Introduction to Grantwriting: Part 1

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Introduction to Grantwriting Part 1 Tony
Motyl, LICSW P.O. Box 768 Easthampton, MA
01027 Phone [phone] tonymotyl_at_comcast.net
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Learning Objectives for Today

• . . . learn where to find information about
  funders on the Internet
• . . . learn how to analyze information about
  prospective foundations and government funding
  sources
• . . . learn how to begin to develop a
  grantwriting strategy based upon your research

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Legislation/ Public Policy
Idealized Cycle of Funding
Grant Announcement/ Funding Available
Program Evaluation/ Social Science Research
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Community or Populations Needs
Funders Needs
Organizations Needs
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FOUNDATIONS, INFORMATION TOOLS 1. Foundation
Center http//fdncenter.org/ 2.
GrantSmart http//www.grantsmart.org 3.
National Network of Grantmakers
http//www.nng.org/ 4. Associated Grantmakers of
Massachusettshttp//www. 5. Grants Glossary from
UCLA http//www.research.ucla.edu/sr2/gloss.h
tm 6. GuideStar http//www.guidestar.org 7.
Grants Glossary from UCLA http//www.research.uc
la.edu/sr2/gloss.htm 8. Grant Resources Links
http//www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/grants.ht
m 9. The Grantsmanship Center http//www.tgci.co
m 10. GuideStar
http//www.guidestar.org GOVERNMENT
RESOURCES 11. Massachusetts State
Grants http//www.comm-pass.com 12. Federal
Grants Portal http//www.grants.gov 13.
Federal Grant Opportunities
http//www.fedgrants.gov/ 14. White House Office
of Faith-Based Community Initiatives
http//www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/ 15.
Department of Health and Human Services
http//www.hhs.gov/grants/index.shtml 16. Housing
and Urban Development http//www.hud.gov/grants/
index.cfm 17. Department of Justice
http//www.usdoj.gov/10grants/index.html 18.
Department of Education http//www.ed.gov/f
und/landing.jhtml?srcrt 19. Population
Statistics and Data http//www.census.gov
TEXT Winning Grants Step by Step (2nd), Mim
Carlson, The Alliance for Nonprofit Management
(ISBN 0-7879-5876), June 2002, Jossey-Bass.
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Analysis
Private Foundations

• Managed by its own trustees and directors
• Supports charitable, educational, religious, or
• other activities serving the public good
• Provides grants, primarily to other nonprofit
• organizations
• Nongovernmental, nonprofit entity
• Has money a principle fund or endowment

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Four Types of Foundations 1. Independent
foundations established by a person or family of
wealth (this comprises the largest group) 2.
Corporate foundations created and funded by
businesses corporations 3. Operating foundations
established to operate research, social welfare,
and charitable programs 4. Community foundations
supported by and operated for the benefit of a
specific community or region (technically not a
foundation but a public charity that make
grants)
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• Corporate Direct-Giving Programs
• Corporations tend to give to nonprofits whose
  programs benefit the communities where their
  employees live and work
• Corporate giving does not adhere to private
  foundation laws file a Form 990-PF.
• Corporations can deduct up to ten percent of its
  pre-tax income.
• Corporate support can be cash grants or in-kind
  gifts.
• RESOURCE National Directory of Corporate
  Giving gives details on over 2,000 corporate
  foundations and an additional 1,300 direct giving
  programs. Find it at your local Foundation
  Center Cooperating Collection.

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Identifying Prospective Funders By . .
. SUBJECT The foundation has expressed an
interest in funding programs in a specific
subject field, such as child abuse, or childrens
health. GEOGRAPHY The foundation funds programs
in a particular city, state, or region. Although
some give nationally and even internationally,
most funders limit their giving to specific
geographic areas. TYPE OF SUPPORT The
foundation provides specified types of support,
such as building funds, seed money for pilot
project, or general operating support.
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• What Do Funders Look For In a Grantee?
• A history of funding and by other sources,
• whether governmental or private
• Demonstrated sound fiscal management
• practices
• A strong, diverse, and involved board
• Utilization of volunteers
• Evidence the organization is well known in its
• community and addresses a community need
• Strong management and qualified staff
• A realistic budget that fits the scope of the
• agency and project.

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As you develop your list of prospective funders,
ask yourself . . . Have they supported programs
or projects similar to mine in the past? Do they
award the type of support I want? Do they award
grants in my geographic area? Have they funded
applicants like my organization?
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FOUNDATIONS
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FOUNDATION CENTER Address http//fdncenter.org/
Key Features 1. RFP Bulletin 2. Foundation
Finder 3. Grantmaker Websites 4. 990-PF Search 5.
Common Grant Applications 6. Cooperating
Collections
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FOUNDATION CENTER RFP Bulletin Address http//f
dncenter.org/pnd/rfp/ Key Feature Subscribe to
the RFP Bulletin to receive the Bulletin in your
email each Friday
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FOUNDATION CENTER Foundation Finder Address htt
p//lnp.fdncenter.org/finder.html Key
Feature Free lookup tool that provides basic
facts on more than 70,000 foundations in the U.S.
Foundation Finder is designed for those
seeking quick access to core information about
a foundation, possibly as a starting point for
more in- depth research.
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FOUNDATION CENTER Grantmaker Web
Sites Address http//fdncenter.org/funders/ gra
ntmaker/index.html Key Feature 2,400 websites
listed by type of foundation
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FOUNDATION CENTER 990-PF Search Address http//
lnp.fdncenter.org/finder_990.html Key
Features Provides detail of how to interpret 990
tax return
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Key Points on a 990 Tax Return
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(No Transcript)
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FOUNDATION CENTER Common Grant
Application Address http//fdncenter.org/funders
/cga/index.html Key Features The common grant
application format has been adopted by groups
of grantmakers to allow grant applicants to
produce a single proposal for a specific
community of funders, thereby saving time.
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FOUNDATION CENTER Cooperating Collections Addres
s http//fdncenter.org/collections/ Key
Features Free funding information centers that
provide a core collection of Foundation Center
publications and supplementary resources. FC
Search is their comprehensive database on over
76,000 funders and over 350,000 grants awarded
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National Network of Grantmakers Address http//
www.nng.org Key Feature Application format
accepted by over 50 national foundations
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National Network of Grantmakers Address http//
www.nng.org Key Feature Application format
accepted by over 50 national foundations
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Foundations Accepting the NNG Common Application
Format
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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

