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Keys to Successful Grant Writing
Tammara A. Coleman, M.EdTammara A. Coleman, M.Ed
GrantWrite ProductionsGrantWrite Productions
Introductions
Welcome!
Keys to Successful Grant Writing is designed to help you:
Learn grant vocabulary & types
Create and draft basic grant proposals
Access grant resources
Overview What do you know?
Why write grants?
Vocabulary
Funding strategy development
5 W’s and an H
Resources
Activities
Survey
What do you know?
Why write grants?
Obtain resources for classroom or school projects.
Purchase or upgrade equipment
Supplement classroom budgets.
Provide additional learning opportunities to students and yourself.
Increase student outcomes. (In proposals this is always the best reason!)
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Award: A formal document notifying an agency of its receipt of a grant.
Deadline or Target Date: The final date for proposal submission, either by hand delivery to the funding agency or to the post office for mailing (with date established by postmark, so send your proposal Certified and get a dated receipt!).
Grantee: The agency (rarely an individual) to whom the grant is formally made -- school district, university, non-profit organization, etc.
Vocabulary
Grantor: The company dispersing the grant funds.
Guidelines: Directions specifying, minimally, what an agency is interested in funding, what applications must contain, how they should be prepared, and how they will be evaluated. (*Pay close attention to these up front.)
In-Kind: Some grants require matching funds. In-kind are materials and services already in use at your school that can be counted as matching funds.
Vocabulary
Letter of Intent (LoI): A letter of intent is a letter telling the Grantor your organization intends to apply for the grant.
Matching Funds: Money that the grantee’s organization is required to match if funded.
Objectives: Incremental steps that clearly state how you will reach your goal.
RFP: Request for proposal
Vocabulary
Stakeholder: A person or group that has an investment, share, or interest in something, as a business or industry. Your stakeholders may be your classroom, parents, and community surrounding your school.
Timeline: States the specific time each objective will be implemented and when the goal will be reached.
Funding Strategy Development
Why a funding strategy?
An effective funding strategy:
Helps identify needs and resources.
Builds upon mission and goals within your school.
Addresses the gaps in resources.
Increases chances to grant funding success.
Developing a Strategy
Strategy Development
Develop and project idea. This needs to be done early.
Assess capability to seek funding.
Research funding sources. Is there a grantor that matches you?
Developing a Project Idea
Project Idea Development
What programs/ activities are you planning for the next 2-3 years?
Which is compatible with the mission and purpose of your organization?
What community need does the program/activity address?
Project Idea Development
What members of your community would support your program/activity?
Is this service already being provided by another entity?
Do you have the expertise to take on the project/activity?
Assessing Capability to Seek Funds
Assessment of Fund Seeking Capability
When seeking a grant, ask yourself:
What makes my program competitive?
What is you and your school’s reputation in the community?
Are prior funders satisfied with your performance?
What is the financial impact?
Are matching funds required?
Assessment of Fund Seeking Capability
Do you have the expertise within your organization to implement the project being funded?
What is the capability of staff?
Do you have to seek assistance?
Do you have support systems within the district?
5 W’s and an H
5 W’s and an H
Who: Stakeholders
What: Program/Activity
Where: Location
When: Timeline
Why: Purpose
How: Implementation
Who
Who: Identifies the stakeholders
Identify yourself as a teacher.
Identify your school & community partners.
Identify your audience. ( K-12 students are always the focus and always relate to student outcomes!
DO NOT ASSUME THE GRANTOR KNOWS YOU!
What
What: What is the project or program you
are requesting funding for and stating your goals?
Strategic mode: Philosophy and theory that should be tested and have researched peer-reviewed data directly linked to increased student outcomes and best practices. You must do research !
What
Goals:Outline your GOAL and state the objectives that
will help you reach your goal. State, “We intend to accomplish a,b,c.”
For example, a school can say that a grant will help it:
have all first graders reading by the end of the year;
have one-third of its ninth graders taking algebra; improve retention rates by 50% increase classroom computer use by one-quarter.
Where
Where: Define location of audience & community to be impacted.
When
When: Timeline- 3 year, 3 months, 30 days
Grantors will want to know:
When implementation of the program will begin.The duration of the program being funded.Assessment schedules.
