Building your Case: How to Design Compelling Grant

Projects Presented by Angela Richardson,

Trainer at The Grantsmanship Center

angelad.richardson@gmail.com

What will we cover?

• What makes a project compelling for the OGP grant program? Which Project should I chose?

• What are the guidelines really asking me? How do I know?

• Program budgets vs Organizational budget?

• Goal: For participants to leave with a OGP narrative skeleton

Approaching the Guidelines

• How can this grant award be used to leverage your organization? the program?

• Choose the category that best fits

• Look at the criteria

Approaching the Guidelines

Goal: To get maximum amount

of points per section!

OGP Narrative

• Understand the question and Answer all the questions with appropriate information

➡ 9. Organizational Information

➡ 10. Project Information

➡ 11. Project Budget

Question 9:ORGANIZATIONAL (not Project!)

INFORMATION

➡This section is where you Introduce your organization and describe organizational readiness/capacity/excellence and establish credibility

•What is your mission?

•Briefly describe RELEVANT history and overview of core program & services. Note significant changes

ORGANIZATIONAL (not project!) INFORMATION

•Planning and Leadership

➡ This question provides the reviewers with an understanding of how this two-year grant invests in a future vision for your organization. Leverage!

➡ Discuss the relevant decisions/plans about where your organization intends to be in the next two years? Artistically. Administratively. Financially.

➡ How will this grant award help with achieving these goals? How is this related to larger Org. Plan?

ORGANIZATIONAL (not project!) INFORMATION

•Planning and Leadership (cont’d)

➡ How have board and staff contributed to the overall planning?

• Community/Core Audience: Who is your target audience? Use DATA! American Fact Finder provides great information

• Artistic Policy: This is an Artistic quality question and ask for a description of how your organization supports artists.

Exercise:Organizational Information• What kind of relevant

information can your organization provide in the Organizational Information Section to demonstrate credibility?

• What are some goals your organization would like to achieve in the next 2 years?

Question 10: Project Information

• Describe the Project

• Explain the category choice

• Details! Details! Details!

• Answer all the questions, as appropriate. Reference criteria.

• Evaluate - how will you know if the project is a success?

Project Information (cont’d)

A. PROJECT OVERVIEW - Describe Major activities of the Project

• How and Why is this timely for your organization right now?

• GOALS and Objectives – What is the difference?

• Demonstrate how the proposed project aligns with OGP project category goals

Goals vs Objectives – What’s the difference?

GOAL: Describes the result or outcome your organization intends to achieve by the END of the grant period. Example: To increase the number of attendees ages 20-25 at the annual summer music festival

OBJECTIVE: Describes the steps to achieve your goal. Example: To produce 3 (fall, winter and spring) Friday night “Music in the Courtyard” events with artists targeting young adult audience.

Project Information (cont’d)

B. PROJECT DETAILS:

• When?

• Where?

• Who? Participants and Who will implement the project

• How?: Selection criteria for artists

Marketing strategy?

New staff?

Project Information (cont’d)

C. PROJECT EVALUATION

• How will you know whether your project is a success?

• Qualitative vs Quantitative data

• Demonstrate how the project aligns with project category goals (outcomes) and objectives (process)

• Is this relevant if your organization is hiring a new staff person?

Exercise:Project Information

• In 1-2 sentences give an overview of the proposed project

• Describe 1 Goal of the proposed project

• Identify 1 Objective to achieve this goal

Question 11: Project Budget•This is a two-year

project request

•Check and double check your funding request calculation

•Tip: Plan the budget when as you plan the project to avoid mistakes and omitting important details.

Program vs Organization budget

Organizational Budget

• Provides information from all program areas of the organization

• Sometimes called the Annual budget

• Includes program and operating expenses

Project Budget

• Direct Expenses related to the Project’s Activities ONLY

INCOME

• Cash Match

• Income

‣ Earned Income: ex: Ticket sales, Sales, rental income

‣ Contributed Income: Other grants, Individual donations

• OGP Grant request

• Income Explanations

Income - Example

INCOMEOGP Year I/OGP

requestCash Match

A. Earned Income

Admissions

Ticket Sales 5000

Sponsorship Income 7500

B. Contributed Income

Foundation grant 10,000

Board Contribution 2,500Government (county

request)25,000

EXPENSES

• Project Expenses

‣ Salaries and Fringe benefits: Staff members who are directly involved with project activities

‣ Operating Expenses: other project expenses

• Expense Explanation

Expenses - Example

EXPENSES OGP Request Cash Match

A. Salaries and Fringes

Artist and Performers 14000 6,000

Program-All Other Salaries 7,500

General Administrative Salaries

B. Operating Expenses

Accounting

Catering/Hospitality 2500

Equipment rental 1000 500

Production/Exhibition Costs 10,000 8500

Exercise:Project Budget

•Brainstorm a list of the things that will cost money for the proposed project.

Tips and Reminders

• Review appropriate criteria

• Establish Organizational credibility

•Answer all the questions

•Provide information about how intended project fits into organization’s longer term plan and the appropriate project category

•Make sure narrative and budget match

• Take time and care to present EXCELLENT work samples

QUESTIONS???

Thank you!!