How to Write How to Write the Perfect the Perfect

NEH Proposal: Part 2 – NEH Proposal: Part 2 – The application itselfThe application itself

11 April 200811 April 2008

Careful planning helps...

Know your source...

It doesn’t happen if

you don’t ask...

Spell-Checker

Eye halve a spelling chequer;It came with my pea sea.

It plainly marques four my revue;Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word;And weight four it two say.

Weather eye am wrong oar write,It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid,It nose bee fore two long.

And eye can put the error rite, Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it;I am shore your pleased two no.

Its letter perfect awl the weigh;My chequer tolled me sew.

Sauce Unknown

Spelling andNeatnessCount!

Deadlines…Deadlines…

You get no points for being early…and you may not even lose for being (a little bit) late.

And don’t forget mail securityissues.

Know how much we can giveKnow what we will give it forKnow the process:

How to askHow we decideHow we can help

Don’t go it aloneCollegial helpNEH help

Myths about funding through Myths about funding through grants-grants-

Good ideas are what matters

Grants are a great way to start a project

Grants are “Free” Money

Must be matched to funder’s interests

NEH likes track record

Grants involve considerable time and money

The grant will not solve all of your problems, nor will it do so

for the world

How will this strengthen and improve…the quality of instruction…the research

agenda…whatever?

AVOIDAVOID “Located in the rolling hills of ______, _________

College is a nationally recognized selective institution enrolling students of superior academic talent. Since 1993, U.S. News and World Report has cited __________ College as one of the nations leading institutions…”

STICK TO THE FACTSSTICK TO THE FACTS “The 566 first year students enrolled in 2002 have an

average SAT score of 1,010 and composite ACT of 22. Sixty-two percent are non-traditional students and forty-nine percent are the first generation of their families to attend college.”

• What going on with the **** at your institution?

• How does **** fit into the institution?• What is unique?• What students/public to do you serve?• Related courses/programs offered?

Putting the Proposal TogetherPutting the Proposal Together• Significance of **** Activity

• What are you already doing well?• Funding levels• Institutional commitment• Institutional achievements• Other major institutional grants• Consider appropriate vignettes• What are you doing with community?

• What needs to be improved or strengthened (but remember not to be negative)?

• What is missing from your institution?

• What inspired this application? What created the [intellectual] need?

Impact of Grant FundsImpact of Grant Funds

• What are you going to do to address the [intellectual] needs?

• Goals and Objectives• Is there evidence of long-range planning?• How/by whom was this solution

developed? • Why is this the best time?

• How will you accomplish your goals and objectives? Who will be doing this?

• Workshop schedules, acquisition plans

• Limited space, so focus on most important(use appendices)

• Convert the non-committed

• Is the institution capable of sustaining outstanding endeavors in the selected field(s)?

• Long-range institutional planning for intellectual development?

• How do the plans address needs, build on strengths, and improve activities?

• Any evidence of commitment to the long-range plans?

• Appropriateness of the Institution's Appropriateness of the Institution's Resources and PlansResources and Plans

• How will this significantly improve the quality of instruction/programming?

• How will we expand public awareness/understanding through outreach activities and informal education?

• Does this plan build on your existing strengths?

• Matching grants: Feasibility of Matching grants: Feasibility of Fund-RaisingFund-Raising

• Past successes in fund raising• Financial stability• Context of this project- part of a campaign?• Breakdown of prospective donors• Lead gifts• Does this plan broaden your base of support?

AppendixAppendix

• Include only material that is referenced in the narrative

• Letters of commitment (not so much letters of support)

• And not political

• If funded- carefully monitor the funds

• If not funded- read reviewers comments, speak with program staff, decide if it is worth resubmitting

Post MortemPost Mortem

MoreMore Thoughts Thoughts

•Role of the evaluation criteria

•NEH’s View of Assessment

Rejection…

• Doesn’t mean the funder hates you or that you’re a bad person

• Is a cause for action, not dismay• Is appropriately followed by revision and

reapplication, not total redesign and de novo application

People who get grants are people who reapply for grants!

National Endowment for the Humanities

Old Post Office Building1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20506

www.neh.gov

fwinter@neh.gov