NINE KEYS TO WRITING AWINNING GRANT

PROPOSAL

Clara Tolbert, ctolbert@ti.com

Louise Chapman rosebayone@aol.com

Doris Teague doristeague540@gmail.com

T3 International ConferencePower Session

March 9, 2014 ~ Las Vegas, NV

Power Session Objectives• Review Nine Keys to Writing a Winning

Grant Proposal

• Incorporate the use of a logic model to visualize and understand how to achieve intended program goals

• Review and discuss sections of a proposal

• Explore funding sources

1. Vision/Need2. Goals/Objectives3. Current Research & Use of Data4. Project Design5. Management Plan6. Budget7.Evaluation8.Sustainability9.Well Written and Designed

Nine Keys to Writing a Winning Grant Proposal

Estimated Time Required to Write

ProposalType of Project

ProposalSize of Proposal Hours to Prepare

Preliminary (small) Under $10,000 5 to 10 hours, plus a lot of careful thought

Preliminary (large) $100,000 and up 10 to 20 hours of writing, medium amount of contact time with funding agency

Modest-sized proposal to a private foundation

$10,000 per year for 3 years 30 to 50 hours

Modest-sized proposal to DOE or NSF

$50,000 per year for 3 years 120 to 150 hours

Large-scale proposal $1 million to $5 million or more 500 person hours of writing and lots of personal contact time with funding agency

1. Statement of Need• Who is affected by the problem?

• What factors contribute to the existence of the problem?

• What can be done to ameliorate the problem based on known factors?

• What your institution is currently doing to address the problem and what remains to be done?

1. Statement of Need• Who is affected by the problem?

• What factors contribute to the existence of the problem?

• What can be done to ameliorate the problem based on known factors?

• What your institution is currently doing to address the problem and what remains to be done?

• Align need with the particular grant opportunity and funder’s vision

• Use data to support and illustrate your needs statement

• Identify the factors contributing to the problem

• Discuss methods for solving these causal factors

• Assess how other groups are addressing the problem

• Why your organization merits the award

Statement of Need

• Discuss needs in context of past, present, and future efforts of your institution

• Double-check to be sure your data is: Reliable Accurate Current Specific Compelling

A good grant will:• Succinctly describe how it is specifically

addressing what may be a national, state, city or institutional problem.

• Enable the reader to learn more about the issues.

• Present the facts and evidence that support the

need for the project and establish that your institution understands the problems and can reasonably address them.

GOALS

• A goal may be defined as a general, overarching statement involving a desired long-term outcome.

OBJECTIVES

• An objective is generally defined in specific, measurable terms; and is related to the goal.

2. Goals and Objectives

Goals and Objectives

With competition for dollars so great, well articulated objectives are increasingly critical

Four Types of Objectives

1. Behavioral – A human action is anticipated2. Performance – A specific timeframe within

which a behavior will occur, at an expected proficiency level, is expected

3. Process – The manner in which something occurs is an end in itself

4. Product – A tangible item results

Goals and ObjectivesObjectives answer these questions:

– (Who) – Identify the target group involved

– (What) – Describe the product to be produced or the effect to be achieved, or define the service or program to be implemented

– (When) – State the timeframe for completion

– (Under What Conditions) – Outline the means by which the objective will be achieved

– (How Measured) – Explain means of assessing achievement

Goals and ObjectivesWell-written objectives:

– Align with focus, needs, goals, scoring rubric, and guidelines used to evaluate the proposal

– Use active verbs and parallel structure

– Are reasonable and appropriate

– Can be achieved in a limited amount of time

– Can be measured

– Are specific, detailing the amount of frequency

– Are emphasized visually within the text

Incorporate research into your proposal in three main ways:

1. To frame the need you are addressing in your proposed project

2. To support your intervention’s quality

3. To measure your intervention’s effectiveness

3. Current Research / Use of Data

• Use of achievement data

• Use of demographic data

• Gather the most accurate information available

• Verify that you are analyzing the data correctly

• Avoid statistics that do not support your claim

Demonstrating Need

3. Current Research / Use of Data

• Gather information on past effectiveness of similar interventions

• Summarize your record of successful implementations

• Cite research and honors

• Obtain data from districts

• Include published studies

Supporting Quality3. Current Research / Use of Data

4. Project Design and Use of Logic Model

• Theoretic considerations or a conceptual base

• Use of current research knowledge

• Explanations of how activities contribute to success

• Personnel deployment plan to achieve objectives

Project Design and Use of Logic Model

• Management plan to organize and operate project in an efficient and effective manner

• Plan to guide formative and summative process and evaluation

• Clear picture for disseminating project results

Project Design and Use of Logic Model

1. How – What will occur from beginning to end? Methods should match objectives.

• Logical sequence to relevant method• Match magnitude• Appear do-able

Project Design and Use of Logic Model

2. When – Shows the order and timing for various tasks. Includes a time table or time line.

3. Why – Defend your chosen methods• Examples of other projects that work• Expert research and testimony

What does a Logic Model look like?