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The Grants.gov Initiative

• Mandate - Presidents Management Agenda and
  PL106-107
• Eleven Partner Agencies
• HHS (managing partner), Defense, Education, HUD,
  Justice, Transportation, Agriculture, Commerce,
  Labor, FEMA, and NSF
• Other Participants
• OMB (Office of Management and Budget)
• 15 other federal grant-making agencies
• Universities and other academic institutions
• State, Local, and Tribal governments
• Non-profits, faith-based and community initiatives

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Benefits of Grants.gov

• Single source to search for government grant
  opportunities
• Common face for applications to different
  agencies
• Existing mechanisms can continue to exist
• Avoid having to learn dozens of different
  agency-specific application systems
• Grants.gov will continue to work with the grantee
  communities to ensure requirements are met,
  including pilots and training

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GOVERNMENT GRANTS Address http//www.grants.gov
Key Features One-stop shopping for government
grants. Email notification service
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GOVERNMENT GRANTS Email Notification Address ht
tp//www.grants.gov/ReceiveGrantOpportunityNotific
ation Key Features Four subscription options
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GOVERNMENT GRANTS Find Grants Address http//ww
w.grants.gov/Find Key Features Search for
grants
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GOVERNMENT GRANTS Search Grants Address http//
www.grants.gov/Find GrantOpportunities Key
Features Online search tips
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GOVERNMENT GRANTS Search Grants Address http//
www.grants.gov/Find GrantOpportunities
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GOVERNMENT GRANTS Apply for Grants Address http
//www.grants.gov/Apply Key Features Three step
process
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Grant Proposal DevelopmentOverview of Key
Sections
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INTRODUCTION (Optional)
What is the message you want to convey? You
can trust us. We have experience. This is
a problem we can fix. We will not waste your
money. We have the solution.
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ABSTRACT/SUMMARY (Optional)

• Complete towards end of the writing process
• Accurately and concisely reflects the scope of
  proposed project
• Describe the objectives of the project
• Describe approach to be used
• Describe the results and benefits expected

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NEEDS ASSESSMENT/ PROBLEM STATEMENT
You need evidence to make a compelling case that
you have a problem
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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Your projects general purpose (goal).
• Your expectation of change within your target
  population or community (objectives).

Goal
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METHOD/APPROACH

• The Nuts and Bolts of your proposal.
• This is what the funder is buying.
• The narrative of this section is the longest part
  of your proposal.

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EVALUATION

• Measures the effectiveness of the project
• Demonstrates that the objectives have been
  achieved
• May demonstrate the project was efficient
• Evaluation should be an ongoing part of the
  project, not only a summary evaluation at the end
  of the project
• Evaluation should reiterate the objectives and
  determine if they were met
• Evaluation may be done in house or by a
  consultant

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EVALUATION SECTION MAY INCLUDE . . .

• Process/formative evaluation
• Outcome evaluation
• Measurement
• Data collection/information systems
• Quantitative/qualitative methods
• Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
• Dissemination
• Logic model
• Cost Benefit Ratio

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BUDGET

• Budgets are cost projections.
• Your budget is the window into how projects will
  be implemented and managed.
• Well-planned budgets reflect carefully thought
  out projects.

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How Funders Assess Your Budget

• Can the job be accomplished with this budget?
• Are your costs reasonable for the market - or too
  high or low?
• Is the budget consistent with proposed
  activities?
• Is there sufficient budget detail and
  explanation?

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• Be wary of chasing grants by seeking funding to
  grow your programs rather than strategically
  aligning your funding resources with your mission
  and community need.
• Avoid reading into the application by ignoring
  the express purpose of the funding and trying to
  make it fit your community, organization or
  model.
• Do not assume the reader knows about the problem
  or your area. Grant reviewers may not be experts
  or even well-informed about the problem the grant
  application is focusing on.
• Follow the directions precisely. When in doubt,
  call for the federal program staff for technical
  assistance.
• Use as up-to-date needs assessments and data.
• Get input from your target population or
  consumers in helping you to develop your approach
  and method. Conduct focus groups and key
  informant interviews.
• Remember your competitors and collaborators. Do
  not ignore potential partnerships and existing
  programs in your community.
• Do not ignore your recruitment plan. If you
  build it will they come?
• Remember that your goals should reflect the needs
  you have identified and your objectives should be
  specific, quantified, time-specific and
  measurable.
• Your evaluation should include a mechanism for
  getting client feedback.
• Are you the right applicant? Does your
  organizational capacity and history to justify
  meeting the applicant qualifications.
• Provide a budget detail that supports your
  program methods and show how it is cost-effective.