11. Six Elements of an Effective Grant Proposal Element Contents Comparative Length Executive Summary Umbrella statement of your case & summary of entire proposal 1 page Statement of Need Why this project is necessary 2 pages Project Description Detailed explanation of how project will be implemented 3 pages
12. Six Elements of an Effective Grant Proposal Element Contents Comparative Length Budget Financial Description of project plus explanatory narrative 1 page Organizational Info History, governing structure, primary activities, audiences, services 1 page Conclusion Summary of the proposal’s main points 2 paragraphs
41. Overview of Methods to Collect Information by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008 Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ” http://www.authenticityconsulting.com/pubs/PG_gdes/PG_pubs.htm Method Overall Purpose Advantages Challenges questionnaires, surveys, checklists when need to quickly and/or easily get lots of information from people in a non threatening way -can complete anonymously -inexpensive to administer -easy to compare and analyze -administer to many people -can get lots of data -many sample questionnaires already exist -might not get careful feedback -wording can bias client's responses -are impersonal -in surveys, may need sampling expert - doesn't get full story
42. Overview of Methods to Collect Information by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008 Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ” http://www.authenticityconsulting.com/pubs/PG_gdes/PG_pubs.htm Method Overall Purpose Advantages Challenges interviews when want to fully understand someone's impressions or experiences, or learn more about their answers to questionnaires -get full range and depth of information -develops relationship with client -can be flexible with client -can take much time -can be hard to analyze and compare -can be costly -interviewer can bias client's responses
43. Overview of Methods to Collect Information by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008 Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ” http://www.authenticityconsulting.com/pubs/PG_gdes/PG_pubs.htm Method Overall Purpose Advantages Challenges documentation review when want impression of how program operates without interrupting the program; is from review of applications, finances, memos, minutes, etc. -get comprehensive and historical information -doesn't interrupt program or client's routine in program -information already exists -few biases about information -often takes much time -info may be incomplete -need to be quite clear about what looking for -not flexible means to get data; data restricted to what already exists
44. Overview of Methods to Collect Information by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008 Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ” http://www.authenticityconsulting.com/pubs/PG_gdes/PG_pubs.htm Method Overall Purpose Advantages Challenges observation to gather accurate information about how a program actually operates, particularly about processes -view operations of a program as they are actually occurring -can adapt to events as they occur can be difficult to interpret seen behaviors -can be complex to categorize observations -can influence behaviors of program participants -can be expensive
45. Overview of Methods to Collect Information by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008 Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ” http://www.authenticityconsulting.com/pubs/PG_gdes/PG_pubs.htm Method Overall Purpose Advantages Challenges focus groups explore a topic in depth through group discussion, e.g., about reactions to an experience or suggestion, understanding common complaints, etc.; useful in evaluation and marketing -quickly and reliably get common impressions -can be efficient way to get much range and depth of information in short time - can convey key information about programs -can be hard to analyze responses -need good facilitator for safety and closure -difficult to schedule 6-8 people together
46. Overview of Methods to Collect Information by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008 Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ” http://www.authenticityconsulting.com/pubs/PG_gdes/PG_pubs.htm Method Overall Purpose Advantages Challenges case studies to fully understand or depict client's experiences in a program, and conduct comprehensive examination through cross comparison of cases -fully depicts client's experience in program input, process and results -powerful means to portray program to outsiders -usually quite time consuming to collect, organize and describe -represents depth of information, rather than breadth
Before you even begin to research your grant possibilities, this is an important first step. Too often, grant writers see a grant opportunity and then try to figure out how they will fit their idea into the grant. This approach is usually not successful.
Here is a brief list of what kind of documentation and background information you should have in hand when you’re considering looking for a grant to fund a project.
Make sure that your concept for your project fits directly with your organizations’ mission and philosophy. Make sure you have facts and or data to document the need for the project that you are proposing. Be careful not to underestimate how long it will take to do this…it can be one of the most time consuming parts of any project, especially if you’re working with a consortium of organizations. Much more about this later when we talk in depth about the needs statement.
The second essential component of a project has a number of pieces to it. These include the project description—what is it you want to accomplish and how will you accomplish it?
Develop a timetable for the project—and not just for your grant project but for the process of writing the grant itself. Make sure that timetable is realistic in terms of when the grant proposal is due—that you and your team (if you have one) are able to realistically meet the deadline. Define ahead of time what you want to see as an outcome of the project you’re considering.
How will you know whether or not you really did what you are proposing doing? How will you keep doing it? Who will it take to get it accomplished? Again, consider not just the grant project itself, but the process of writing the grant proposal as well. Who needs to be on your writing team? Is this something that one person can handle? Will other people or organizations need to be involved?
Get an overall idea of what it will cost to put the project together as well as an outline of the project budget itself. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis. Is what you are proposing to do going to be worth the time and effort to do it? You may need to consider scaling back the project.
