GRANTWRITING 101: Writing Successful Grants

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GRANTWRITING 101 Writing Successful Grants

• Sharon Schnelle, Presenter

Sponsored through
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Goals of Training

• Participants will understand
• The basics of resource acquisition (FORM)
• How to write effective problem statements and
  program outcomes/objectives
• How to prepare/submit proposals for funding
• The basics of logic model planning
• How to research funding sources

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Grantwriting 101 AGENDA

• Welcome Introduction
• Basic Housekeeping information
• Proposal Basics
• Planning Process Skills
• Practicing the Skills
• Budgeting
• Funding

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Understanding the Basics of Resource Acquisition

• FORM
• (Foundation of Resource Management)
• The most essential element to remember in
  grantwriting and resource acquisition is
  diversification of funding streams! It is best to
  not have all your eggs in one basket especially
  if the program or agency is completely grant
  driven
• The type of funding source will dictate the type
  of proposal or approach you take to securing
  funding

Federal
Other
State
Private Donors
Local
In-kind
Foundations
Volunteers
Corporations
Investments/ Endowments
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Grantspeak Learning to speak the language

• Allowable Cost a cost for which the grantee may
  be reimbursed under a grant or contract.
• Award Letter written notification from the
  funding agency indicating a project has been
  funded for how long, and in what amount.
• Block grants the grouping of many categorical
  grant programs into an overall functional area
  (I.E. Law Enforcement, Juvenile Justice, etc.)
• Budget a plan for financial operation
  consisting of an estimate of proposed revenue and
  expenditures for a given period of time and
  purpose
• Budget Cycle The fiscal year (i.e. July 1
  June 30) that is designated by the funding
  sources as to when they will make grant awards.
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
  Regular publication put out by federal government
  that lists federal grant and loan programs that
  are available and accepting applications.

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MORE Grantspeak

• Demonstration Grant grant given to test the
  feasibility of an idea, approach, or program
• Direct Cost expenses which can be itemized by
  categories (i.e. salaries, wages, travel, other)
• Fringe Benefits benefits such as life, health
  insurance, retirement, unemployment compensation
  that are paid in addition to salary
• Full Time Equivalent (FTE) amount of time spent
  or required in a less than full time activity
  divided by the amount of time normally spent
  (based upon 2080 hours for full time service)
• Goal general statement of what the project
  hopes to accomplish, reflecting the long-term
  desired impact of the project on the target
  population and any target goals identified in the
  priority areas of the funding source.
• Grantee one who receives the funding and
  administers the grant
• Grantor Agency or entity which gives the funds
  to carry out the project
• Influencing factors factors affecting the
  achievement of an outcomes sometimes referred to
  as barriers

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Yet still MORE Grantspeak

• Inputs the resources dedicated to or consumed
  by the program usually the first box in the
  logic model representation of the program.
• Logic Model Graphic representation of a program
  detailing the inputs, activities, outputs, and
  the short-term, intermediate, and long-term
  outcomes as well as any influencing factors.
• Letter of Support letter submitted in
  conjunction with the proposal that demonstrates
  proven success of the program in the community
• Matching Funds cash or in-kind support
  contributed to the project
• Memorandum of Understanding /Agreement (MOU or
  MOA) formalized agreement between entities
  detailing the nature of the collaboration and
  support.
• Objectives/Outcomes sometimes used
  interchangeably statement which defines the
  measurable result the project expects to
  accomplish
• Outputs- the quantifiable, credible, and
  measurable work accomplished through the project
  (i.e. number of parenting classes taught, number
  of nights of shelter provided, number of meals
  delivered).
• Request for Proposal (RFP)- the solicitation put
  out by a funding source detailing the criteria by
  which funding decisions will be made.

