RDA Illawarra_Waples Marketing Grant Writing Workshop - Feb 2016

RDA ILLAWARRA GRANT WRITING WORKSHOPS (FEB 2016)

Tehla BowerSenior Consultant – Funding & Strategy

RDA ILLAWARRA | GRANTS WORKSHOPS FEB 2016

Introduction/background

• Who am I

• Grants/funding experience spans 13 years

• Specialist since 2009

• Approx $15m for projects valued at well over

$50m (exclusive of advice and coaching that has

led to funding success)

• Illawarra based

• Independent of funding bodies


Who are you?

• Non-profits, charities, councils, UOW,

community orgs, gov’t agencies

• Small business, gov’t departments

What do we all have in common??


When you think about grants..

Do you feel like this? Or maybe this?


When you think about grants..

This will hopefully be you by the end of

this workshop!


Difference between this

workshop and previous

workshop..


Session Overview

Navigating the grants landscape – planning vs ‘scattergun’ (grants research tips)

Planning your submission (before you start writing!)

Developing your submission Preparing a strong Needs Statement, Aims & Objectives

Timeline & Milestones

Project Budget

Collaborations, outcomes & sustainability

Measuring the Economic benefit of your project

Merit Criteria

Q & A


Grants & Funding in Australia

• Currently approx $50bn available (market size)

• Over 1000 grants (conservative)

• Government grants, tenders, community

foundations, philanthropic trusts

• Others such as crowdfunding, venture capital,

angel investors (not a focus of this session)


Grants & Funding in Australia


The Grant seeker market ‘pie’

Grant seekers

Grant makers

Support agencies (eg

RDA)

Project supporters

Project investors

Funding Program

managers

Government policy & politics

©2016 Waples Funding & Strategy


Grants & Funding in Australia• Hundreds of grants are announced each day

• Some recent examples:

– Data Retention Industry Grants Program - $129m for telecommunications providers

– Catalyst National Arts and Culture Fund - $12m

– Protecting National Historic Sites (up to $80k per applicant)

– Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Program ($30m)

– Gateway Motorway Upgrade Brisbane ($1.16bn)

– The National Science & Innovation Agenda (various)

– NSW Local Sport Grant Program (up to $25k per applicant)


Where to start?Navigating the grants landscape

• Grants/funding landscape can be a daunting and

overwhelming place

• So many opportunities – how to find the right

one/ensure we don’t miss out?!

• Importance of researching, planning,

understanding your project


Government’s ‘GrantFinder’

• www.business.gov.au (‘Grants & Assistance’)

• Australian Government’s official grant search

database

• User-friendly

http://www.business.gov.au/


NSW Gov’t Department of Industry

• Range of Assistance & Support programs

• Innovate NSW - Connecting technology development SMEs, researchers, major corporations and business end users

• http://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry-in-nsw/assistance-and-support

http://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/business-and-industry-in-nsw/assistance-and-support


Our Community

• www.ourcommunity.com.au

• ‘Australia's Centre for Excellence for the nation's

600,000 not-for-profits & schools, providing

advice, tools, resources and training’

• The Funding Centre – great resource

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/


GrantReady (non-govt)


Other resource examples

• Ministry for the Arts (Arts & Culture)

• Destination NSW (Tourism)

• Entrepreneurs’ Programme (Industry)

• iAccelerate (technology startups)

• UOW (Community Engagement Grants)

• IRT Foundation (Research/Community)

• IMB Community Foundation (closing soon)

• Also please refer to today’s resource handouts


Program Spotlight

Community Engagement Grants Scheme (UOW):

• Provides funding for the communities UOW serves to

connect with its staff and students for educational,

research or outreach projects

• Up to $50k each year

• Max grant of $10k per applicant

• Projects must be innovative, starting small and dreaming

big www.uow.edu.au/about/community/cegs

http://www.uow.edu.au/about/community/cegs


Are you ‘funding ready’?


Are you ‘funding ready’?

Simple Assessment – do you have:

• Strategic Plan/Business Plan?

• Project Plan and Budget?

• Organisational capacity to undertake the project?

• Sustainability post-grant?

• Capacity to at least match funding received?

• Appropriate legal structure for eligibility requirements (eg incorporation, ABN, DGR registration etc)?


