Grant Writing

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Grant Writing Fundraising It takes a Team!

• Kitty Pope
• Executive Director
• Alliance Library System
• kpope_at_alliancelibrarysystem.com

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Welcome
http//www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/TrendsReport2
009.pdf
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Who are you?

• How much experience do you have writing grants?
• Written lots of grants (20)
• Written 10 20 grants
• Written 5 10 grants
• Written less than 5 grants
• C0-written or helped write grants, but not the
  primary writer
• None just thinking about it

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What is your success rate?

• How successful have you been?
• 60 or more funded
• 30-59 funded
• 10-29 funded
• Been successful with every grant written!
• Have never written a successful grant

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Why were your grants successful?

• (Choose all that apply)
• I had a great idea.
• I knew the folks with the money!
• I wrote a great grant.
• I had little competition.
• Persistence they felt sorry for us!
• Sheer luck!
• Other___________ .

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What is the number one error you made in your
last grant?

• Project wasnt sexy
• Idea ? Funding source
• Didnt follow instructions
• Weak budget plan
• Who knows!
• Other __________.

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What takes the most time?

• (Choose all that apply)
• Developing and testing the idea
• Selling it to the boss and peers
• Writing, rewriting, and rewriting...
• Completing and formatting the required elements
• Drafting the budget
• Organizing partnerships

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2009 Estimated Grant Application Costs
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How do you sell the idea internally?

• Clearly define the idea
• Assess the impact on stake holders
• Articulate the need
• Articulate both sides of the issue
• Assess corporate risk

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How do you sell the idea internally? (cont.)

• Clear time line and work flow
• Realistic financial projections
• Sustainability plan?
• Passion!

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After you have the bosss okay, what do you do?

• Prioritize the following tasks
• Start writing
• Build a team
• Organize partnerships
• Start a dialog with the funding source

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You Need a Team

• Idea person
• Writer and editor
• Finance person
• HR person
• Stable" of project managers

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Balanced Grant Portfolio

• Large - out of the box grants
• Medium sized grants or projects
• Small grants

You need a mix!
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Loading the Cannon

• Generating embryonic ideas (the egg)
• Testing an idea / gauging interest
• Implementation / chasing the grant
• Evaluation

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Hallmarks of an ALS Grant

• Cutting edge idea
• Environmental research
• External evaluator
• Team with diverse skills
• Talent outside library land
• Staff are contract workers
• Mission of our partners is crucial

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Keys to Success

• Institutional support
• A team
• Do your research
• Learn from mistakes
• Follow the instructions exactly
• Be unique

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• Be strategic
• Participate on a grant committee
• Be persistent

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Summary Success Factors

• It takes a team
• Institutional support
• Passion

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Thank You!

• Send me an email at
• kpope_at_alliancelibrarysystem.com
• to sign up for
• On a Note!

Kitty