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Best Practices for Obtaining
GrantsGary Hughes, Grant Writer/Administrator East Central Iowa Council of Governments
(ECICOG)
Handouts and presentations are available online at www.iowaleague.org.
Topics
Grant Writing Preparing a Project & Tips
Resources Available
Seeking Funds
Basic Types of Grants
Entitlements
- if compliant, automatically awarded
- usually public source (example: “CDBG”)
Competitive
- based on merit (comparative evaluation)
- public or private (such as foundations)
Basic Types of Competitive Grants
Those that fund “doom & gloom”
- to address a need, alleviate a problem.
Those that fund creative innovation
- to serve as a model.
Impress with the “Oh, My” Factor
Oh, my . . .
- if that problem is not resolved, then ____!
Oh, my . . .
- that innovation will _____ !
Impress by Economizing
Leverage resources to maximize the grantor’s “bang-for-the-buck” investment
- least amount to realize achievement
Match:
- how much, for what, from where & when.
Rule 1: Don’t Chase the Money!
Be Pro-active
Not Re-active
The mission of grantors is NOT to fund your project.
Rather, it is to fund a project that addresses their mission.
Re-active Problems:
Committing to a poorly conceived project with unrealistic expectations.
Committing resources possibly better utilized elsewhere (human / equipment / money).
Forgoing other (better) opportunity.
The Project Must Be a Good Investment for the Grantor
Question: “how to understand the values of the grantor so a proposal can be presented in such a way that it reinforces their mission”?
Bonus for “Best Practice”.
NEVER Write the Grant First!
First . . . Carefully design the project to be funded.
Then . . . Match the project to appropriate resources.
HOW TO DESIGNA PROJECT
1. Define the Problem What is the local problem, or need? Don’t be misled by “indicators”
(i.e., data . . . that tends to mimic problems). Example: Are low test scores a problem?
No, they are an indicator of a problem.
Absenteeism, lack of parental support, poorly conducted tests, inexperienced or over-extended teachers, poor facilities or equipment, etc.?
Complete the Sentence:
The target population, which is insert,
has a problem with insert
that causes insert.
Example:
Children within our City, have a problem with lead-poisoning that impedes healthy development and
causes disabilities.
Lead-poisoning in children is caused by their ingestion of lead particles or dust from lead-based paint that was manufactured and applied to houses prior to a ban initiated on January 1, 1978. Lead, although a toxic substance, was used as a base for paint because it produced superior qualities for long-lasting adhesion. Children principally swallow lead-based paint that has deteriorated and lost its original adhesion integrity, where flakes, chips, and/or dust (such as may accumulate on a sill from the friction of moving a lead-painted window) are within their reach. Breathing air-borne dust is another form of ingestion.
2. List Causes and Contributing Factors
the age of housing poor maintenance the manner in which repair work is performed the lack of “presence” testing the taste of lead-based paint (which is enticing) inadequate prevention and treatment from
insufficient knowledge and education
3. Eliminate Things Beyond Control
age of housing (if pre-1978)
taste of paint (already banned)
can’t entirely eliminate / abate (but may reduce / contain)
4. Identify Relationships to Your Mission / Programs
If City: to assist housing rehabilitation, homeownership,
and /or tenant subsidies – structural / occupancy
If County, such as Health Department: to test and treat the presence of lead – medical
If School District: to increase awareness and promote prevention
- educational
5. Select Causes that Make Sense to Address
Determine if causes are interrelated with, or separate from, one another.
In the example, basic causes may be grouped according to property and people . . . with structural / occupancy, testing / treatment, and educational concerns.
Collaboration?Grantors like to see partnerships among
community interests - to share common objectives & resources and avoid duplication of effort
Identify and engage stake-holders (Early) - bystanders (letter of support) or implementers (personnel / equipment / facilities / etc.) monetary or “in-kind”
6. Specify the Target Population / Clientele
Questions to ask :
Who, or what, will be directly impacted?
What will indirectly happen, or continue to happen, if the problem is not addressed?
The specific target population is low to moderate income households that occupy older housing with children under the age of 6 years. This encompasses both property, that tends to be older and less-well maintained (i.e., more likely to possess hazards where inadequate disposable resources are available for preventive maintenance), and people (i.e., children who are at a critical stage of development and have prevalent hand-to-mouth contact that promotes toxic ingestion). If not addressed, the problem will not just impede the healthy development of these children. Rather, it will also impose an added cost on society with resultant disabilities that increase medical, educational, and other needs.
7. Develop a Solution
How can discrete problems be resolved?
Is there a degree of urgency or priority?
Must be believable and achievable, capable of implementation and completion within an acceptable timeframe.
8. Document Evidence of Support
Verify the problem and support the resolution.