Funding readiness for NSRF

Evidence of Incorporation

Project Management Plan

Business Case

Risk Management Plan

Procurement Management Plan

Written confirmation of all partner funding (cash & in-kind)

Asset Management Plan

Audited Financial Statements

Evidence demonstrating applicant experience


NSRF Eligibility - recap

• Legal entity with ABN

AND either

• A Local Government body including ACT Govt,

or

• A Not-for-profit organisation, either in own right

or on behalf of consortium (that is not owned by

state or territory govt)


NSRF Ineligibility - recap

× NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS & NT

governments

× State and territory government-owned entities

× State and territory government-owned NFPs

× Universities, technical colleges, schools and

hospitals

× RDA committees

× For-profit organisations


Session summary so far..

Introductions

Navigating the landscape

Where to start?

Grant Search Resources

Funding Readiness


Lets talk about Funding

Proposals


Planning your submission(BEFORE you launch into writing)

1. Know your organisation

2. Background information

3. Identify your needs

4. Bring in your ‘champions’/supporters

5. Understand the difference between government and private sources


Planning your submission

1. Know your organisation

- Know your organisation and why it exists

- Understand key aspects of your organisation:

structure,

mission/vision,

financial processes,

clients,

products or services,

core competencies, and

future aspirations



2. Background information

- Reflect on the specific grant guidelines and consider background information that could support your submission:

Academic articles

Primary and/or secondary research

‘expert’ opinions

Surveys

Case studies, etc



3. Identify your needs

SUBSTANTIATE your need for funding!

Evidence based

Reports

Survey results

Gaps in products or services required by your org

Reference these to demonstrate support for your project



4. Identify your ‘champions’ or advocates

Those who support you, love what you do and are willing to put this in a formal written document – these endorsements can add considerable weight to your submission:

- Contact list of possible champions

- Write letters to all expressing your need for support

- Meet with representatives of funding sources

- Perhaps consider starting an Advisory Committee



5. Understand the marketplace

- Government (local, state, federal)

- Private (foundations, trusts, non-govt)


Create a submission timeline


The submission ‘skeleton’

The basic framework of any given grant submission:

- Covering letter

- Title page

- Summary

- Needs Statement/Assessment

- Response to all selection criteria

- Outcomes of your project (eg economic benefit)

- Articles, attachments & statistics

- Budget


Quick break?


Developing your submission(now we can start writing)

1.

1. Needs Statement

2. Aims & Objectives

3. Project Timeline/Schedule (Milestones)

4. Project Budget

5. Outcomes

6. Sustainability past funding


1. Statement of Need

- Also known as ‘problem statement’, ‘need statement’ or ‘needs assessment’

- Commonly referred to as the ‘heart’ of your grant application



Overall purpose is to demonstrate why the project is important to the community:

- Describing the problem as it is NOW

- Indicating how the situation could be improved

- Should be motivating and capture the attention of the assessor of the application – convince them that your project is

IMPORTANT



- Highlight your credentials and state why yours is the most appropriate organisation to receive the funding

- Bring in some of your findings from the ‘planning your submission’ stage from earlier

- Should be a concise and coherent statement, supported by evidence, on why the project needs to be undertaken



General rules of thumb:

- Avoid jargon

- Avoid acronyms (do not assume that the assessor knows what your abbreviations stands for)

- Do not assume any prior knowledge of the assessor or funding body

- Don’t ‘editorialise’ – state the facts

- If you don’t have a compelling need, you don’t have a compelling project!

REMEMBER - The Statement of Need drives everything else that is in the grant proposal



General rules of thumb:

Also….avoid ‘circular reasoning’, for example:

“The problem is that we have no youth centre. The solution is to build a youth centre”

How do you know that the absence of a youth centre is a problem? What kind of evidence (data) do you have to support your claims?

Your solution is not your problem!!


1. Statement of Need – poor

example

“Our youth have limited access to educational resources. They are mostly from low-income

households, and the neighbourhood in general is very distressed. We have one after-school program that is well attended, but we need

more resources to reach more of our students. Please help us educate our youth.”

(www.livewell.marshall.edu)


1. Statement of Need – poor

example

Problems with this needs statement:

- No data or evidence included

- Emotional appeal rather than rational

- No evidence to explain assumptions (iewhere is evidence to show that the youth are ‘mostly’

from low-income households?)


