Unearthing Seed Money- Jean Heilig, Colorado State Library Discover how to locate and apply for grant funding that will turn your project into a reality! We’ll use “real life” examples to practice writing effective goals, objectives, activities and timelines.

1. Unearthing
Seed
Money
Jean M. Heilig
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/funding_other
heilig_j@cde.state.co.us / 303-866-6731

2. “Funding agencies do not financially support
routine, ongoing activities. Librarians who lack
a commitment to change or are unwilling to take
risks are not likely to be successful in the
grants arena.”
Hall-Ellis, et al. (2011)

3. The Project

4. Locating Funders

5. Funding Information Network
Yampa Valley Community Foundation
Steamboat Springs
Estes Valley Library
Estes Park
Harmony Library
Fort Collins
High Plains Library District
Greeley
RMC Health
Lakewood
Denver Public Library
Denver
El Pomar Nonprofit Resource Center
Colorado Springs
Pueblo City County Library
Pueblo
Durango Public Library
Durango
Mesa County Libraries
Grand Junction
Basalt Regional Library
Basalt
Pitkin County Library
Aspen
http://foundationcenter.org/

6. Match Made in Heaven?
Goal aligns with mission?
Eligible?
Expenditures Allowable?
Matching Funds?

7. Primary Areas of Giving
Education, but no charter or public school programs.
Disadvantaged youth programs and services, especially
those that foster initiative and a positive work ethic.
Elderly/Senior programs that assist in providing the
necessities of life.
Special needs groups, such as handicapped, homeless
families and mentally ill.
Established cultural institutions such as museums, libraries
and zoos.
Funding Restrictions
Grants are limited to Colorado charities, primarily greater
metro-Denver organizations.
No grants are made to individuals.
No start-up grants.
No support for benefits or conferences.
Performing arts grants are limited.
No public, private or charter schools.

8. Colorado’s Common Grant Forms
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Mission Statement
Area Served
Tax Exempt status
Organizations budget
Organizations background
Organizations goals
Current programming
Inclusiveness
Board/Governance
Volunteers
http://www.coloradocommongrantforms.org/default.htm

9. The Requirements…….
Needs
Assessment
Goal
Objectives
Partnerships
Timeline
Activities
Sustainability
Budget
Evaluation

10. Winning Proposals

11. Goals

12. Goals
The Who!

13. Goals
Problem or Opportunity?

14. Goals
• Keep it simple:
“The goal of this project is to…….”
• Single, declarative sentence
• Present tense with action verbs:
Build
Conduct
Deliver
Demonstrate
Enhance
Establish
Implement
Increase
Plan
Prepare
Produce
Provide
Reduce
Select
Strengthen

15. Let’s Practice
Confusing:
“The Early Literacy Center
will serve to highlight the
importance of early
learning to at-risk families
that normally come to the
library to only use
computers.”
“Seeks to educate parents
on the basic early literacy
concepts as presented by
the every child ready to
read@your library by
painting a prominent
mural on the walls and by
leaving out educational
early literacy brochures
for parents to take home”

16. Let’s Practice!
• Who is the target audience?
– Family, Parents, Computer Users, Children
• What is the problem or opportunity?
– Provide early literacy skill-building
– Develop an Early Literacy Center
– Engagement or Educating?
• Activities?
– Create play space
– Paint Mural
– Leave out brochures

17. Let’s Practice!
Effective:
“The goal of this project is to offer early literacy
programming to parents and caregivers to
support the development of early reading skills
in children, which is an important indicator of
later school success.”

18. Writing Goals

19. Objectives

20. Objectives

21. Objectives

22. Objectives
#1 Mistake!
Don’t confuse your objective with an activity
Example:
“Staff will interact every day with individual
visitors of the Early Learning Center”

23. Objectives
The Early Learning Center will provide customized
library services for at-risk youth and parents.
Relevant?
Specific?
Measurable?
Attainable?
At-risk Youth
& Parents
Either they
do it or not.
Sure but for
how many?
Possibly-not
much info
providedwhat
services?
Timephased?
Nope!

24. Objectives
Following classes, 70% of attendees will be able
to describe 3 new activities they have learned to
do with their children.
Attainable
Specific
Measurable
Attendees
Yep!
Relevant
Maybedescribe?
How about
do!
Looks like it!
But
What
classes?
Timephased
Yes!

25. Objectives
Effective:
After completing one early literacy class 70% of
parents and caregivers will be able to share 3
early literacy activities with their children.
Specific
Attainable
Parents &
Caregivers
Timephased
Yes
Measurable
70%
3 activities
Relevant
Yes
After
completing
one class

26. Let’s Practice!
Confusing:
Staff will interact every day with individual
visitors of the Early Literacy Center to ensure
their understanding of the basic literacy
concepts.

27. Let’s Practice!
Effective:
Parents and caregivers will be introduced to the
functionality of the Early Literacy Center with
80% of these contacts returning to the Center
within one month.

28. Writing Objectives

29. Activities

30. Writing Activities

31. Timeline
Shows when major project milestones will
begin and end during the funding period.

32. Timeline
Confusing/lacking detail:
“This project is designed to be completed in
the 2012 – 2013 calendar year (during the
lifetime of these grant funds), and to be
completed by the opening of the new library
in March 2014.”

33. Timeline
Task
Responsible Party
Time Frame (Dates)
Find dedicated space in Library Director
library for Early Literacy
Center
Completed by
October 1, 2012
Order Early Literacy
materials (toys, books,
furniture etc)
Youth Services
Librarian
Completed by
November 1, 2012
Order Computers and
Software for Early
Literacy Center
Tech Services Librarian
Completed by
November 1, 2012
Set – up Early Literacy
Center
Youth Services
Librarian,
Tech Services Librarian
Completed by January
31, 2013
Submit Mid-year report Project Director
to State Library
March 1, 2013

34. Partners
Why?

35. Partners
Who?

36. Partnerships
What?
Cash
Training
Meeting rooms
Training space
Transportation Assistance
Training materials
Office Supplies
Printing Services
Technology
Advertising
Refreshments
Incentives
Consultation

37. Partnerships
Who could you partner with and what could
they provide?

38. Sustainability
Identify the support and resources required to
continue a project after funding ends.

39. Sustainability
Funding strategies to ensure program
continuation should not rely on the
procurement of new grants.

40. Sustainability
Strategies
– Resources from a third party
– Include fund-raising initiatives
– Assistance from project partners
– Transfer of a portion of the project to another
entity
– Incorporate project continuation costs into the
library’s operating budget

41. Budget Summary
Actual expenses the applicant identifies as
essential to implement, manage, and evaluate
the proposed project

42. Budget Summary
Project costs may include:

43. Budget Summary
Cash-match: A commitment of actual cash in
the form of a contribution toward your
proposed project’s expenses.

44. Budget Summary
• In-kind contribution: Donations of
time, service, or goods made by a donor to
help support the grant project.

45. Budget Narrative
Brief explanation of each item, its importance
to project implementation, and its relationship
to a specific objective or activity.