Once you have the first steps completed and you’ve identified a potential funding source, you need to have an objective discussion about whether or not you want to proceed. Some questions that you might want to ask include: How much time do you have compared to how much work there is to pull all the information together? Will there be another opportunity for this grant in the future? Is this grant part of a cycle, where if you miss this round, you’ll miss out on the second year of the grant? (Slate funding) Sometimes, the work you have in front of you to construct a winning grant proposal and the deadline for that grant don’t mesh. An objective discussion will lead you to a rational conclusion and answer the question “Should you proceed?”
Here is a brief list of what kind of documentation and background information you should consider when you’re considering looking for a grant to fund a project.
What do you want to accomplish? How are you going to accomplish it? What kind of funding will you need to accomplish it? and What is it about your institution that makes it better equipped to do what you’re proposing than any other organization. Why are you unique? Prove that you can do it better than anyone else that might be asking for the same money to do the same thing that you want to do.
It is the FOUNDATION of the entire proposal so I want to spend some significant time on it. The Need Statement presents facts and evidence to support the need for the project (program) you are proposing. It also establishes your organization as being capable of addressing the need.
No one does these days! The need should be relevant to the population your program serves. The need should include and cite statistics, facts, and references to support your claims, which will require advance research. Your organization’s or program’s need for money is not a “need” in this case.
The fundamental need is not to obtain more computers, but to further develop critical thinking skills. The technology is a way to obtain those skills…it’s the solution, not the need.
TIP: Describe the situation “as is” without saying what your program does to address the situation. For example: kids can’t read at the level they should, versus – we need to hire more reading teachers.
Conduct an analysis to determine the nature and extent of the problem or need, and the reasons and causes. In discussing the Nature and Extent of your problem - Describe your target population and their issues/needs. What are the consequences if the proposal isn’t funded? Cite your sources to support the existence of the problem/need.
Why is the issue or need occurring? Support these with facts and statistics When identifying problem and writing the Need Statement, you must convince the fund source that the issue(s) you want to address are important to your organization and of interest to the fund source.
Why are you the best organization to respond to this need? What would happen if you didn’t undertake this project/proposal? How is your proposal different from the others or better than the others?
Give the needs statement (and your entire proposal) the “grandmother test.” Can someone who is completely outside of your organization understand your proposal?
The following steps are to be taken when writing your Need Statement: * Define the problem, its causes and symptoms in terms that are both factual and of human interest
* Gather data to support the existence of the problem and extent of your need
Quote authorities (cite names and sources)
Do not make any unsupported assumptions
We cannot wait to address this urgent need!
Handout, read and point out what makes it a good example.
The third element of an effective grant proposal is the project description. It should include the following: Goals and objectives, activities and methods, staffing and/or administration, and finally, how you will evaluate the project
Your goals and objectives need to be clear and well thought out. They will determine how you will accomplish meeting your need. There is a difference between a goal and an objective: -Goals are broad, objectives are narrow. -Goals are general intentions; objectives are precise. -Goals are intangible; objectives are tangible. -Goals are abstract; objectives are concrete. -Goals can't be validated as is; objectives can be measured A Goal is a softer and more general description. It is something that you would like to achieve that can sometimes be described “subjectively”. Goal example: In the summer, children will enjoy reading Objective example: Each child will check our 10 or more books from the public library during the summer months of July and August as measured by library records. Goal or Objective? 1. State the definition of a microcomputer. Objective 2. Learn about software programs. Goal 3. Circle the verbs in a sentence. Objective 4. Feel a sense of fellowship with fellow classmates. Goal TIP: If you can, try to sell the value of your program, and use goal/benefit scenarios if possible: (1) start with a proposed goal, (2) add the words “so that,” (3) state the benefit. For example, Participants actively engage in daily exercise each day (goal), so that they will increase their metabolism rate over time . . . (benefit)
Objectives are frequently written to meet the so-called SMART rules. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time defined. Specific: Do you know exactly what you want to accomplish with all the details? Measurable: Are you able to assess your progress? Attainable: Is your goal within your reach given your current situation? Relevant: Is your goal relevant towards your purpose? Time-Sensitive: What is the deadline for completing your goal? By writing SMART goals, your evaluation will be MUCH easier!
With a behavioral objective, a human action is anticipated. Example: After completing the unit on Internet search strategies, the learner will be able to retrieve valid information. Performance objectives include a specific timeframe within which something will occur, at an expected proficiency level. Example: Fifty of the 70 children will learn to swim within 6 months and will pass a basic swimmer proficiency test administered by a Red Cross-certified lifeguard. With a process objective , the manner in which it occurs is an end in itself. Example: We will document the teaching methods utilized and identify those with the greatest success. An outcome objective is usually long term and measurable. Example: The proportion of retailers in the city of Ottawa who sell tobacco to underage youth will decrease to five percent by March 2012. With a Product Objective, A tangible item results. Example: A manual will be created to be used in teaching swimming to this age and proficiency group in the future. In any given proposal, you will likely find yourself setting forth one or more of these objectives, depending on the nature of your project. Be certain to present your objectives clearly. Make sure they they stand out on the page—you might use numbers, bullets or indentations to set them apart from the rest of the text. Above all, be realistic…don’t promise what you can’t deliver! Remember that the funder will want to be told in a final report that you actually accomplished these objectives.
