Presentation by Janell Robertson at ArCOP's 2013 Growing Healthy Communities Northwest Arkansas Summit.
Presentation by Chris Love at ArCOP's 2013 Growing Healthy Communities Central Arkansas Summit.
13. Tale of two grant proposals.
“Through this approach, we have
stated our intent to improve the
functional coherence of our
interventions by using multi-site
pilots only when they are the best
means to achieve our end, by
increasing our convening function,
by applying various types of
interventions to a collective problem
to attempt a synergistic effect, and
by reconsidering the appropriate
targets of interventions."
“We need help to enrol more
children in our after-school
feeding program. Right now
we can fit only 32 children in
the program but we have a
grant from the Smith
Foundtion to add 30 more
children if we can get a match
this is a desperte need in our
town."
16. How will your
program address
the problem
identified in
Question 1?
We will do __________,
which we think will lead to
(outcome) .
Background about the program.
Specifics on the approach.
Research on why it will be effective.
Get to the point.
Editor's Notes
Research! Research! Research! Do your homework to find the right funder(s) for your organization/project to ensure they are a good match for what you want to do. Once you have identified organizations who are a good fit, go ahead and call the program officer or point of contact for the program to have a preliminary conversation about it, focusing more time initially on the work of the organization you are contacting. This is a good way to get to know the person you are contacting and more about the organizations priorities to check fit.
View what you are doing as an “investment” in you and your organization’s mission, rather than just simply a grant. Doing so will change your perspective when you get to the writing phase and can likely leave an impression on the funder as well. Think big picture (soberly)!
Consider the Five Forms of Philanthropic Capital when you are seeking a grant. What all can you engage potential grantors and partners for other than just a grant check?
Consider getting the support of partner organizations, elected officials, and other community leaders who can vouch for your organization/program. It is best to do this in advance of applying for the grant so that you can allow time for contacting, coordinating, and clarifying what kind of support you may need from others.
Be organized. Sounds simple but you want to ensure that as you are searching for funding you have some degree of organization and structure to what you are doing, especially if you are applying for multiple grants at once. You don’t want to confuse dates or send things to the wrong funder. Believe me, it has happened! And in most cases, simple organization could have helped solve the problem.
Prepare for follow up. As a grant-seeker you will be primarily responsible for taking the initiative to follow up regarding the grant requests you have outstanding. Be diligent about post-grant follow up whether or not you received the grant. If you did, be sure to stay on top of reporting and comply with all of the requirements. If you didn’t, attempt to contact the funder to see if you can get some insight into why you weren't funded. The feedback could be helpful and make the difference in you getting the grant in the future.
The best advice you can receive as you begin your quest for funding is not to become discouraged. Funders typically receive a lot more proposals than they fund. So apply to more than one funding organization and follow each organization's instructions very carefully. With hard work and diligence you are bound to land a win to help advance the cause of your mission!
It’s all about context. Jane Austen vs. your favorite blogger. It’s all about doing what’s appropriate for the audience, purpose and situation. So, let’s start with audience.
You’re not writing for a faceless “institution” – you’re writing for a handful of real people who have to make tough decisions. Most don’t relish having to turn down good programs in need of support. But they LOVE getting to support GREAT programs that will make a difference in the community. Multiple good ideas – how to make the dollar stretch. Making an investment. Want to see it grow, change the community.
Funders have to cull proposals – there usually aren’t enough dollars to make a difference for every good idea. Don’t make it easy for them to cull yours! Follow the directions Provide only what’s asked for Provide everything that’s asked for – if you need help, ask the program officer in charge of the program. Give as much info as you can, within the confines of prescribed word limits Don’t apply if your project doesn’t meet the criteria – you’re wasting your time. (or, call to talk to the program officer to see what he/she thinks) Answer the question directly. If the question doesn’t apply to your project, explain why. Read and re-read the RFP. Make sure you crossed off all of the to-do items and answered all of the questions.
You want to instill confidence – make the reader believe your organization is a good investment, and you have the skills to pull off the project you propose. Style tips – numbers are good. Facts, figures, specifics. Stories are okay, emotion is okay, but make sure it’s backed up by fact. Quotes from participants or experts, sources to back up why you’re choosing a particular approach, etc. Spelling, grammar and mechanical errors are a no-no. Get a proofreader. Compose in Word, then paste into online format – make sure you get the benefit of spell-check! Remember your audience – readers have to review many proposals in a short time – make it easy on them. Match the level of diction of the application. My preference – direct, but not overly academic.
Tale of Two Grant Proposals My preference- the one that’s poorly edited but has substance. (But that’s not the case for everyone. Your best bet is to have substance, write in plain style, and get a good editor!)
Concept. If you can’t answer these questions clearly, you don’t have a proposal. What are you trying to accomplish? What will you do with the money? What happens when the money runs out. How will you measure your results? Why is this a good Investment? Sometimes it’s okay if your project is small or provisional: Pilot study Trial of a new concept Expand an existing concept into a new market or location Offer additional services Implement a new piece that will help the whole project grow (an IT system that will increase efficiency, for example) Train new people to implement the program, or to do it better
Who else is working on this concept? Why is your program unique? What do you bring to the table that others aren’t already doing (at least, in the area or population you serve)? Who else are you working with? FUNDERS LOVE COLLABORATION BECAUSE IT MAKES THE DOLLAR STRETCH FURTHER.
Answer the questions clearly. Make sure its obvious what your program is supposed to do, and how the grant money will be used. My strategy for answering questions: use the pyramid technique. Start with the most important info – the general answer to the question. Then fill in details behind it. (Like a “thesis statement” from freshman comp.)