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Types of Funding

• Federal Formula Grant Funding
• Block funding comes to states
• Administered through agency such as Office of
  Criminal Justice Services or Department of Youth
  Services
• State agency passes dollars to local providers
• usually selected through the RFP process
  or through grant solicitations)
• Example
• Edward J. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant
  (Administered through Office of Criminal Justice
  Services)
• Violence Against Women Act Grant (Administered
  through Office of Criminal Justice Services)

Federal
Local
State
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Types of Funding

• Federal Discretionary Grant Programs
• Funds distributed at discretion of federal
  agencies and awarded on a competitive basis to
  public and private nonprofit organizations.
• Funding ranges from single awards for research,
  evaluation, and technical assistance to
  multi-site awards for program development.
• Congressional Earmarks
• Hard Earmarks Congress directs the Federal
  agency to provide certain funds to specific
  identified programs.
• Soft Earmarks Congress identifies a program and
  directs the Federal agency to
• Evaluate the program.
• Fund the program, if warranted.
• Example
• Department of Justice (Sex Offender Management
  Program)
• OJJDP (Mentoring)

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Types of Funding

• State Funding Programs
• Specific to the State
• Passed by legislature to solve specific problem
• Example
• Jail Domestic Violence Funding
• Family Violence Prevention Fund (Administered
  through Office of Criminal Justice Services)
• Ohio Victims Compensation Fund (Administered
  through the Ohio Attorney Generals Office)

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Types of Funding

• Private Foundation/ Corporation
• Usually supports specific interests and often
  prefer direct services
• Family/Management may dictate use
• May be managed by bank
• Large funding base - money from one or many
  families
• Typically only fund 501(3)(c)
• Committed to helping either specific communities
  or national focus.
• Example
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (National Focus)
• Natural Helpers (Montgomery County)
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation (Local Community)
• 13 County region that will fund

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Types of Proposals

• Government (Federal, State, Local)
• Usually a very formal process
• Detailed
• Solicited (through a released Request for
  Proposal)
• Usually competitive
• Specific instructions
• Specific evaluation criteria
• No cover letter required but may include as
  optional

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Types of Proposals

• Private / Foundation
• Usually less formal detail required
• Can be unsolicited or solicited
• If no formal RFP, then few instructions given
• Credibility is the key
• (establishing a relationship with the funder is
  important)
• Can use a cover letter proposal as initial
  contact
• Usually limited to the priorities and initiatives
  of the funder

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Typical Contents of Proposals

• Sample Government
• Form (SF 424 or similar)
• Budget Forms
• Abstract
• Objectives / Need
• Key Staff
• Results and Benefits
• Methodology
• Evaluation Plan
• Organizational Profile
• Assurances
• Attachments

• Sample Private
• Cover Letter
• Summary
• Introduction
• Problem Statement
• Objectives
• Approach
• Evaluation Plan
• Future/Other Funding
• Budget
• Attachments

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Elements of the Basic Proposal
Cover Letter Summary Introduction Problem
Statement Goals / Objectives Approach Evaluation
Plan Future/Other Funding Budget Narrative
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Proposal Basics

• FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS be sure to review the RFP
  carefully looking for the key criteria that your
  application will be scored on.
• Check eligibility for funding to be sure they
  will accept your application
• Keep word choice simple to the point (avoid
  using terminology that is confusing and specific
  to your discipline if it cannot be readily
  explained)
• No generalizations or assumptions - Dont assume
  the reader is familiar with or conversant in your
  area of service)
• Who says?
• Who cares?
• So what?
• Why?
• Proposal should reflect a well thought out plan

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Proposal Basics

• Minimize adjectives
• Be honest but dont self-indict
• Consider grant reviewers and the knowledge base
  of those who may review the application
• Be positive
• Client-driven (outcomes should be client-focused)
• Demonstrate your credibility be sure to include
  any similar service your agency is already doing,
  or discuss any similar projects you have
  administered in the past that will establish your
  capacity to succeed.
• Check the point
• Neatness Counts be sure to proofread!