Data: point-in-time. . . or trend?
Competitive grants are by nature . . . comparative!
If otherwise equal, a proposal that demonstrates greater need will score comparatively higher.
Example: when the incidence of local lead-poisoning is higher than average elsewhere.
Evaluation ~ Scoring ~ Priority
Magnitude of need (urgency / priority).Cost-benefit & leveraging ratios.Readiness to proceed & ability to complete.Experience to deliver.Capacity to administer.Performance measures ?Etc.
9. Budget
Develop a “sources and uses” cost estimate for the project, including: staff; equipment; testing; travel; etc. (include direct implementation and indirect administration).
If hired, will staff be time-limited?
Note: Grants often require annual audit, that is not paid from funding assistance provided.
Important!An organization should have several
projects in various stages of development * * * regardless of grant funding * * *
because it creates an atmosphere of innovation that demonstrates it is ready to
engage opportunities with vision in a proactive (not reactive) manner.
TIPS
Know When Opportunities Arise
Know when grant opportunities will become available and plan accordingly to make a quality (not last minute) submission.
Understand Requirements
Unless permitted to deviate, thoroughly comply with any & ALL stipulations.
Resistance is futile,
you must assimilate.
Things to Consider: Printed, Typed, or Hand-written? Margins, Headers / Headings, Footnotes? Style and Size of Font (Black & White or Color)? Single or Double (Lines / Pages)? Number of Pages / Page Numbers? Graphics (Tables / Charts / Photos)? Appendix?
If allowed, does it count toward page maximum?
Adapt to Requirements, Or . . .
Manage the Process Designate a local project
manager who will prepare, coordinate, and track an itemized outline for required content, with delegation of tasks to team members.
Develop, monitor, and adhere to a timeline.
Be Organized If an outline is stipulated,
follow it, and use the same (exact) headings for respective sections.
Make it easy for the reviewer to find information they’ll expect to see (because they’ll probably have their own check-list).
If Allowed, Compliment Narrative
Decide how information may be incorporated to supplement narrative, to convey impact.
Is detailed data a good choice?
If Allowed, Compliment Narrative
Would generalized graphics be a better choice?
Will a pie chart make a greater impression on a reviewer, than a spreadsheet?
Tell a Story Narrative should “flow”
and not be fragmented (no excessive verbiage).
Keep the reviewer’s attention . . . be factual, don’t become redundant.
Identify acronyms.
Prioritize.
Plain or Pretentious? A thesaurus is a grant writers friend!
Be selective in choosing words to deliver strength of the message . . . but don’t try to “bluff” the “Oh, my” factor with “big” words.
Example: Regulations require that . . . (or) Regulations dictate that . . . (or) Regulations mandate an obligation that . . .
Be Creative
You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet.
You have to be in the right mood.
What is that mood?
Last minute panic!
Do, or Do Not . . . there is no Try.
Use action words to describe what you will commit to do, if awarded the grant . . . not what you may possibly like to do.
Don’t overstate findings or ability.
Assume Many Reviewers
Keep in mind that several people may review the proposal and, more importantly, each person may not review everything.
Seek to Critique
Always spell check!
Have someone else review . . . who may or may not be grant “savvy” - - - both for accuracy and to see if the request is clearly understood & coherent.
Convey By ~ Before ~ Deadline
Avoid disaster . . . SUBMIT EARLY.
Strictly adhere to requirements (number of copies, bound or unbound, how addressed, etc.).
Electronic submission?
If Successful ?
Prepare for Grant Agreement
Contractual Obligation
If Not Successful ?
Contact the Grantor and, if possible, find out how well it was reviewed / scored.
Were there technical deficiencies?
What was positive, what was negative?
How did it compare, was it scored?
What can be done for improvement?
Grant Resources
Handout provides a summary of links to a variety of Internet web sites for respective types of grant resources.
Example
Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant Application for Ladora, Iowa.
Funded!
The Situation
Personal protective equipment has outlived functional life expectancy. From age and use the equipment has become obsolete, torn or otherwise damaged and possesses compatibility and interoperability issues.
Targeted Funding
The Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) made available on a competitive basis each year by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Grantor’s Purpose
The AFG provides funding assistance to meet firefighting and emergency response needs by helping to secure critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
Grantor’s Mission
Through the AFG, to provide and replenish needed equipment
- to enhance safety!
So . . . what’s the Problem?
Review
The target population, which is insert,
has a problem with insert
that causes insert.
Therefore . . .
The problem is that Ladora is unable to serve its jurisdiction (the City and surrounding townships) . . .
because personal protective equipment has outlived its functional life expectancy . . .
which does not allow for safe and effective protection for either fire personnel or the public.