Why
Why:
When stating the WHY, be sure to tell the grantor how it will improve and change the lives of your K-12 students. Grantors want to feel they are impacting their communities!
How
How:
Tactical mode: This is how you will accomplish tasks a,b,c that you outline under ‘what’ in your strategic mode.
How
Objectives are stated like:
State your objectives in quantifiable terms. State your objectives in terms of outcomes, not
process. Objectives should specify the result of an activity. Objectives should identify the target audience or
community being served. Objectives need to be realistic and capable of being
accomplished within the grant period.
How
Objective Worksheet:
What Grantors Seek
Grantors Seek
5 W’s and H
All guideline requirements have been met
Clear and simple language
Well defined assessment tools to measure success
If in doubt, call the grantor and ask questions!
Most Common Mistakes
Not following directions Trying to say too much and being redundant Writing in a negative tone Not drawing a clear link between need, plan, and budget. Incomplete and flawed budgets. Assuming the reader knows you or your field Not addressing funders questions or requirements. Not proofing or editing your proposal.
Researching Grants
Types of Grants
Public (Government) City County State Federal
Private Grants Community based National Special interest Family Corporate
How will I know a grant is right for me?
When mission statements and goals align between the grantor and grantee. The grantors are looking for this alignment as they filter applicants.
Your project timeline fits the funding timeline. Your project is being implemented after the grantor is dispersing funds.
You have read all guidelines and requirements for the grantor and can easily meet their expectations before and after funding.
What happens after I get funded?
Make sure to meet the reporting requirements of the grant. Know these prior to committing to a grant.
Always send a thank you and progress reports. It is nice to include the students;grantors like to see their impact.
SUGGESTION: Short Videos copied to a DVD work well for Thank you’s and progress reports because they allow grantors to see the impact they are making in your classroom. Grantors will be more likely to keep the grant alive and donate in the future.
The Waukegan Schools Foundation
Foundation Purpose: For the improvement of instructional practices and methods in instruction.
Date: March 17th, 2010 Amount Request: $1000.00 Schools Name: Greenwood Elementary Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aVpEr3kfWjc&feature=player_embedded
The Waukegan Schools Foundation
Project: The Organic and Sustainable Victory Garden Project
Research supporting project: Michelle Obama’s south lawn garden
Yielded over 1000 pounds of vegetables.Elementary students helped in the garden.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory garden
Purpose of project (What): To teach green concepts to
special needs students through a hands-on experience of
growing a garden.
The Waukegan Schools Foundation
Curriculum (HOW): Lessons will be taught as students read “Our
Generous Garden” by Anne Nagro which tells the story of elementary students producing 900 pounds of produce and donating it to their food bank.
Lessons will include the following content areas:ScienceHealthMathPhysical education
The Waukegan Schools Foundation
Assessment:
Students will be given a pre and post test on 20 learning objectives they are expected to know by the end of the unit.
Expected learning outcomes: Students will be able to retain at least a 70% of learning objectives in the
post unit test.
Students will create a portfolio to be used as authentic assessment.
Portfolio will contain: learning materials, planting information, planning sheets, performance task data, and a journal.
The Waukegan Schools Foundation
Budget: $1,000.00 (19 line items and retailer listed)
Home Depot6 Rakes @ $9.97 = $59.826 Hoes @ $15.97 = $95.82
3 Spades @ $24.97 = $74.913 Shovels @ $9.97 = $29.97
Territoral Seed CompanyVarious Seeds @ = $188.03
The Waukegan Schools Foundation
Timeline:Implementation will begin in Fall by getting the
garden ready for a spring planting. Students will start seedlings growing at the end of winter term. Seedlings will be planted at the beginning of spring term.
Impact:Currently there are 30 special needs students
enrolled in our program. This number may increase or decrease due to enrollment and student/teacher population ratios.
Grant Resources
Teachersnetwork.org (Winners and projects posted)
Grants4teachers.com (Searchable database)
Grantwrangler.com (Searchable database)
Grantsalert.com
Donorschoose.org (register your classroom and get matched with donors.)
Grant Resources
Digitalwish.com (Register to have grantor paired with your
request)
Educationworld.com
Eduscapes.com
Grant.gov
Keyword Search: ‘grants for classroom teachers’
Questions