1. February 19, 2010
Grant Proposals Step by Step
Alice L. Ferris, MBA, CFRE
GoalBusters LLC
www.goalbusters.net

2. February 19, 2010
What do you know about
grant writing?

3. February 19, 2010
Agenda
Defining your project
Identifying your funder
Proposal writing
Pet Peeves

4. February 19, 2010
Defining Your Project

5. February 19, 2010
What are you trying to “sell”?

Why is it important to your organization?

How will it contribute to your mission?

How will people’s lives be affected?

6. February 19, 2010
What makes a project attractive
to a funder?

Restricted

Start up or early stage

Limited term for funder—sustainable
beyond 2-3 years

Clear and measurable impact

7. February 19, 2010
Developing a master proposal

Who

Where

What

When

Why

How

8. February 19, 2010
Boilerplate materials

Mission, Vision, Values

Board list

Staff list in project area

Audit

Form 990

501(c)3 letter

Corporate Certificate

Organizational or department budget

9. February 19, 2010
Identifying Your Funder

10. February 19, 2010
Philosophy
Don't waste your time or
the funder's time with a
frivolous proposal

11. February 19, 2010
Basic research

Open or Invitation Only

Deadlines

Application process

Funding range (sometimes)

Areas of focus

Programmatic

Geographic

Contact information

12. February 19, 2010
Sources for information

Foundation Center

Library

Grants.gov

Google

Corporate and Foundation websites

Guidestar.org

Donor lists of similar organizations

NOZA (www.nozasearch.com)

13. February 19, 2010
Next level research: Personal
Contact

To ask if this is of any interest

If you can’t find basic information
anywhere else

If it’s a closed foundation but you
personally know someone there

If you think your project fits within
scope, but you’re not sure

If they don’t say you CAN’T call

14. February 19, 2010
Applying for a Grant

15. February 19, 2010
Follow Directions!

Determine funder requirements in
research stage

Put things in their order

16. February 19, 2010
Types

Letter of Intent

Full Proposal

Follow Up Proposal

17. February 19, 2010
Letter of Intent

Usually one to three pages

Executive Summary of Project

Lets funder make initial evaluation or in
the case of more informal funders, can be
the only proposal

18. February 19, 2010
Full Proposal

Structure varies from funder to funder

Usually very detailed and involves lots of
rules

Sometimes this can be the initial and only
contact with a funder

19. February 19, 2010
Follow Up Proposal

Usually at funder's request

Sometimes may be as detailed as a full
proposal

Huge variation in structure

20. February 19, 2010
Who needs to be involved

CEO or Executive Director

Program director

Volunteers sometimes

Finance director

YOU

21. February 19, 2010
Make it engaging!

22. February 19, 2010
Classic story structure
“Introduce your hero, get him up a
tree, throw rocks at him, then
get him out of the tree.”
Robert McKee,
Screenwriting Guru
Or George M. Cohan,
depending on where you check

23. February 19, 2010
Classic Story Structure

Introduce
Protagonist

24. February 19, 2010
Classic Story Structure

Introduce
Protagonist

Inciting Incident

25. February 19, 2010
Classic Story Structure

Introduce
Protagonist

Inciting Incident

Identify Obstacles
and Barriers

26. February 19, 2010
Classic Story Structure

Introduce
Protagonist

Inciting Incident

Identify Obstacles
and Barriers

Propose a solution
and make the
funder part of it

27. February 19, 2010
Evaluation measures

Qualitative

Quantitative

How will this impact the community or
end user?

NOT how it will impact your
organization, necessarily

28. February 19, 2010
Editing

Especially important for group written
proposals

Get outside input

29. February 19, 2010
Submit and Follow Up

Don't be late!

Follow directions

Site visits if necessary

Okay to call if they say it's okay to call

Okay to ask for feedback once they
make contact

30. February 19, 2010
Proposal Writing Steps

Follow directions!

Determine the proposal type

Identify the players

Gather your facts and story

Set real evaluation measures

Save time for editing

Submit to the funder

31. February 19, 2010
Reporting

You're not done yet!

Budget time for grant management

32. February 19, 2010
Pet Peeves

33. February 19, 2010
How to turn off a funder

All data, no story

Fluffy needs statement

Not following instructions

All qualitative evaluation measures

Unrealistic budget

Bad grammar, unprofessional presentation

One size fits all proposal

Late proposal

Trying to circumvent the process

34. February 19, 2010
Questions?

35. February 19, 2010
Thank You!
Alice L. Ferris, MBA, CFRE
Partner
GoalBusters LLC
alice.ferris@goalbusters.net
www.goalbusters.net
www.twitter.com/goalbusters