Thursday, April 22, 2010

CLiC 2010, Dan Lawrence on 'Grant Writing: Tips, Tricks, and the Deep Six'


Goals of this Workshop:

  • Identify key people, processes, and structures to have in place before starting to write (or not write) a grant;
  • examine key sections of a grant app, w/an emphasis on SMART objectives;

http://preventioncolorado.org/clic10/

Some General Funding Trends
  • Moving from funder to investment approach
  • fewer, but larger grants
  • continuing to fund current grantees
  • not as many grants to small organizations, but more to consotria of small organizations
  • suggesting diverse funding sources (e.g. matching or fund raising requirements)

Before you commit: Read, read, read!
  1. Read for guideleings, check due dates, # of awards, average size of grants, eligibility.
  2. Reread: for any technical requirements of application, preapproval guidelines, needs for letters of support, etc.
  3. Reread: for narrative content.

Tips for Getting Started

Impose a structure on the process early
organize a planning group, layout some tasks and get volunteers
work backward from due date to rough out timeline of deadlines (wyou will be behind)

Sample Scoring Guide - 100 pts.

Minimum Responsiveness Criteria (required)
Narrative (30 pts)
Capacity 5 pts
Action Plan 30 pts
Evaluation Plan 10 pts
Budget 25 pts

B. Narrative
Summary: Get attention and state your case
Needs Statement: define the problem (data)
Gaps: current lack of services or programs in area
Program Description: must match funder priorities, address your problem, be directly related to action plan

C. Capacity
  • aka: why you can trust us with your money
  • who we are
  • how we're qualified - e.g. history, governing structure, mission, primary activities, relevant partners, audiences, and services.

D. Action Plan
  • Use language of the strategies endorsed by funder (logic models?)
  • goals and objectives reflect those of funder
  • create a timeline that makes sense
  • activities should be specific and in chronological order
  • all activities relate to objectives
Goals vs. Objectives

Goals: Objectives
Broad Narrow
General intentions precise
intangible tangible
Abstract Concrete
Can't be validated as is Can be validated

Goal: Community members understand the value of libraries to their lives.

Objective: by june 30, 2010, 50% of the community will be able to name 3 primary library services

Objectives
Describe the steps toward accomplishing a goal
show priorities
provide targets for progress and accountability


SMART Objectives
S=Specific (who? What?)
M=Measurable: It tells you How Much change is expected
A=Achievable: It can be realisticall accomplished given current resources and constraints
R=Realistic: It addresses the scope of the plan and proposes reasonable action steps
T=Time-Phased: it provides a timeline indicating when the objective will be met.

Activites
Things you're going to do to make sure you accomplish the objective
Examples:
Convene advisory committee to discuss community perceptions of the library
(Example: Activity -- Implementation Timeframe -- Measure of accomplishment -- job title of person responsible)

E. Evaluation Plan
How will you asses what you're

F. Budget
  • Complete budget sheet if provided
  • Budget Narrative
  1. Personnel
  2. Direct Operating
  3. Contractual
  4. Travel
  5. Indirect (if allowed)
  • Double-, triple-, quadruple-check numbers match between budget sheet and narrative!
The Four P's of Preplanning
  • Processes
  • Permission
  • Planning
  • People
Processes
  • Read up on Grants and writing process
  • Grants for libraries; neal-schuman, 2006
  • The only grant-writing book you'll ever need, 3rd ed.; basic, 2009
  • grant writing for dummies, 3rd ed.; Wiley, 2009

Permissions: Know people, processes and rules for grants for your library
  • Who is allowed to work on grants?
  • How can you recommend a new project?
  • What are your board/municipal/etc. processes for approving or receiving funds?
Planning
  • 'Evergreen' file (documents and boilerplate)
  • Concept Paper
  • Funding Development Plan
People
  • Library Director / Leadership
  • Staff and Board representatives
  • Grant Coordinator
  • Community Advisers
  • Researcher
  • Writiers, editors, proofers
  • Implementation team
  • Subject matter experts
  • partners
Researching Grant Opportunities
See Locating Grand and Funding Opportunities on pg. 6 of handout
Free basics training and access to databases at Foundation Center Cooperating Collections. See: http://foundationcenter.org/collections/ccco.html

Questions? danl@rmc.org