getting good at grants a.k.a. ~ quit wasting your time!

GETTING GOOD AT GRANTS

a.k.a. ~ Quit Wasting Your Time!

Our Goals for Today

Robin Lynn Grinnell - [email protected]

Highlight Good Habits and Better Systems

Internalize What The Experts Tell Us

Create A Better Sense of “The Plan”

Raise Your Comfort Level

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The Agenda


Grant Seeker’s Top 10 From the Proverbial Horse’s Mouth

Lunch

Let’s Write! Your Plan

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Learning Management


Break times and lunch Restrooms and so forth Quiet those dastardly cell phones Minimize side conversations Challenge appropriately If you hear it more than once, consider it

emphasis Enjoy the day!

NETWORKING 101: Who is here??

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Get Your Head in the Game

Take out a piece of paper

Answer these three questions:1. What do I need to find funding for?2. What is one specific program/activity I can

FOCUS my thinking on today?3. Why is this program necessary? (What is

the need, what will it accomplish?)


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Grant Seeker’s Top 10

1. Understand What You Need

2. Allocate Time – and Stick To It

3. Research, Research, Research

4. Initiate (or continue) Relationships

5. Review What’s Already Been Done

6. Assemble Your Team

7. Follow the Directions

8. Communicate Broadly

9. Double Check Everything

10. Learn From Your Mistakes


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1. Understand What You Need How much money do you need for this

particular grant/project? How much of your annual budget comes

from grant funding? What role do grants play in your overall

fund development plan/strategies? What current environmental factors are

going to impact your chance for success? Are grants the right source of funding for

you to pursue?Robin Lynn Grinnell - [email protected]

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2. Allocate Time and Stick To It Determine the amount of time you

should invest in grant seeking (research, writing, relationship development) Let’s work through a formula here…

Build that time into your schedule on an ongoing basis – if raising the money is non-negotiable, the time you need to do your work well should hold equal priority


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2. Allocate Time – Part II

Develop a strategy to manage all members of your grant writing team in a cohesive manner

Create a submission timeline, and stick to it! Due Date At least three days prior: proposal complete and

ready to mail One week prior: proposal to review team for final

review Two weeks prior: draft review; financial review;

internal communication for alignment and input


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3. Research, Research, Research


Mission alignment - PARAMOUNT

Geography and other considerations

Timing This is where you should

spend MOST of your time.

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Locating Government Grants


Michigan EGrants - http://www.michigan.gov/egrants/0,1607,7-202-41337_45826---,00.html

Economic Stimulus - www.michigan.gov/recovery

Federal Grants – www.grants.gov

MSU Cooperating Collection http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm

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Locating Foundations


Council of Michigan Foundations Grantseeker Resources http://www.michiganfoundations.org/s_cmf/

sec.asp?CID=516&DID=2541

The Foundation Center http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/

nonprofits/

MSU Cooperating Collection http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/index.htm

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Things to look for:


Annual Report(s) Current and past grantees

990-PFs Current/Recent Funding Guidelines

Even if they’re outdated, they can give you a framework from which to work

Name of a Program Officer Summaries, Abstracts, or examples of

great proposals (http://www.tgcigrantproposals.com)

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Foundation Support for Grantseekers


C.S. Mott Foundation http://www.mott.org/resources/overview.aspx Includes samples of all forms that grantees

may have to submit

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Knowledge Center http://www.wkkf.org/knowledge-center/

knowledge-center-landing.aspx Includes toolkits for communications,

evaluation and policy

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4. Initiate (or continue) Relationships Call potential funders and make a friend – be

nice to the person who answers the phone! Ask to speak to a program officer with specific

questions (no fishing expeditions, please) Ask for 10 minutes to share the outline of your

idea and gather opinions on relevance and fundability

Ask for recommendations of resources for you to review

Ask for evaluation reports and/or other resources recommended by this particular funder to inform your planning and program development


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5. Review What’s Already Been Done Review previous proposal submissions

from your organization – GOOD AND BAD Make notes

Review successfully funded proposals from other organizations Make notes

Gather existing data in centralized files (org history, evaluation frameworks, etc)

Find the info for your other appendices


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6. Assemble Your Team

Successful proposal writing is not a one-person job Financial Evaluation Human Resources External partners/collaborators Legal (to review for liability and external

contracts) Program experts Other (service recipients, affected

constituencies)Robin Lynn Grinnell - [email protected]

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7. Follow the Directions

Seriously. Follow the Directions.

Recognize that everybody’s directions are slightly different.


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8. Communicate Broadly

Let others in your organization know you’re applying – check against fund development plan

Ask for ideas and input Give key personnel (finance, evaluation,

communications) a heads up – and block time on their calendar for participation

Engage your constituents – focus group for program design; board members for collaboration or support, etc.


