Grant writing 101

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Grant writing 101

• Beth Kivel, Ed.D.
• Beth Erickson, Ph.D.
• California State University, Sacramento

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Grantwriting Is it art or science or both?

• Why write a grant?
• Is it really only about the money?
• Grantwriting as art writing a compelling
  narrative to convince someone that you and/or you
  and your colleagues have a good idea
• Grantwriting as science using data
  (quantitative and qualitative) to support your
  argument as to why your project should be
  funded

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Who funds grants?

• Foundations 501(c)(3) organizations (tax
  exempt, non-profit) funding entities Ford
  Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust, Rockefeller
  Foundation, Target, etc.
• Government entities local, regional, state,
  federal

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Types of Foundations

• Private foundations
• Are supported by an individual, a group of
  individuals, a family, or a company.
• Exist for the sole purpose of making grants for
  charitable, educational, or religious purposes
  or, in some cases, of carrying out such
  activities themselves

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• Corporate foundations are usually private
  non-operating foundations with close ties to the
  corporations that provide their funding.
• They are often "flow through" foundations that
  use funds received last year to make grants this
  year.
• Philanthropic priorities are usually set by the
  chief executive officer of the corporation or by
  a committee appointed by the foundation's board
  of directors.

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• Community foundations are public charities,
  supported by the pooled contributions of a large
  number of donors.
• Community foundations usually confine their
  grant-making to a specific locale, and decisions
  are made by trustees who represent a broad
  spectrum of the community's residents. (e.g.,
  Sacramento regional community foundation)

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• Private non-operating foundations
• These are foundations that give money but dont
  necessarily run programs.

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Finding a funder that fits

• Source of funding foundation or government, you
  need to determine the fit by asking these three
  questions
• Does this funding source support your project
  (e.g., after-school program, sports program,
  etc.)
• Does this funding source support your population
  (e.g., children, seniors, people with
  disabilities, etc.)
• Does this funding source support programs in your
  geographic region?
• These three questions should help you
  strategically identify the best funders for your
  project.

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Some initial steps before the grantwriting
process begins

• Gather background information and documentation
  in these three areas (concept, program,
  expenses)
• Concept You have to explain how a particular
  project reinforces the overall direction of an
  organization and a funder needs to be convinced
  that the case for the project is compelling

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• Program follow this checklist
• Identify the nature of the project and how it
  will be conducted
• The timetable for the project
• The anticipated outcomes and how best to evaluate
  the results and
• Staffing and volunteer needs, including
  deployment of existing staff and new hires

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• Expenses The main financial data gathering
  takes place after the narrative part of the
  master proposal has been written. But, you should
  sketch out broad outlines of the budget to ensure
  that costs are commensurate with outcomes

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Overall tips

• Get your thoughts sorted out
• Develop an outline
• Avoid jargon
• Be compelling
• Keep it simple
• Keep it generic

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7 parts of a successful grant

• 1. Executive Summary
• 2. Organizational Background
• 3. Statement of Need
• 4. Project Description
• 5. Evaluation
• 6. Budget and Funding Considerations
• 7. Cover Letter

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Draft a Master Proposal

• Umbrella statement of your case and summary of
  proposal
• (COMPLETED AT THE END YOU CANT SUMMARIZE WHAT
  YOU DONT KNOW)

1 Page
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Statement of Need

• Why this project is necessary

2 Pages
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• Statement of need
• Why is this project necessary (2 pages)
• Usually one of the most difficult components of
  the grant to complete
• Must help funder understand why this issue is
  important
• Which facts or statistics best support your
  project

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More tips. . .

• Use anecdotes
• Provide real life examples
• Supply quotes from those who have benefited from
  your program
• Emphasize the needs of those you serve, not your
  own
• Always make the funder feel that there is hope
  that the problem will be solved

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• Provide compelling evidence
• But, give the reader hope
• Do you want your project to be a model?
• Is it reasonable to portray the need as acute?
• Can you demonstrate that your program addresses
  the need differently or better than other
  projects that preceded it?
• Avoid circular reasoning by identifying the
  real problem the absence of something isnt
  necessarily a problem. But, the consequences of
  the absence of something can be a problem.

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Possible sources of data

• Needs assessments conducted by objective outside
  parties
• Focus groups
• Interviews with stakeholders
• Media coverage
• Reports from government agencies or other
  nonprofits
• Demographic studies
• Projections for the future about the status of
  things. . .

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Project Description

• Nuts and bolts of how the project will be
  implemented and evaluated

3 Pages
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• Project Description
• Nuts and bolts of how the project will be
  implemented (3 pages)
• Usually includes
• Overall project narratives and goals
• Objectives (how you will carry out the goals of
  your project?)
• Staffing/administration (who will run the
  project?)
• Evaluation (did you accomplish your goals and
  objectives?)
• Sustainability (how will you keep the project
  going once the grant money ends?

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Budget

• Financial description of the project plus
  explanatory notes

1 Page
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Organizational Background

• History and governing structures of the
  organization the activities, customer base, and
  services should be outlined.

1 Page
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Conclusion

• Summary of the proposals main points.

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Package the proposal

• Tailor your Master Draft to the funders
  specifications
• Create a checklist for attachments
• 501(c)3 Letter
• Organization Budget
• Audited Financials
• List of Board of Directors
• List of Other Funders

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Suggestions

• Answer the questions that are asked in a succinct
  and concise manner.
• Put together a neat clean package.
• Edit your responses to match their criteria
• Dont be shy about your needs
• Start small. Build your legitimacy

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Research Potential Funders

• National Foundations
• www.fdncenter.org
• www.guidestar.org
• The Foundation Center (2004). The Foundation
  Centers guide to proposal writing (4th ed.). New
  York The Foundation Center.
• Community Foundations
• httpwww.foundations.org/communityfoundations.html
  

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• Government funding opportunities
• www.grants.gov
• Local and state funding
• Check your local city website for Office of
  Grants Planning and Management

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Thank You