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Planning Matrix Getting Started

• Identify the problem statement which consists of
  analysis of the nature and extent of the problem
  or need, and the reasons or causes.
• Develop Program Objectives and Outcomes that are
  related to the identified problem
• Discuss the Approach to be used and how will it
  help overcome the problem identified in order to
  positively impact the target population. Discuss
  how that approach used will help meet the stated
  goals and objectives for the program.
• Conduct an Evaluation of the program to determine
  its effectiveness. Through information obtained
  through the evaluation changes and alterations
  can be made to the approach.

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Problem Statement (Needs Assessment)

• The most important part of the proposal
• Set the stage for the entire proposal
• you should be able to paint a picture of the
  situation and explain why there is a need
• Needs Assessment vs. Problem Statement
• Local Foundations and Corporations generally
  require information relating to a needs
  assessment which focuses on condition in the
  lives of the clients you wish to change
• Government and National Foundations generally
  require information relating to problem statement
  that focuses on a situation that can be related
  to similar situations in other communities and
  show the broader implications of the proposed
  program (National Scope)

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Problem Statement

• Basic Requirements
• Should be related to purpose and goals of the
  organization
• there should be a mission fit (goes to
  credibility and capacity)
• Should be specific and clearly defined
• Supported by valid data (citing sources) and
  testimony from experts that is timely and
  credible
• Should have boundaries
• Problem should be of reasonable dimensions and
  realistically achievable
• Should be understandable and client focused
• Stated in terms of client needs, and not in terms
  of needs of your organization.
• Identify who will benefit from the solution
• A neighborhood or the entire community
• Criminal justice practitioners
• Offenders or victims
• Your organization
• All of the above

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Problem Statement

• Provide reasons and causes
• Demonstrate through local and national statistics
  and information that there is a problem.
• Current Research
• Local Research
• Anecdotal information
• Whos involved
• Which reasons addressed
• Identify Consequences
• Death or serious injury
• Loss of property
• Joblessness
• Commit new crimes
• Nothing

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Problem Statement

• Personalize the Problem and make it interesting
• Why should the funder care?
• Within their area of interest
• Response to solicitation
• Have made similar grants
• Current issue with national or regional attention
• MAKE IT VERY CLEAR !
• The problem to be addressed in this proposal
  is
• Lack of juvenile sex offender programming in my
  community
• Lack of mental health services for mentally
  retarded youth in the juvenile justice system
• Lack of housing for women who are victims of
  domestic violence.

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Problem Statement

• Characteristics of Weak Problems
• Focus on your organization
• Does not communicate what is in it for the
  funder.
• How does the project relate to their area of
  interest
• Focus on hiring staff
• Not responsive to the RFP
• Focus on purchasing equipment
• Language not compelling
• We desperately need
• We do not have
• We lack

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Problem Statement

• Characteristics of Strong Problem Statement
• Focuses on the client or their situation
• Paints a picture that consequences of not
  responding are unacceptable to all
• Effectively documents the need to be met or
  problems to be solved with proposed funding
• Clearly links to the proposed goals and
  objectives and the identified approach to the
  problem

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Exercise One In a group, complete the Exercise
  1 handout in your packet.
• Exercise Two Write a problem statement related
  to a program or project that might be implemented
  through your agency.

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Logic Model

• Presents a snapshot of a program
• Graphic representation of the program, theory
  or action what it invests, what it does, and
  what results are achieved
• Logical chain of if-then relationships
• If x occurs then y will occur
• Why do we need to do this?
• Helps identify the connection between what we do
  and impact the program is having
• Provides a common vocabulary and helps in program
  planning
• Helps focus on quality and continuous improvement

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LOGIC MODEL
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Logic Model

• Logic Model Exercise 1
• Group proposed program
• Logic Model Exercise 2
• Mystery Community Clinic Senior Care Program
• Logic Model Exercise 3
• Your agency problem and program

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Sample Logic Model
Program Evaluation Logic Model Mysteries
Community Clinic Senior Care Program
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Objectives

• Show what you want to achieve
• Must be measurable
• Must be achievable
• Must relate to the problem
• Must be time limited
• Must include an outcome objective