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9. Double Check Everything

ONE chance to make a good first impression

Spell check; grammar check Double check against application guidelines

and specifications Have finance people check your numbers Have someone UNRELATED read your

proposal to see if it makes sense Have someone who knows the business

read your proposal for accuracy and realityRobin Lynn Grinnell - [email protected]

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10. Learn From Your Mistakes Don’t “mildly amend” an old proposal

that was unsuccessful Ask funders for feedback on proposals

that were declined and heed their advice Include organizational learnings as part of

the documented need, program design, etc. - funders like programs who are honest enough to own up to mistakes, and who can demonstrate they LEARN from them


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Four Reasons Proposals Are Declined

From :

The Insider’s Guide to Grantmaking,

Dr. Joel J. Orosz

© 2000

Jossey-Bass Publishing

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

1. Request is a much larger amount than the foundation is willing or capable of paying.

2. Idea lies outside the scope of the foundation’s funding guidelines.

3. Idea is within the scope of the guidelines but is inferior in quality.

4. Idea is within scope, of good quality, but less promising than others.


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12 Characteristics of a Good Proposal

From :


Dr. Joel J. Orosz

© 2000



1. The applicant’s idea is innovative. But innovative is relative.

2. The applicant has expertise, but also an understanding of its weaknesses.

3. The applicant has done the needed homework.

a) About the projectb) About the foundation


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From :


Dr. Joel J. Orosz

© 2000



4. The applicant is doing the project WITH, not TO, those it is trying to help.

5. The applicant is other-centered, not self-centered.

6. The applicant will invest its own money in the project.

7. The applicant is determined to do the project, no matter what.

8. The applicant has devised a comprehensive approach.


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From :


Dr. Joel J. Orosz

© 2000



9. The applicant will work collaboratively with others who can help.

10. The applicant is willing to have an evaluator assess the project.

11. The applicant will continue the project after foundation funding ceases.

12. The applicant’s project has the potential for broader impact.


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What You Need to Write


Cover letter (or, if you’re lucky – a letter of application!)

Proposal Case statement Needs statement Goals and objectives Evaluation strategy Budget

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The Proposal Format


A Michigan Model:

Council of Michigan Foundation’s Common Grant Application

& Common Report Form

http://www.michiganfoundations.org/s_cmf/bin.asp?CID=2528&DID=10304&DOC=FILE.DOC

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The Proposal Format

1. Exec Summary2. Purpose of Grant3. Evaluation4. Budget

Narrative/Justification

5. Organization Info6. Attachments

1. Cover Letter2. Cover Sheet3. Narrative4. Budget5. Qualifications6. Conclusion7. Appendices

Common Grant Application NP Guides


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The Narrative/Purpose of Grant

Statement of Needs Goals, objectives, action

plans and statements Timetable for

implementation Partners Competition Involvement of constituents Qualifications of staff Long term funding beyond

grant

Needs Assessment Goals/Objectives Methodology Evaluation

Common Grant Application NP Guides


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The Proposal Format


Nonprofit Guides tutorialwww.npguides.org

The BEST way to learn to WRITE proposals is to

READ them.

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Mission-critical Questions


What problem are we trying to address? What program are we offering to address

the problem? Why is this important? Who is our market? Who are our competitors? (duplication?) What are the financial needs of supporting

this initiative? Do we possess the organizational capacity

to carry this through? Who should support our efforts?

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Painting the Picture


Statistics Reliable sources Appropriate comparisons Paint by numbers: stats can tell your story

Anecdotes: short, sweet, related Focused on needs of community v.

needs of organization Community voice is key

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Goals and Objectives


Goals are the large statements of what you hope to accomplish but usually aren't very measurable. They create the setting for what you are proposing.

Objectives are operational, tell specific things you will be accomplishing in your project, and are measurable. Outputs: bean counting (immediate or short-

term) Outcomes: behavioral/environmental change

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Think Term Paper Outline

Mission Program

Goal Objective

Activities Goal

Objective Activities


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For Example


Education Program to Prevent Dating Violence What are GOALS of such a program?

What are MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES of such a program? Outputs Outcomes

What will SUCCESS (long-term impact) look like?

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Effective Evaluation


Effective evaluation answers the question,

“So what?”

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Your Evaluation Strategy


Evaluation plans should be developed concurrently with program plans, staffing plans, funding plans to ensure that the pieces of the puzzle fit

What do your wide array of stakeholder’s care about?

You can’t measure everything, so focus on what matters most

If you ask the question, you must be able to answer it

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Things to think about


Evaluation is a full-circle activity Find out which model your (potential)

funder prefers AND which model works for YOUR ACTIVITY

Your EVALUATION MEASURES = your objectives

Key Resource:www.wkkf.org – Evaluation Tool Kit

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Typical Budget Line Items


Personnel (salary and benefits) Consultants (salary) Instruction Equipment Supplies Communication (telephone/postage) Materials preparation Travel Rental of facilities Evaluation Other expenses Indirect costs (costs that your organization

requires)

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The Budget Narrative


Show Your Work (formulas are helpful) Be Realistic Check Your Addition Explain Every Line (make no

assumptions) Too much detail makes you “thorough” –

too little makes you “suspect”

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Aspects of Sustainability


Financial resources

Community ownership

Human resources: the people power to get it done

Long-term plan of action vs. short-term reaction

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Grant Writing Resources


http://www.npguides.org http://tgci.com/magazine/proposal.shtml http://www.grantproposal.com/

funders.html http://www.northskynonprofit.org/

resource.php

Books: Insider’s Guide to Grantmaking (Orosz) Grant Writing for Dummies (Browning)

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Let’s Write

Go back to your program you started thinking about this morning (or pick one now)

Write a clear statement on how this activity advances your nonprofit mission

Define 2-3 GOALS For each GOAL, define both an OUTPUT and an

OUTCOME For each OUTCOME, define what you will need to

do to measure/evaluate to determine whether or not you have been successful


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Questions?


Robin Lynn [email protected]

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getting good at grants a.k.a. ~ quit wasting your time!

Documents

research robin lynn

input robin lynn grinnell

agenda robin lynn grinnell

mistakes robin lynn

grant seeking research

grant funding

grant seekers

grant writing team