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Fundamentals of Grant Writing

Presented by:

Diane Berty, Vice President, TICUA

Patrick Meldrim, Vice President, TICUA

July 19, 20161

Overview

• Giving Trends

• Success and the Changing Environment

• Grant Writing Basics

• Checklist

• Finding a Grant Maker

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In 2016 and 2017, total giving is expected to rise above historical 10-year and 25-year average rates of growth. Total giving in both years will be slightly below the 40-year average growth rate of 4.4%.

Giving by foundations is predicted to increase by 5.7% in 2016 and by 6.4% in 2017

Giving to education is predicted to increase by 6.3% in 2016 and by 6.1% in 2017.

Source: http://philanthropyoutlook.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Philanthropy_Outlook_2016_2017.pdf 3

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Source: http://www.givinginstitute.org/?page=GUSA2015Release4

Religion33%

Education15%

Human Services12%

Health9%

Arts/Culture/Humanities5%

Environment/ Animals3%

Public-Society Benefit7%

Foundations12%

International Affairs4%

2015 Veterans Reconnect Grant: 3 TICUA institutions received a total $278,672 of the total $1,064,697 awarded

2015-2017 Diversity in Teaching Grant: 2 TICUA institutions received $195,900 of the total $395,884 awarded

2015 Improving Teacher Quality Grant: 2 TICUA institutions received $ 190,545 of an available $975,000

Total amount awarded to TICUA member institutions in last THEC grant cycle: $665,117

Total amount available: $2,435,581

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The reader is stupid

Speak the funder’s language

Follow directions

Have a good elevator speech

Follow your logic model

Work ahead/ Don’t wait for the RFP to be issued

Have measureable outcomes

Establish alignment between the funder’s goals and your program’s goals

Create continuity throughout each section of the grant

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Cover Page, Title Page and/or Abstract

Section I: The Needs Statement

Section II: Project Description

Section III: Budget Request

Letters of Support and Agreement/Commitment

Appendix Materials

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Purpose statement

Goals and objectives which align with the funder’s mission

Salient points of Needs Statement

Activities as correlated to expected outcomes

Statement of how to evaluate

Total dollars requested

Usually only 2 paragraphs or word count provided by funder

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One succinct sentence that articulates the NEED for your grant project

An excellent tool for focusing your thinking because it states clearly what your project is all about

Do not include the intervention

You want the potential funder to become aware of the urgent need and ask, “What can we do?”

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Gives the WHO and WHY

WHO is being served and WHY do they need help?

Makes a convincing case regarding the extent & magnitude of the needs

Explains the effects of continued non-intervention

Comprehensive but not BORING

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Use supportive evidence

State the contributing factors

Identify gaps

Discuss “promising” programs or “best practices”

Put a face to the problems or needs by using quotes and anecdotes

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Show a thorough understanding

Show a knowledge of other interventions

Show an awareness of barriers

Show an alignment of missions and goals

Set the stage

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Relevance

Currency

Data and Statistics

Authority

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Section 1: The Nature and Extent of the Needs

Section 2: Factors Contributing to the Problem

Section 3: Impact of the Needs

Section 4: Promising Approaches

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Do not overdramatize the problem

Avoid circular logic

A “lack” does not imply a “need”

Avoid jargon or undefined acronyms

Refrain from mentioning your particular intervention

Trying to fit an existing program to a grant that doesn’t match

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Provides the solution to the needs you have established

Identifies the project’s goals and objectives.

(i.e. implementation plan, timeline)

Generates excitement

Justifies your approach

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1. Objectives (Intended Outcomes)

2. Program Activities

3. Staffing and Administration

4. Evaluation

5. Sustainability

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Program Goals = Ultimate Mission of Your Project

Program Objectives = Measureable Outcomes

Outline the operating plan

Demonstrate a match with funder

Illustrate how you will measure the program’s success

SMART

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Goals are broad; objectives are narrow

Goals are general intentions; objectives are precise

Goals are intangible; objectives are tangible

Goals are abstract; objectives are concrete

Goals can't be validated as is; objectives can be validated

Source: URL: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec540/objectives/Difference.html

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Process Objectives: focus on the activities to be completed in a specific time period; enable accountability by setting specific activities to be completed by specific dates; explain what you are doing and when you will do it

Outcome Objectives: express the intended results or accomplishments of program or intervention activities

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Outputs: the direct products of the program activities

Weekly workshops to model instrumentation implementation software and content resources.