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Goals/ Objectives
GOAL general statement of what the program
hopes to accomplish. Should reflect the long term
desired impact of the program on the target
population and any target goals required by the
funding source

• Outcome Objectives
• Indicate a positive or negative change
• Clearly indicate the impact of the project
• Show what the condition of the problem will be in
  the future
• Statement which defines a measurable result the
  project expects to accomplish

• Process Objectives
• Measure of what the project will do
• Measure of activities
• Means to the ends
• Statements of primary methods written in a
  time-limited way
• Develop process objectives only if requested by
  funder

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Objectives

• Sample Outcome objectives
• A decrease in the rate of infant mortality in
  Adams County to at least the state average of 8.5
  per 1,000 births, within the first three years of
  the Outreach program.
• A decrease of 25 in the recidivism of parolees
  returning to Mansfield during the first project
  year.
• A decrease by 25 in the number of successful
  burglaries during the three years of the project.

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Objectives

• Sample Process objectives
• Train 100 counselors to new treatment method
  first year.
• Increase the awareness of 500 elderly citizens
  about neighborhood watch.
• Install NIBRS laptops in all police cruisers by
  2003.

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Approaches/Project Description

• Narrative description of what will be done
• Relates to reasons for the problem
• Describes
• Who will be involved criteria
• Key staff
• What will happen
• When
• Where
• How

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Approaches/Project Description

• Responds to any special requirements
• Explains why this approach
• Provides a timeline
• Should relate back to the identified problem
  statement and/or needs assessment

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Approaches/Project Description

• Who?
• Who is being served?
• Who is performing the activity?
• Who is participating?
• What?
• Assume reviewer knows little or nothing about
  your field
• What is going to occur?
• Very detailed
• Very specific

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Approaches/Project Description

• Where?
• Where exactly will each activity occur?
• Describe each site if more than one.
• Create a mental picture of the setting.
• When?
• Year
• Month
• Week
• Time of Day
• Show timeline

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Evaluation

• Benefits and Reason for doing evaluation
• Provides feedback about what worked and what
  failed for the program
• Gain insight into effective strategies on how to
  improve
• Measures impact the program is making
• Required by funder

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Evaluation

• Two types of evaluation
• Outcome or Summative (involves assessing the
  outcome at the conclusion of the program and
  measures how change that has occurred as a result
  of the program)
• Shows what impact you have on problem
• Helps justify program
• Process or Formative (involves monitoring the
  process, ensuring activities are completed on
  time and on target, while the program is ongoing)
• Tells you if youre on track
• Points to improvement

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Evaluation Flowchart
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Evaluation

• Need not be
• Expensive
• Complicated
• Time consuming
• Some evaluation is better than none
• External evaluator is sometimes seen as more
  objective than internal
• Evaluator should be qualified
• Evaluation plan should be meaningful, related to
  goals and objectives, and be an honest
  examination of program

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Organizational Capacity

• Mission History
• Capacity to administer
• Similar Experience
• Accomplishments
• Role in community
• Who is served
• How served
• Outside endorsements
• Letters of Support
• Memorandums of Understanding/ Agreement

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Organizational Capacity/ Credibility

• Awards
• Active participation and contributions to the
  field positively viewed
• Fiscal Accountability
• Staff Credibility
• Qualifications are more than degrees
• Boards, other volunteers
• Funding sources
• Licenses

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Summary/Abstract/ Executive Summary

• Section by itself that summarizes the proposal
• Can be one paragraph to one full page in length
• Identifies applicant and helps establish
  credibility
• Identifies the Problem to be addressed
• The problem to be addressed is .
• Identifies the Goals/Objectives to be achieved
• Identifies the Approach to help achieve success
• Identifies how the program will be evaluated
• Evaluation of this grant will be addressed in the
  major objectives of the program that are
  identifiable, measurable, quantifiable, and
  time-phased
• Evaluation results will be used to improve
  program for next year
• Identifies the resources needed to achieve
  success (Budget)
• Total cost of project is , we expect other funds
  in the amount of and are requesting for

