grant management 101: processing & mngt. of grants

Grant Management 101:

Processing & Mngt.

of Grants

What You Need to Know Preparation Investigation Request for Proposal (RFP) Writing the Grant Submitting the Grant Notification of Award (NOA) Project Implementation Project Completion

Words to Live By(Grant Buzzwords)

RFPPI (co-PI)Proposal (grant proposal)AccountsSub-accountCAS (Cost Accounting

Standards) Third Party Match

Words to Live By(Grant Buzzwords)

DSRSponsored ProgramsNOASub-awardsIndirect CostsUnrecovered IndirectMatchIn-Kind

Project Preparation Questions to ask yourself:

•What are you trying to achieve?•How practical is it for your situation?•Is there a need for the project?•Are adequate resources available?•Is there support for the project?

•Stakeholder ·County•UF-IFAS · Colleagues•Granting Agency · You

When Life is Not Perfect…

Make sure that everyone knows why this is not a good idea.

Try to garner support by showing the pros and cons of the project and/or grant.

Illustrate specific examples of where a similar project was not successful.

Just say “No”.

…But You Have to Do It Anyway.

Set clear and concise goals.Communicate at every level.Delegate the responsibility.Generate buy-in from the

group.Include the decision-makers.Have distinct and reasonable

goals.

Investigating for the “Best Fit”

Where are those pesky grants?•Do your research•Investigate RFPs that look “too good

too be true.” Usually they are.•Make sure you understand the

requirements of the grant proposal.•Make sure you have the tools you

need to successfully implement the proposal.

Understanding the RFP Read it all the way through. Read it again and highlight key

points. Color code different parts of the RFP.

•Pre-preparation•Grant writing•Post-preparation•Submission

Delegate RFP activities.

Read the RFP Thoroughly!

Don’t skim through the RFP. Read it carefully, as if it were a contract.

Highlight important information and specific requirements.•May seem redundant (i.e., # of originals)•May seem childish (i.e., specific colors)•May seem unreasonable (i.e., special

fonts)•May seem impractical (i.e., no e-mail

submissions)

Weeders!!! It is their money. Do what they ask. Each agency has their own reasons

for their guidelines. Some agencies can be persnickety. They DO want to give their money

away. They want to look good. Usually, not concerned with other

agencies rules.

Grant Writing 101 Give the agency exactly what they are asking for,

nothing more, nothing less. Don’t add superfluous information. It will not help

and it might hurt. Ask for advise at all levels. Notify IFAS Sponsored Programs that you are

applying for this grant.•They will be prepared to make sure that all

guidelines are followed. Pay strict attention to deadlines

•Preproposals•Proposals

Grant Submission Make a specific list of requirements. Give this responsibility to someone

who is not a part of the writing team. Have them prepare the packets. Give the proposal to them with ample

time to meet the deadline. Make sure that you can FedEx if you

have to. Check it again, again and again.

It’s not over yet….Stay in contact with SP.Know when the granting agency

was going to announce the award winners.

Check-in periodically with SP to make sure that the NOA has arrived.

Ask to have a copy of EVERYTHING!!

…and still not over!Ask for account numbers once

they have been set up.Don’t rely on IFAS extension to

remember every component of your grant.

Familiarize yourself with UF process for grant expenditure.

Ask for a P-card.

Mo’ Money (NOA)Yahoo! You won the grant award.Now what?

Project ImplementationMake sure that your budget is in

the right account categories.Find out how to expend your

funding.Go through the proper process for

county operations office.•Each category may have a different

person to submit paperwork to.

For ExampleOCOOETravel

•local

•In-state

•Out-of-state

Staff•OPS

•Agent

•Program Assistant

•Consultant

Don’t Forget Reporting

Specific to the granting agency.

Specific to UF/IFAS.•Copy in everyone.

Specific to the county.•Less is safer.

Middle-of-the-grant Advice

Keep up with the required reporting.Include section on “Problems &

Solutions.Have scheduled meetings.Look at the scope of services

periodically.Try to keep on track.Ask for a “no-cost extension”

Completion of ProjectFinal Report: usually just an

overview.•Final statistics.•Successes.•How it solved the original problem.

•Focus on the future.•Add pictures and graphs. Not just verbiage.

Completion of ProjectFinal accounting.

•Spend all monies within 6 months of end of project date.

•Make sure that UF is keeping up with F&A.

•Keep track of your own budget expenses throughout the life of the grant award.

Done Yet?Evaluate the grant, the agency and your role in the process.

Learn from your mistakes.Try it again.

Questionsand

And maybe some answers.