Outcomes: are the specific changes in program participants’ behavior, knowledge, skills, status, and level or functioning

Increase the knowledge of 50% of middle schools teachers’ use of electronic education aids by 35% by June 30, 2017.

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Time frame

Target group

Number of program participants

Expected measureable results or benefits

Geographic location

Action verbs

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Poor: One thousand youth between the ages of 12 and 16 will have participated in a 6-week education program on violence prevention.

This is actually an output

Revised: One thousand youth between the ages of 12 and 16 will increase their knowledge by 40% in conflict resolution and anger management by June 30, 2017.

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Implementation Plan Project narrative

Preparatory tasks

Specific program-related activities

Gantt Chart List the major activities

Estimate amount of time of each activity will take

Determine how this activity is spread across a time period

Timeline

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25Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide

26Source: www.ProjectPlan.com

Staff

Administration

Collaboration

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“Program Evaluation is the systematic assessment of program results and, to the extent feasible, systematic assessment of the extent to which the program caused those results.”

Source: Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (1994)

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Formative Evaluation: is a method of judging the worth of a program while the program activities are forming or happening. The focus is on the process.

Summative Evaluation: is a method of judging the worth of a program at the end of the program activities. The focus is on the outcome.

Source: Bhola, H. S. 1990.Evaluating "Literacy for development" projects, programs and campaigns: Evaluation planning, design and implementation, and utilization of evaluation results.

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Indicates the plan to continue the project beyond the requested funding period

Finite, or

Builds capacity, and/or

Attractive to future funders

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Action-oriented tool for program planning, implementation, and evaluation

Systematic and visual way to present the relationships among resources, planned activities, and desired changes

Used throughout the life of the program

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Resources/Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

1 2 53 4

Your Planned Work Your Intended Results

32Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide

`

Resources/Inputs

Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

1 2 53 4

Your Planned Work Your Intended Results33

•Holiday flight schedules

•Family schedules

•Frequent flyer holiday options

•Holiday weather

•Create family schedule

•Get holiday flight info

•Get tickets

•Arrange ground transportation

•Tickets for all family members

•Frequent flyer miles used

•Money saved

•Family members enjoy vacation

•$500 saved by using 4,600 of Mom’s frequent flyer miles

•Continued good family relations

Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide

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Itemizes expenditures

Includes rationale

Typically a line-item budget

Divided into three categories

1. Personnel costs

2. Operating expenses

3. Support and Revenue

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Derived from Staffing & Administration section

Determine salaries

Determine time required

Determine benefits

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29.5 is the magic number Non-benefited employees: 7.65%

Benefited employees: 28%-40%

Calculated as percentage of total salary

Example: (13% + 15%) $14,552.50

28% $14,552.50

$4, 074.70

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Derived from the Project Description

Source: http://www.loopnet.com/Nashville_Tennessee_Market-Trends 37

Source: IRS Standard Mileage Rates, 2012

Source: US General Services Administration, 2012

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Matching funds

In-kind donations

Participation fees charged

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Indirect Costs cover additional operating expenses

10-15% of total budget

Budget Justification or Narrative is a detailed description of each line of the budget

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Availability

Accessibility

Acceptability

Appropriateness

Adequacy

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Letters of Support reflect support for the proposed project from program recipients, community leaders, schools/universities, religious organizations, etc.