Evaluation

Feedback LoopInputs

ActivitiesOutputs

Short-term Outcomes

Intermediate Outcomes

Long-term Outcomes

---------------- -------------------------

Contextual Conditions

• Resources/Inputs – human, community, and organizational considerations

• Project Activities – interventions designed to bring

about defined changes

• Outputs – direct products of project activities

• Outcomes – specific changes in participants knowledge, skills, and other elements which occur as a result of your project

• Impact – basic changes that occur as a result of the project

Logic Model

Outputs OutcomesActivities or ServicesResources

or Inputs

Resources available to run your program & particular needs to be addressed

IF you have access to them, THEN you can accomplish your activities

IF you have accomplished your activities,THEN you will have delivered the services as planned

Impact

IF you have achievedthe outcomes, THEN these basic changes will occur

IF you have delivered the services as planned, THEN there will be benefits to your school/ district

The Logic Model: A Series of “If-Then” Statements

5. Management Plan

• Define your management plan

• Identify key personnel - Include volunteers, consultants, and paid staff

• Outline qualifications and responsibilities

• Align with district structure and operational procedures

6. Evaluation • Measure progress toward achievement of

objectives

• Improve program implementation

• Provide accountability information to stakeholders

• Increase community / institutional support

• Inform policy decisions

Evaluation

• Provides information throughout the project

• Integral part of actual implementation

• Surveys, observations, portfolios, journals, discussions, recordings

• Designed to improve not prove performance

Formative Process Summative Process• Concentrates on

program improvement

• Accomplishment of the goals, needs, objectives

• Raised standards

• Can use data from all other measurements

• Takes place at end of cycle

7. SUSTAINABILITY

• References to goals, objectives, and activities that may be dropped or retained and why

• How staffing and management will change

• Integration into standard operations

SUSTAINABILITY • Lists of current and prospective funders

• Contribute to future self-sufficiency

• Expand services that might be revenue generating

• Make institution attractive to other funding sources in the future

SUSTAINABILITY

• If funds are used to:

Train staff to provide turn-around training

Produce instructional materials

Test new strategies and services

Train staff to do jobs differently

Then …..

Continue to use skills beyond funding period

Use new materials within regular program

Model new strategies at a visitation site Continue process without the need for

additional funding

8. Budget• Salaries• Employee

benefits• Travel• Equipment

(Capital outlay)• Materials and

Supplies

• Consultants• Subcontractors• Other funding

sources• In-kind contributions• Administrative costs

(Indirect costs)

Budget

• Make sure budget is consistent with proposed activities

• Identify the percentage of time each individual will spend on project and prorate costs

• Include inflation and salary increases in multi-year budgets

• Keep costs reasonable for the market

• Keep a record of how you calculate the projected figures

• Triple check all figures

Budget

BudgetBudget Narrative

• Not always required by funders

• Footnotes to explain major costs and unusual items

• Variations in multiyear budgets

Restrictions

• Activities the grant will not fund

• Fundable expenditures

• Individual grantees are commonly excluded

9. Well Written and DesignedClear

ConciseCogent

CompellingCorrect

The Grant Development Process

Recruit a team to support your idea

Build a plan to meet the goal

RESEARCH Write the proposal

Review the proposal

Rewrite the proposal

Submit the proposal

Identify potential grant

sources

Identify your desired goal/change

Well Written and Designed

1. Writing is not succinct or intelligible2. Estimated costs are inaccurate, incorrect,

or inflated3. Contains typographical and grammatical

errors4. Budget does not match the narrative5. Objectives are vague and open to

interpretation

Grant Writing Mistakes

Well Written and DesignedGrant Writing Mistakes

6. Proposal was hastily assembled7. Proposal failed to examine current

research and reform efforts8. Proposal is filled with jargon and

acronyms9. Writers ignored instructions10.Proposal does not match the priorities

of the funding source

FUNDING RESOURCES

AVAILABLE FROMTEXAS INSTRUMENTS

education.ti.com/grants

• US Funding Opportunities• Funds available in Arizona, Arkansas, California,

Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia

• Guide to Winning Small Grants from Community Sources

• Grant Writing Guide for Large Scale Grants• Grant Writing Resources – Links to websites and

books with advice

EXAMPLES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Toshiba America Foundation accepts Grade 6–12 applications for $5,000 or less on a rolling basis and

requests for more than $5,000 on 2/01 and 8/01. www.toshiba.com/taf/

• The Wells Fargo Foundation supports programs that promote academic achievement for low and moderate-

income students and/or eliminate the achievement gap in public education through curriculum-based or school-

sponsored programs

www.wellsfargo.com/donations

EXAMPLES OF GRANT FUNDING RESOURCES

NEA Foundation Sponsored GrantsLearning & Leadership Grants

www.nfie.org

Grants offered to groups to fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment.

All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement.

Decisions regarding the content of the professional growth activities must be based upon an assessment of student work undertaken with colleagues, and must be integrated into the institutional planning process.

Grant funds may be used for fees, travel expenses, books, or other materials that enable applicants to learn subject matter, instructional approaches, and skills.

Recipients are expected to exercise professional leadership by sharing their new learning with their colleagues.

Amount: The grant amount is $5,000

Applications may be submitted at any time.

Applications are reviewed three times per year, every year.

Application Date:RECEIVED by Feb 1   NOTIFICATION by Apr 15 RECEIVED by June 1   NOTIFICATION by Sept 15RECEIVED by Oct 15   NOTIFICATION by Jan 15

Major Steps in the Grant Writing Process

• Identify a problem• Conduct a needs

assessment• Establish outcomes• Conduct research• Write a concept paper• Identify partners• Get organization

approval• Identify funding sources

• Carefully read the RFP• Research the grantor• Align project to RFP• Attend technical

meetings• Write the proposal• Get letters of

commitment• Internal reviews of

proposal• Final approval of

organizationSubmit your proposal

QUESTIONS….

T

THANK YOU !!!CLARA TOLBERT CTOLBERT@TI.COM

LOUISE CHAPMAN ROSEBAYONE@AOL.COM

DORIS TEAGUE DORISTEAGUE540@GMAIL.COM