•Organization is important

•Common documents

•Organization’s history, mission, vision,

values

•Resumes

•Job descriptions

•Information about consultants or

contractors

•Letters of support

•Description of relevant past studies or

projects

•Evaluation instruments

QUALITY ASSURANCE

•Assign (at least) two people to oversee quality

assurance

•A lay person

•An expert

•Responsibilities for Quality Assurance Reviewers

•Ensuring 100% compliance with the

solicitation’s rules

•Making sure data is supported with citations

•Checking for grammatical and spelling errors

•Making sure there is consistency between

the budget and narrative

•Reading and providing a critical review of a

proposal before its submitted

SUBMITTING A SUCCESSFUL GRANT

•Compliant with the solicitation

rules

•Well prepared

•Easy-to-read

•Professionally packaged

•Free of errors

•Submitted on-time (ideally 1 day

early)

REVIEW OF TIPS

•Everything you submit is ultimately judged.

•Use the SMART Method when writing your objectives.

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, & Time-

Bound.

•Avoid acronyms and technical jargon.

•Use data/information from at least 4-5 DIFFERENT

sources.

•Create a Sustainability Plan Template now and tailor it to

each specific solicitation.

REVIEW OF TIPS

•Apply quality assurance to your budget! Make sure

your costs are consistent throughout your proposal.

•The appendices should be well organized &

formatted. Assign a team member to take charge.

•Assign (at least) two people to oversee quality

assurance.

•If not against the rules of the solicitation, use graphs,

charts, color, dividers, images, etc.

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

•Overview

•Who are Peer Reviewers

•Quality of Solicitations Reviewed

•Peer Reviewers

Recommendations

OVERVIEW

•Screening Process

•Who are Peer Reviewers

•Quality of Solicitations Reviewed

•Peer Reviewers Recommendations

WHO ARE PEER REVIEWERS

Who?

•Consultants

•Subject Matter Experts (not necessarily

experts in your field)

•Practitioners

•Researchers

How many?

•Usually 3-4 peer reviewers per committee

•Number of peer reviewers depends on number of proposals competing

QUALITY OF PROPOSALS REVIEWED

•Proposals vary from poorly to

perfectly packaged

•Very competitive environment - even

the best written proposals do not win

PEER REVIEWERS RECOMMENDATIONS

•We read

•We score

•We convene

•We discuss

•We come to a consensus (which may lead

us to change our original score – positive

or negative)

REVIEW OF OUR TIPS

•Peer Reviewers are professionals and expect to

see proposals that are compliant with the solicitation

rules.

•Peer Reviewers create their own scoring

methodology and apply it to all proposals.

•Peer Reviewers may not be experts in your

particular field. Make sure you avoid technical

jargon.

•Sign up to be a Peer Reviewer! It will help build

your grant writing skills.

SOME GRANT RESOURCES

www.grants.gov

http://foundationcenter.org/

Local Cities, Local Businesses, State Governments

Private Foundations (e.g. Target, Walmart, Goodyear)

CLOSING REMARKS

Heather R. Cotterheather@waterholeconsulting.com