Letters of Agreement are similar, but reflect a higher degree of commitment, acting as a pseudo-contract

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When speaking with those that you would like to write either Letters of Support or Agreement provide each with:

brief synopsis of proposed program

funding source

specific instructions, i.e. letter addressee, mailing address , deadline

Letters of Support and Agreement should NOT be written from a “template or boiler plate” – letters should reflect the agencies’ and partners' own perspectives

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Audited financial statement

Insurance documentation

Organizational charts

I-990

Other information required by the funder

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Cover Page, Title Page and/or Abstract

The Needs Statement

Project Description Objectives

Program Activities

Staffing and Administration

Evaluation

Sustainability

Budget Request

Letters of Support and Agreement / Commitment

Appendix Materials

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Cover Page

Cover Page, Title Page and/or Abstract

Program Objectives

Needs Statement

Project Description—Objectives, Project Narrative

Quality of Partnership

Project Description—Collaboration

Program Plan

Project Description—Staffing and Administration, Program Activities, Sustainability

Evaluation Plan

Project Description—Evaluation

Budget Effectiveness

Budget

Letters of Commitment

Letters of Support and Agreement/Commitment

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Did we assume that the reader is stupid?

Did we speak the funder’s language?

Did we follow directions?

Do we have a good elevator speech?

Did we create and follow our logic model?

Did we work ahead? /Do we have a previous RFP?

Do we have measureable outcomes?

Did we establish alignment between the funder’s goals and our program’s goals?

Did we create continuity throughout each section of the grant?

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Create an accurate and allowable budget

Express continuity

Be explicit

Know your target population

Be SMART

Consider barriers

Review credentials

Proof read

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Waiting until RFP is issued: some grants issued annually or bi-annually

Missing material and technical issues

Lack of alignment or beyond the scope

Bad data

Not adhering to page limits and other formatting stipulations

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University of Michigan www.ssw.umich.edu/resources/index2.html?collection=grants

Grantsmanship Center www.tgci.com

Foundation Center www.foundationcenter.org

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov

Federal Sources www.grants.gov www.hud.gov/grants www.nih.gov www.samhsa.gov www.dhhs.gov www.ed.gov

Computerized Searches & Databases Dialog’s Information Retrieval Service Federal Register Abstracts Federal Research in Progress Foundation Directory Foundation Grants Index PsycINFO database ERIC EbscoHOST database Medline/PubMed Nexis Lexis

Publications: Annual Register of Grant Support Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Federal Grants and Contracts Weekly Federal Register

Publications of the Foundation Center Foundation Directory Foundation Directory Supplements Foundation Grants to Individuals National Directory of Corporate Giving The Foundation Center’s Guide to Proposal

Writing The Grantseeker’s Guide to Winning Proposals Foundation Fundamentals

Online Journals & Newsletters Chronicle of Philanthropy

www.philanthropy.com Foundation News and Commentary

www.foundationnews.org Grantsmanship Center Magazine

www.tgci.com/magazine.shtml

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Bhola, H. S. (1990). Evaluating "Literacy for development" projects, programs and campaigns: Evaluation planning, design and implementation, and utilization of evaluation results.

Burke, M.A. (2002) Simplified grantwriting. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Coley, S.M., & Scheinberg, C.A. (2014). Proposal writing: Effective grantsmanship, 4th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage. Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation Kettner, P.M., Moroney, R., & Martin, L. (2008). Designing and managing programs: An effectiveness-based

approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Knowlton, L., & Phillips, C. (2009). The logic model guidebook: Better strategies for great results. Thousand

Oaks: Sage. Melaville, A. (1997). A guide to selecting results and indicators: Implementing results-based budgeting.

Washington, DC: The Finance Project. Peterson, S. (2001). The grantwriter’s Internet companion. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Ruskin, K., & Achilles, C. (1995). Grantwriting, fundraising, and partnerships: Strategies that work! Newbury

Park, CA: Corwin Press Sariano, F.I. (1995). Conducting needs assessments: A multidisciplinary approach. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. philanthropyoutlook.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Philanthropy_Outlook_2016_2017.pdf www.givinginstitute.org/?page=GUSA2015Release

Some materials used in this presentation were compiled by Rebecca Talley, MTSA, while she was an intern with TICUA.

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PowerPoint presentations, Resource Guide, and Primer can be found online at www.ticua.org/meetings_resources/grants

Contact us:

Diane Berty

berty@ticua.org

Patrick Meldrim

meldrim@ticua.org

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Some materials used in this presentation were compiled by Rebecca Talley, MTSA, while she was an intern with TICUA.