So, You Didn

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So, You Didnt Win the Lottery?

• Wynn Smith
• Section Chief
• Kerry Mebane
• Consultant
• Educational Technology Implementation and
  Planning Services
• Instructional Technology Division
• NCDPI

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• So, you need funding?
• 1. Where to begin
• 2. Putting it all together
• 3. Funding Resources

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Where to begin.
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Things to Consider

• The Problem
• The Solution
• The Funding
• Current Goals/Objectives, Initiatives
• Administrative Support
• Sustainability
• Odds of Winning

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Step 1 The Team Collaboration SUCCESS!

• Stakeholders
• District level staff or others with buy-in
• Field experts

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Step 2 Research

• What solutions already exist?
• What are possible funding sources?

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Step 3 Know the RFP

• RFPs guidelines
• Required format
• The Team
• Go to the source

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Step 4 Plan the Proposal

• An Introduction
• A Statement of Need
• Goals/Objectives
• Evaluation
• The Budget

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The Introduction Piece

• A clear picture
• Who benefits?
• Past successes
• The Needs Assessment
• Beware educational jargon

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The Statement of Need Piece

• Problem/solution
• District/funding source priorities
• Honest/strong
• Needs of stakeholders
• A compelling argument
• Beware reader knowledge

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The Goals/Objectives Piece

• Establishes outcomes
• States success
• Logical steps
• Is demonstrable
• Beware non-measurable objectives

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The Evaluation Piece

• Success?
• Data?
• Method?
• Evaluator?
• Reporting method?
• Results?
• Beware evaluation plan unrelated to
  objectives

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The Budget Piece

• Entire Cost
• Funding sources
• Real figures
• Sufficient
• Sustainability
• Beware district policies

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Putting it all together
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Step 5 Writing the Draft

• A goal
• A couple of objectives
• Critique/revise
• Divide the work

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Common Pitfalls

• educational jargon
• long/sleepy sentencing
• over dramatization
• passive voice
• disjointed writing
• typos and grammatical errors
• immeasurable objectives
• poor budget
• lack of research base
• procrastination
• wrong funding source
• Ignoring the RFP

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Step 6 Final Draft

• Edit
• Team input
• Review the RFP
• Beware excessive revision

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Funding Resources
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Resources

• Grants for School District Hotline[phone]
• School Funding Services www.schoolfundingservice
  s.com
• A comprehensive list maintained by Sheryl
  Abshire http//www.cpsb.org/Scripts/abshire/gran
  ts.asp
• Preparing a Successful Grant Proposal
  Educational Research Service
• http//www.ers.org
• Additional Resources
• http//www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/div_it/grantwritin
  g.htm