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Letters of Participation/Support

• Do
• Get letters from agencies who will be involved
• Get letters early
• Have letters state level of involvement with the
  proposal and program implementation
• Dont
• Have them all say the same thing
• Have them only complement the program
• Memorandum of Understanding
• A more formal agreement between agencies that
  explicitly outlines the roles and
  responsibilities of each for the proposed project
• Be sure it is signed and dated

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Budget

• Identifies cost of response to problem
• Tied to project description and approach to
  justify the need for each budget item
• Clearly shows how costs are calculated and
  contains only essential expenses
• Shows what you are contributing
• In-kind
• Volunteer
• Cash-match

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Budget

• Budget Narrative
• Include only if requested by funder
• Narrative link between budget and approach
• Link staff to approach
• Explain consultants rather than staff
• Explain all travel
• Explain indirect costs

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Cover Letter

• Important for private funding
• Short letter
• Sentence about project title and amount
• Two sentence description about approach
• Sentence about credibility
• Sentence about contacting

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Proposal Process

• Some factors are beyond applicants control
• Control the factors you can
• Make the application as strong as possible
• Eliminate all possible weaknesses
• Be positive

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Proposal Problems

• Common mistakes
• Sloppy writing
• Not following directions
• Waiting until last minute
• Irritating reviewers
• Waiving red flags

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Proposal Problems

• Improving your writing
• Purchase a style book like Stunk Whites
  Elements of Style
• Take a writing or grammar course
• Have a strong writer critique your proposal

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Proposal Problems

• Not following directions
• Wrong number of copies
• Stapling copies
• Missing deadlines
• Wrong signatures
• Using outdated forms
• Sending unwanted attachments
• Deviating from format
• Missing signatures

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Proposal Problems

• Waiting until last minute
• Inadequate planning
• Proposal not logical
• Forget crucial elements
• Problems with collaboration

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Proposal Problems

• Irritating Reviewers
• Not following directions
• Flowery language that means nothing
• Appending filler material
• Providing too much information
• Gearing only to money

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Proposal Problems

• Waiving Red Flags
• Padding the budget
• Computers and related equipment
• Unjustified travel
• Miscellaneous budget category
• Exceptionally high consultant costs
• 10 of all existing staff

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Strong Proposals

• Compelling problem
• Innovative approach
• Thorough research
• Clearly written
• Well organized, complete
• Credible organization

Exemplary
Grant
Proposal
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Finding Out What Is Available

• Investigate
• Internet
• Periodicals
• Library
• Seminars

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Internet - Websites

• The Grantsmanship Center - www.tgci.com
• The Foundation Center - www.fdncenter.org
• GuideStar.org www.guidestar.org
• GrantsNet - http//www.os.dhhs.gov/grants/index.sh
  tml
• The Federal Register - http//www.gpoaccess.gov/fr
  /index.html
• Grants.gov http//grants.gov/Index
• Ohio Grant Makers www.ohiograntmakers.org

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Periodicals

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy -
  http//philanthropy.com/
• TGCI Magazine - http//www.tgci.com/publications/m
  agSubscript.asp
• Dollars Sense - http//www.ouw.org/ouwpublic/Pub
  lications.htm

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Library

• Foundation Directory
• Ohio Grants Guide
• Grant Writing Books

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Seminars

• The Grantsmanship Center
• The Grant Institute
• Foundation Seminars
• Cincinnati Health Foundation
• healthfoundation.org
• Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services

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Final Notes

• If you are funded, administer it responsibly
• Your grant history will follow you
• If you dont get the grant, ask for reviewers
  comments written or over the phone
• Use the information to strengthen future
  applications

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Contacts
Walter Brown brown_at_ocjs.ohio.gov 614.728.5466 Sha
ron Schnelle smschnelle_at_dps.state.oh.us 614.466.03
46 Erika Zito zito_at_ocjs.ohio.gov 614.728.7291