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Getting Free MoneyHow to Receive Grants: An Introduction
Presented 4/1/2010 to Kentucky Networking Groupby
Mariam WilliamsWriting & Communications Consultant
Research Works
Getting Free Money• Why grants?• Looking for grant opportunities• I found an opportunity. Should I apply?• Writing a winning grant proposal• Fiscal responsibility
Why Grants?• Free money!
• Opportunities for businesses, non-profits and individuals
Why Grants?• Grant funds are awarded to support:
– Arts, humanities and cultural affairs– Business, commerce and economic development– Community development– Education– Employment
Why Grants?• Grant funds are awarded to support:
– Energy– Environment– Health– Housing– Law, justice and legal services
Why Grants?• Grant funds are awarded to support:
– Organizational Improvement– Science and technology– Targeted populations (by gender, race, age,
veteran status)– Transportation– And more!
Looking for grant opportunities
• Grants.gov• Grantstation.com• Local or state representatives’ websites
Should I apply?• Look at the request for proposals (RFP) or funding
opportunities announcement (FOA)– Eligibility - Do you meet eligibility criteria?– Required forms - Do you have all the required forms? Can
you get them by the deadline if you don’t?– Does the maximum amount you can request make sense
for your budget?– Deadline
Should I apply?
• The RFP or FOA: Federal Example
Please see link in blog post if viewing online.
Should I apply?
• The RFP or FOA:Individual Example
Please see link in blog post if viewing online.
Writing a Winning Proposal
• MEET THE REQUIREMENTS– Follow page setup guidelines
• See federal RFP example, page 14– Include all required documents
• See individual RFP example, pages 3-4– Don’t ask for more money than the maximum allowed!
Writing a Winning Proposal
• Be specific and concise– Page limit = no rambling!– Use charts and graphs if they tell the story better, or in
less space, than words– Use exact dollar amounts in your budget instead of
rounding
Writing a Winning Proposal
• State FACTS– Say it well, but back it up with numbers– Avoid generalizations and assumptions
• Assumption: American children eat too much and don’t exercise.• Acceptable: It is well-documented that obesity is at epidemic levels
among American children.• Generalization: There’s a liquor store on every corner in West Louisville.• Acceptable: There are 3 liquor stores per square kilometer in the 40210
zip code.
Writing a Winning Proposal• Make your organization stand out:
– Color• Include your logo where appropriate• Use your organization’s colors as budget headings
– Strong project title
• For individuals, use only your best work
Writing a Winning Proposal
• Correct all misspellings, grammatical errors and commonly confused words
• Make sure the numbers in the budget, budget narrative, abstract/summary/cover letter and proposal narrative MATCH
Writing a Winning Proposal
• Review what the narrative MUST include– Found in scoring matrix, priority considerations or
guidelines• See pages 11-12 (pages 9-10 printed) of federal RFP
Writing a Winning Proposal
LEAVE TIME TO REVIEW, REVISE AND REWRITE!!!
Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?
• Expense• Benefits:
– Saves you time– Provides knowledge and expertise you may lack
Writing a Winning Proposal: Should I hire a professional?
• Research Works offers several levels of consultation:– Evaluation
• Is my idea, company or organization strong enough to win this grant?
Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?
• Levels of consultation:– Research
• Where do I find facts that help me avoid generalizations?
• I found tons of information. How do I organize it? How do I know what’s important?
Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?
• Levels of consultation:– Writing
• I have the research organized and know what’s important. I need help turning these numbers into a convincing proposal.
• I say my ideas well, but they never come out the same way on paper.
Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?
• Levels of consultation:– Idea/Program/Curriculum Development
• I meet all the requirements for the grant, but my idea is vague. I need someone to develop the guidelines and/or specifications for a program that would fit this proposal.
BEWARE OF UNDERESTIMATING PROGRAM COSTS!
Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?
• Levels of consultation:– Reviewing, Editing, Revising, Rewriting &
Proofreading• I’m so proud of myself for writing the proposal on my
own! Now I need someone to:– Review the document against a scoring matrix– Make sure I matched all the RFP’s requirements
Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?
• Levels of consultation:– Reviewing, Editing, Revising, Rewriting &
Proofreading– Tell me where the wording just doesn’t make any sense
(and/or rewrite those passages)– Correct misspellings, improper punctuation, commonly
confused words and grammatical errors
Fiscal Responsibility(after you receive funding)
• Don’t lose your money or cheat yourself out of future funding opportunities!– Accountants are friends– Accurate record-keeping
• Plan for achieving non-monetary goals• Be able to show direct results of funding