The Art of Writing a Compelling Grant Application

Rachel Cleaves, LiveWell CoordinatorBarb Parnell, LiveWell Northwest Colorado

Please share with the group:

• What is one project that your organization would do if you had the funding you needed?

• What would you do, and who would the project serve?

Icebreaker

The two most important sections of your grant:

•The Background Information section

•The Goals and Objectives section

The Art of Grant Writing

• Gives the logical and compelling reason the proposal should be supported

• Highlights the community’s needs and the community’s assets as they relate to the project

• Every statement should be related to the reason your project will be necessary and successful

The “Background Information” Section

Learn what is important to the funderreading the materials on their website, their areas of focus, and past projects funded.

Understand your Funder!

2. Speak to their own goals and mission!Speak to the Funders’ Goals and Mission!

Describing Community Need

• Always use compelling language, and instill a sense of urgency.

• Use primary & secondary data and research as much as possible• Census data: www.census.gov

• Health Research articles: www.Pubmed.org • Other articles: www.googlescholar.com

• Community perspectives: survey results, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, etc.

• The average annual wage in 2000 was $11,336 as compared to Denver’s average annual wage of $37,406.

• Over 87% of children attending our public schools qualified for free and reduced lunch in 2007.

• In 2007, the foreclosure rate was the highest in Colorado and the second highest in the nation (realtytrack.com).

• Of community members 25 years or older, 56% do not have a high school diploma or GED (www.piton.org).

Describing Community Need with Primary Data

Needs:•Women in all ethnic groups have fewer leisure time physical activities than men. •Latinos are reported to be highest among all ethnic groups in leisure time inactivity (Ransdell & Wells, 1998). Assets:•Factors that influence physical activity in Hispanic women include self-efficacy, having concern for own and family health, social support and social norms for physical activity, serving as a role model to others, and perceived neighborhood resources (Keller & Fleury, 2006).

Describing Community Need with Secondary Data

Describing Community Assets

• Funders need to know that you and the community will spend the money in a beneficial way to the community.

• Describe how the community is ready and willing to take on this initiative because it:• Cares about the project• Has already been participating in or requesting the

project• There are partner organizations or resident leaders

willing to help

• Sell your organization, as well. Boast about your many accomplishments and readiness to lead the initiative.

 1. For the project you described in the icebreaker, define the

community you will serve (geographic area residents, all single mom’s, etc.)

2. Make 2 bullet lists 1. the community’s needs that relate to this project 2. the community’s assets that relate to this project

3. Asterisk all the items for which you need to find data.  

4. Share your bullet list with your table.

5. Discuss whether your bullet list adequately makes a case for your community’s need/ assets. Share your ideas for data sources.

Practice Exercise

 Defined: visual tools that show logical relationships between the NEED you have identified, ACTIVITIES that you will provide, and BENEFITS/CHANGES that you expect as the result of your work.

Components:• Goal- What is this project intended to do?

• Input- What is invested (e.g., staff, volunteers, money, materials, partners)

• Activities/Services- What will we implement to achieve the goal?

• Outputs- What amount of activity/services did we provide?

• Outcomes- What changes will we expect to see with our target group?short term (Immediate effects such as awareness, knowledge), intermediate (longer term effects such as behavior change, policy),long term (often the goal)

LOGIC MODEL

 Defined:Broad, generally based statement about what is to be accomplishedidentify the target population and what specific condition you expect to

change (e.g., increase, decrease)

Examples: Increase HEAL by creating sustainable and affordable opportunities to

make the healthy choice the easy choice throughout the school day.

Increase the availability and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables for Routt County residents to decrease the incidence of obesity and overweight of this population by 2015.

GOAL

S (specific) M (measureable) A (achievable) R (realistic)

T (time sensitive)Examples: • Develop and implement a media campaign to educate students, parents and school

staff about the health of our children and the efforts that are being undertaken in the school classrooms and lunchrooms to address the problem.

• Upon completion of the 2010-2011 Academic year, 90% of the k-5th grade students will know the components of the 5210 campaign.

• By Spring 2012, 75% of the k-5th grade students will demonstrate positive behavior change in at least 2 of the 4 components of the 5210 campaign.

• BMI measurements will decrease by 5% in K-5th grade students by Fall 2015.

SMART Outcomes/Objectives

 1. Goal- write one goal for your project based on the need(s) already

written.2. Resources or Assets- write down those you have available.3. Activities/Services- Identify the activities/services you hope to

provide.4. Amount/Output- record specifics about those activities/services5. Benefits/Outcomes- record what you how to achieve; include short,

intermediate and long term if possible.6. Measurement Tools- record what tools will you use to measure your

outcomes7. Fine tune this exercise with your group.

Review Example

Practice Exercise

Garden Results

• Please share one thing that you will take with you from this session.

Closing