1. Statement of Need – good

example

“A 1999 report from the New York State Department of Health showed that the Town of Libraryfield ranked among the worst in the state over a 3-year average for infant mortality, low birth weight and premature births, late

entry into prenatal care, unmarried parents, teen pregnancies and poverty. An Everywhere County Prenatal Focus Group report revealed that

communication by families and doctors is generally poor. There is a need for information on: childbirth education opportunities, support services, childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, sibling preparation for new baby, and post-partum depression. The focus group indicated that the public

library could be helpful in directing new parents to resources and materials. In order to meet this need, the library proposes a grant program to expand collections and programs by linking for the first time with family

practitioners and the Libraryfield Memorial Hospital to reach expectant and post-partum mothers and their children.”

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/


1. Statement of Need – good

example

What makes it a strong statement?

• References the problem through a report by a government department as well as findings from a local committee

• Clear definition of the problem, and clear role for the library to fill

• Supports the library’s existing mission statement

• Mention of partners



AIMS:

• General statements of what you want to accomplish

• Example: “To achieve greater workforce participation by women”



OBJECTIVES:

• The standard format: “To (action verb and statement reflecting your measurement indicator) by (performance standard) by (deadline) at a cost of no more than (cost frame)

• Example: To increase the business skills of women in our town by 10% through training in book-keeping and report writing over 12 months at a cost of $7,000


A word on language and

writing style…

• Style should be simple and concise– Emphasise benefits and end results, not tasks or

methods

– Familiarise yourself with the funding body’s

application, guidelines and related policy

documentation and help join the dots between your

project and their program material

– Use the language of the reader (easier said than

done!)


A word on language and writing

style…

• Writing Style– Must reflect what the funding body wants and what

the reviewers will be looking for

– Be concise & clear

– Use short sentences and paragraphs (bullet points

can help to summarise responses and keep your

wordcount down)


A word on language and writing

style…

• Writing Style– Avoid over-the-top formatting

– Use bold headings

– Use charts and graphs where appropriate


3. Project Timeline & Milestones

• Common requirement of many grant submissions

• Essentially a listing of all the key outcomes you

aim to achieve with your project

• Each outcome might include:– Start/Finish dates

– Number of hours required to complete

– Key personnel responsible

– Costs associated with each major activity/milestone

– Consultants & Contractor services

– Non-personnel resources

– Milestones/performance indicators


3. Project Timeline - example

Dept of Local Government WAwww.dlg.wa.gov.au

http://www.dlg.wa.gov.au/


4. Project Budget

• Very rare to see grant application (particularly

govt funding) that doesn’t require at least a simple

budget

• Not the most popular part of the submission!

• BUT it is essential to complete if you want to be in

with a chance..


4. Project Budget

Examples of costs to include:– Staff

– Labour (including contractors)

– Suppliers

– Insurance

– Plant & Equipment

– Office/Admin costs (if eligible project cost)

– Marketing/promotion

– Travel

– Consultants (if eligible project cost)

– IP


4. Project Budget

And Remember –

Your Project Budget is NOT the same as

your organisational budget!


4. Project Budget - example


4. Project Budget (complex)


4. Project Budget other considerations

• Requirements can vary dependent on submission size and complexity

• Important to clearly outline the amount of funding requested for each activity (ie salaries, travel, construction, rent, insurances, equipment, labour, technology etc)

• Don’t forget about matching funds if applicable• MOST IMPORTANT – cross-check all project expenditure

against the ELIGIBLE COSTS listing in the program guidelines!


5. Outcomes & Sustainability

Important to think beyond the grant lodgement

date and towards the outcomes and longevity

of your project if it’s successful

How will the funding for your project help

alleviate the problem described in your Needs

Statement?


5. Outcomes & Sustainability What are the expected outcomes and how will

they be measured?Include a plan to assess the project

Describe who will evaluate the project

Detail what records will be kept

Define how success will be quantified/measured/evaluated

How will your project ‘survive’ after the funding date? Is your project sustainable in the long-term?


‘Economic benefit’ of your

project – NSRF example

Successful projects must:

“Deliver an economic benefit to the region beyond the period of construction” (Rd 3 summary slides)

HOW can we demonstrate this??


REMPLAN online tool

“REMPLAN provides access to detailed demographic data for 1991 to 2011 Census years, economic data and maps for up to 114 industry sectors as well as population and employment forecasts”

http://www.remplan.com.au/


REMPLAN online tool


Wollongong employment data

(REMPLAN)


Shellharbour employment data

(REMPLAN)


For the tourism sector

Sites such as www.tra.gov.au can be useful

http://www.tra.gov.au/


Merit Criteria

Not all have but most large submissions will

Provide clues and insight into what assessors are

looking for

WILL be used to assess your application

Some will include ‘weightings’ against each criteria

Do not ignore!