These are descriptions of how you will meet your goals and objectives. They are the nuts and bolts of what will make the project successful. REFERENCE THE TEMPLATE!
Who will be responsible for each of the activities you’ve proposed? Will you be able to fund a project manager with grant funds, and if not, who will oversee the project?
What happens after the grant money is gone? Funders usually want to know. You need to develop a transition plan that will carry the project forward after the grant funding is no longer available. Often, this includes how replicable your project is…can others learn from you and accomplish what you accomplished?
How can you prove that what you said you would do actually gets done? It is important to remember that this is not just for the funder, but also for yourself/your team to know if what you did was really worthwhile, was really successful. Including an evaluation plan in your proposal shows you take your goals and objectives seriously and you want to know how well you have achieved them. Evaluation is a sound management tools and can help you refine and improve your program. The evaluation can often be the best means for others to learn from your experience. Most evaluation plans include both qualitative and quantitative data. You may want to include formative as well as summative evaluation plans. Your funder may have an opinion about the scope of dissemination of the evaluation. They may have a suggestion about who should conduct the evaluation…whether it should be your own program staff or outside consultants. Some funders allow for the inclusion of the cost of evaluation in the project budget.
What kind of evaluation tool will you use? There are a number of options, but make sure that the method you select fits with any grant guidelines there may be. The following slides give you an overview of some of the methods of evaluation that are possible. You’ll see the purpose, advantages and challenges of each of the methods. We won’t go into any of these in-depth at this time, but you may want to review them as you consider how you will evaluate the success of your project.
A budget cannot be prepared until the agency's policies, priorities, and plans have been clarified. The budget is derived from the objectives, tasks, and activities expressed in your proposal/program and has to be consistent with the program guidelines. Costs should be reasonable in proportion to the outcomes you anticipate. If your outcome is to lower drug use among teens, don’t budget half your money to buy t-shirts for your trainers! And don’t feel that you have to spend exactly what the funder is offering. The BUDGET consists of two parts—the expenses themselves and the narrative which explains the expenses in detail: The budget * presents the proposal/program in a financial sense; * reflects the plan and how resources will be allocated to implement the plan; * is straightforward and the numbers are complete-include calculations—for instance, instead of one amount for mileage, indicate XX miles at XX dollars for XX number of trips; * tells how the money will be used to do the job described in the proposal/program; * indicate such things as who will be doing the job, anticipated travel expenses, training costs, and what supplies and equipment will be needed; * also indicates the organization's commitment to the grant request from the standpoint of both cash and in-kind services.
* If there is a specified fund limit, DON'T EXCEED IT. * Describe the need for budget totals/items in a narrative to assist reviewer to determine the reasonableness of proposed budget. * Budget should be realistic and not extravagant. Leave some room to negotiate. * Identify your agency's contribution for match/in-kind and identify other local funds available for project. * For multi-year grants, decrease the amount of government support and build up local support.
* If there is a specified fund limit, DON'T EXCEED IT. * Describe the need for budget totals/items in a narrative to assist reviewer to determine the reasonableness of proposed budget. * Budget should be realistic and not extravagant. Leave some room to negotiate. * Identify your agency's contribution for match/in-kind and identify other local funds available for project. * For multi-year grants, decrease the amount of government support and build up local support.
If there are grant guidelines for this part, FOLLOW THEM! This guidelines may ask for the mission and vision of the organization—make sure you include that! The primary goal of the organizational information is to show the grant readers that you are the best choice to do the job—that your proposal goals, objectives and activities fit with who you are and what you normally do. If the grant project takes you off course, then the application should be discarded…another opportunity that better fits your organization will eventually apear.
The conclusion is a short but important wrap-up of what you intend to accomplish and why you are the best organization to do it. This is the last impression that the reader will have of your overall proposal, so pay attention to it.
You find a grant that looks promising and fits well with your mission/goals. You spend a great deal of time and effort writing the proposal. You wait and wait and wait to hear about whether or not you received the grant and find out you didn’t, not because your proposal wasn’t a good one, but because you didn’t follow the guidelines. If they say 12 point Geneva type with one inch margins, use 12 pt. Geneva type with one inch margins. If they say doublespace, do it! If they say 8 pages, don’t write 8 ½! If they say include a cover page with specific information, make sure you have one! Place your information in the order the grantmaker asks it to be placed, even if that doesn’t make sense to you. Don’t leave out anything! When assembling the proposal, double-check to be sure everything is there.
