1. Grant Writing Meeting May 9, 2011
Granty Writing to Sustain 21st Century Program
Explaining how to write the grants and sustaining programs
The variety of grants we can get etc...
How to find funding PUBLIC (fed, state, local) and other is PRIVATE(foundations, corporations).
State means it comes through the state tax rolls, federal comes from fed tax roles (can look like state
funding) Many federal prgrams were brought down to the state EXAMPLE 21st Centurty Learning.
Reason to be aware of breakdown (b/c you need to be awasre of the guidlines of fed and state....one
might supersede the other guidlines)
Public is determined by legislation >>>>>Request for Proposal....Request for Applications.....is
competitive through RFP it is typically scored by outside readers and granted or not based on your
score. Each person scoring gets a rubric they will score your proposal based on it. Fund from the top
score down (more points for type of school you are). If you apply for FEDERAL they look nationwide
for your review so its not from your state, the point is to write the proposal as if a martian is reading
it...you need to be VERY DETAILED AND PAINT A PICTURE. They don't know the world you
lived in bc they are from different areas. You want people to real y understand why it is you need what
yo need. You need to talk in that grant about someone who has no clue and be specific for the reasons
and what is behind that answer.
Tight, consise, Rigorus proposals
PRIVATE funding is totally different: it's more about who you know along with what you know. Call
and have a conversation to the Grants Officer to talk about what type of funding they do...they more
conversation you have with them the better chance you will have with the funding. CALL and MAKE
CONTACT, use your needs assessments in the conversation. Keep the conversation open (can I send
you a brief outline) can we get together to meet an develop the relationship. Document may be less
important than personal contacts and reputation.
Locating Funding Sources: Foundation Center, Word of Mouth/ local contacts, Online sources, mailing
list, newsletter
You are doing them a favor by letting them participating in our mission to support our students. ASK
the question about the reporting requirements.... TO find reporting requirements look online at who has
had this money before to ask them about it or every public fiundgin source must have someone you can
call to ask about the reporting requirements.
THE Foundation Center is a great place to look for private funds with a good search option to see who
you can work with and who they have funded before.
TASc data base tascorp.org/toolbox/fundingdb.
The Chronical of Philanthropy more like what happened by others so that you can do it for the
following year.
DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM:
Clear sense of what you want to do before you look for the money....not chase the money, know what
your kids need and what you want to provide them with.

2. 1. Conduct a needs assessment- include having a strong sense of what id your long range goal (vision)
what are you trying to do to make life better for the children, WHat is keeping us from being there
(what are the obstacles). "Poverty"-many types of poverties. What is te data telling us ( look at white
sheet DATA Sources). School Report Card, DOE website, Keeping Track of Children these will
identify issues to put into needs assessments
2. Principles of Effectiveness- required in every federal grant. Identify a need, Identify a
goal( measurable outcome) Ex. Literacy (our school has low levels) Goal is to increase our literacy by
bla bla...then put in place a planned program and researched based that it has had impact (or in real
clear terms why it will have an impact).
3.Creating meaningful collaboration- collaborating with outside foundations is a good idea and having
partners who you trust and like workiing with that you develop and relationship with. Working with a
Group planning for a grant is having a history with them. Reaching out to the counsil members for
monies.
PUBLIC money is more available then PRIVATE.
4. Putting together a grant writing team: making the decisions about the RFP who would be the best
people to have on the team. Divying up the responsibilities, and typically 1-2 people who actually write
the grant. One person in charge of programming and what they want to do and to review what it is that
you are promising. Then the decision maker should bne involved early so you aren't wasting time.
5. Responding to RFP bringing team into place
Data: use multiple sources of data in the needs assessment...you need to show everything from National
Datat, to state Data etc.... Try to use all ones they mention then use others that are specific to your
school. (DID focus group with "4th grade" surveying the community) to identify what their needs are.
Promising Practices--> find researched based for some of these programs (blue paper) need to have
information from somewhere and show why it is we want it.
If you have had evaluations done before you may want to use that in the writing and bragging about the
success with that (achievements etc) that will make your school look marketable. YOU MUST
CONVINCE THEM YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU ARE THE
BEST FOR THE JOB!!
Developing Your Proposal: Yellow is an RFP screening sheet...#1 question are we eligible? Can a local
building apply? If not then what can we do about that...we then go out and network the CBO and ask
them to apply. School district ios eligible and you arent call up School DIstirct Grant Manager to ask if
they can put in a grant for you.
Due Date: be very aware especially if you need to get sign offs and letters from people. Reporting
Requirements aren,t outlandish and factor everything into the budget.
Number and Size of Contracts Being awarded: are we ready to be on a bigger level grant seriously
considered.
Philosophy: does it fit with our mission...issue with federal money is that they ask you to particiate with
their evaluation.

3. Define prgram description that is very clear about what you intend to do, requires describing the
curriculum to the weekly and daily schedule..... When you will have Art Classes when HW help is etc.
Defining outcomes and evaluation plan: most require and evaluator who will work with you on the
outcomes...list approved by the DOE look in the business area (people who have contracts and can
input). Look at universities as well, also have someone working with you who knows what they are
doing. Evaluators are approved and are trained through rigorous progress. START the convo before
starting the proposal.
Refer to the PURPLE sheet for the criteria and things to look for and look at when writing a grant.
Funders look for people who they think can get the job done....be aware of your own verbal ticks
(repetative language) Do a word search for the unnecessary words (take out adjectives or adverbs) if
you are over on your word count. Avoid jargon in the grant, use the words in the RFP. Respond to the
buzz words in the RFP not the ones that we are used to only because someone who is reading it isn't
used to hearing out buzz words if they aren't from here.
Voluntariy Public School Choice