Merit Criteria - NSRF

Extracted from: NSRF Copy of round three application questionshttp://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/funding/NSRF/

http://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/funding/NSRF/


Merit Criteria – NSRF eg


Merit Criteria – IMB Community

Foundation

Five (5) key Assessment Factors:1. General Community support for project

2. Reach & Impact of project

3. Capacity for sustainability

4. Transfer of skills and knowledge (participants & wider community)

5. Innovative qualities

http://www.imb.com.au/community-community-foundation.html


Other considerations

Know the deadline and PLAN your submission!

Get your team involved early (particularly anyone who will be involved in implementation)

Complete the application in its entirety (may seem obvious but evidence shows otherwise)

No gaping holes (ie just because you don’t like numbers doesn’t mean you leave out the budget!)

MANDATORY means precisely that

Apply an ‘Evidenced Based Mantra’


Some ‘must-tick’ boxes for

success

1. Showing experience in the area that the grant covers

2. Link this back to the grant’s objectives

3. Demonstrate your capabilities including resources and staff and your methodologies

4. Show that you are already part of the community in which the funds from the grant (show you understand the issues)


Questions to ask

yourself

1. Am I writing more about my project or my

organisation? (very important)

2. Am I being specific about the features of my project

and the outcomes my project will generate?

3. Am I answering each question completely? (treat it

like a uni assignment and break it into chunks)


‘Collaboration’ – what does it

mean and how can you use it to

enhance your proposal?


“the action of working with

someone to produce something”Oxford dictionary


The purpose of the program is to foster collaboration between

industry partners toward delivering a compelling, new-to-market

solution. This consortia model of Lead Company, Pilot

Organisation, and Partner is specifically designed to build

relationships that deliver a solution with a strong opportunity for

commercial success.

Collaborative Solutions funding program (Innovate NSW)

Program example –Collaborative Solutions


‘Policy’ vs ‘Politics’

Two quite different but interrelated factors that can have a huge impact on your funding proposal – and both out of the control of the applicant


What does a successful project

look like??


NSRF Round 2 – local project egs

Applicant/$$ Project

Shoalhaven Motorsports Complex – Nowra ($9.5m)

To develop an integrated facility that enables diverse motorsports uses

The KidzWish Foundation (construction of KidzWishPlace in Flinders) ($915k)

To develop the new KidzWish Place to improve access to therapy services for children who are sick, disadvantaged or have a disability

Wollongong City Council (Completing the Blue Mile) ($900k)

Revitalisation of the current aged asphalt track from Belmore Basin to North Beach Bathers Pavilion


NSRF Round 2 – project egs


Another example – ClubGrantsCategory 3 (2014/15)

Source: https://www.liquorandgaming.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/clubs/community-involvement/ATT01_14_15_ClubGRANTS_Category3_Projects.pdf

https://www.liquorandgaming.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/clubs/community-involvement/ATT01_14_15_ClubGRANTS_Category3_Projects.pdf


Wise words..

“It’s important to view grants from a business

perspective. If you think about it in terms of helping

to solve a problem for government, that will

change the way you apply for funding”

Extract from Company Director article June 2015


Session summary take 2..


Developing your submission

Language & Writing Style

Economic Benefit & Merit Criteria

Collaboration & Successful Project examples


You are successful in obtaining

the grant! - the next steps




1. Formal Acceptance of grant offer




2. Signing funding agreement & terms (can involve some back and forth between agency and applicant)




3. Receiving grant monies (oftentimes in instalments across life of grant following project milestones being reached)




4. Completing project reporting documentation (quarterly is common)


Questions??


Further questions

Tehla BowerSenior Consultant – Funding & StrategyWaples Marketing Group

Ph: (02) 4221 1300M: 0412 738 752E: [email protected]

www.linkedin.com/in/tehlabowerwww.twitter.com/tehlabowerwww.waples.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/tehlabower

http://www.twitter.com/tehlabower

http://www.waples.com.au/

RDA Illawarra_Waples Marketing Grant Writing Workshop - Feb 2016

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of RDA Illawarra_Waples Marketing Grant Writing Workshop - Feb 2016