NOVEMBER 3, 2012

LECHELLE WARDELL, MPH CONSULTANT

LLWARDELL@ATT.NET

Putting Yourself in the Shoes of a Reviewer: The Do’s and Don’ts

of Grant Writing

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Meet Deadlines

Don’t Be Late!!!

Follow Directions Provided in Request for Applications/Proposals (RFA/RFP) Complete Checklist Format Page/Section Limits Complete All Forms

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Include All Requested Attachments, Sections and Forms

Obtain All Necessary Signatures

Make Grant Visually Appealing

Make Grant Easy to Read

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Develop Strong Goals and Objectives Realistic Measurable Timeline for accomplishing

Goals

A statement of the planned outcome that will solve the problem addressed in the needs statement. (Fredalene B. Bowers, Ph.D., Asst. Professor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania)

i.e. The goal of this program is to increase the number of Latino women seeking and receiving screening mammograms.

Objectives

A Statement of Intent to Perform Predetermined Activities Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely

Should be Written with Action Verbs To increase To improve To identify

Objectives

Beginning July 1, a minimum of two home visits per month will be provided to 30 African American women of childbearing age in the targeted areas.

To identify four new residential communities with a large Latino population (>50% of residents) by March 15.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Develop an Evaluation Plan

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

Don’t Have ANY Typos

Write Proposal in 3rd Person

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Assemble a Proposal Writing Team Gather relevant data and information Give ideas for proposal content Write sections of proposal

Select One KEY Proposal Writer Proposal should have one voice

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Include Community Input

Don’t Use Acronyms Or Abbreviations

Include Strong Letters Of Support Or Memorandums Of Agreement All letters should not be alike Letters should state commitment to program Letters should be on letterhead and signed

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Avoid Jargon, Complicated Expressions Or Run-on Sentences

Consider Placing Charts And Grafts In Appendix

Start Early

Develop A Checklist

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grant Writing

Include A Budget With A Strong Budget Justification

Budget Should Directly Relate To Program Activities

Budget Should Reflect True Costs Of Program Activities

Basic Proposal Components

Summary ~ Clearly and concisely summarizes the request Appears at the beginning of the proposal Identifies grant applicant Includes at least one sentence on problem Includes at least one sentence on credibility Includes at least one sentence on objectives Includes at least one sentence on methods Includes total cost, funds already obtained and

amount requested

Basic Proposal Components

Introduction ~ Describes the applicant agency and its qualifications for funding (credibility) Clearly establishes who is applying for funds Describes applicant agency purposes and goals Describes applicant’s programs and activities Describes applicant’s clients or constituents Provides evidence of the applicant’s accomplishments Offers statistics in support of accomplishments Leads logically to the problem statement Is as brief as possible Is interesting

Basic Proposal Components

Problem Statement or Needs Assessment Relates to purposes and goals of applicant agency Is of reasonable dimensions Is supported by statistical evidence Is supported by statements from authorities Is stated in terms of clients’ needs and problems, not the

applicant’s Is developed with input from the clients and beneficiaries Makes no unsupported assumptions Is interesting to read Is as brief as possible Makes a compelling case

Basic Proposal Components

Program Objectives ~ Describes the outcomes of the grant in measurable terms At least one objective for each problem or need

committed to in problem statement Objectives are outcomes Objectives are not methods Describes the population that will benefit States the time by which objectives will be

accomplished Objectives are SMART

Basic Proposal Components

Methods ~ Describes the activities to be conducted to achieve the desired objectives Flows naturally from problems and objectives Clearly describes program activities States reasons for the selection of activities Describes sequence of activities Describes staffing of program Describes clients and client selection Presents a reasonable scope of activities that can be

conducted within the time and resources of the program

Basic Proposal Components

Evaluation ~ Presents a plan for determining the degree to which objectives are met and methods are followed Presents a plan for evaluating accomplishment of objectives Presents a plan for evaluating and modifying methods over

the course of the program Tells who will be doing the evaluation and how they were

chosen Clearly states criteria of success Describes how data will be gathered Explains any test instruments or questionnaires to be used Describes the process of data analysis Describes any evaluation reports to be produced

Basic Proposal Components

Future Funding ~ Describes a plan for continuation beyond the grand and/or the availability of other resources necessary to implement the grant. Presents a specific plan to obtain future funding if

program is to be continued Describes how maintenance and future program costs

will be obtained Describes how other funds will be obtained, if necessary

to implement the grant Has minimal reliance of future grant support Is accompanied by letters of commitment, if necesssary

Basic Proposal Components

Budget ~ Clearly delineates costs to be met by the funding source and those provided by other parties Tells the same story as the proposal narrative Is detailed in all aspects Projects costs that will be incurred at the time of the program, if

different from the time of proposal writing Contains no unexplained amounts for miscellaneous Includes all items asked of the funding source Includes all items paid for by other sources Includes all volunteers Details fringe benefits, separate from salaries Includes all consultants Separately details all non-personnel costs Includes indirect costs where appropriate Is sufficient to perform the tasks described in the narrative

Identifying Resources – Community Level

Faith-Based Organizations

Community Volunteers

Non-Profit Organizations

Civic Organizations

Local Government

Schools

Colleges and Universities Grants Educational Resources Technical Assistance Research Opportunities

Identifying Resources – State Level

State Government Grants Educational Resources Technical Assistance

Grant Making Organizations (Fundsnetservices.com) Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust A. J. Fletcher Foundation A.E. Finley Foundation Golden Leaf Foundation Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Identifying Resources – Federal/National Level

Federal Government Grants (Grants.gov) Educational Resources Technical Assistance

National Grant Making Organizations