Grant Writing without Blowing a Gasket By Alicia Vandenbroek WHY SHOULD I FUNDRAISE? No one woke up this morning asking for a budget cut, but the harsh reality is that in todays eœnomic downturn it is becoming more and more common. Even libraries seen as a vital pan of the educational process are subject to reductions becatise districts are suffering financially Just as you've been tightening your personal finances, schools face the conundrum of funding exceptional programs with inadequate funding. The answer? Grants, They aren't a perfect solution, but there is a lot of financial support available for those who ask. Besides the monetary gain, one commonly overlooked reward of grant funding is campus revitalization. This renewal comes in several forms. Other teachers are encouraged by your success and willing to take risks. Sometimes those risks involve using the materials you've acquired through your grant, and sometimes the risks involve funding for their own creative projects. Grants typically allow students access to a unique experience. This experience makes them broader educationally and usually involves a cross curricular project that develops lifelong learning, BEGINWITHTHEENDINMIND Beginning a grant can seem overwhelming if you don't break it into manageable pieces. Always start with the end in mind. In other words, what do you want? This can be money, supplies, experiences, and so on. Find the best deal by pricing these items in advance. Be honest with vendors so they know you might not actually place an order, but work out a deal that gets you the most value. After you know exacdy what you want, be creative and find a way to use those items or experiences in a student-friendly manner that direcdy supports curricultun. For the most part grants are geared toward directly impacting education; therefore, your proposal must be educationally sound. Be careful not to over commit yourself; this is the voice of grants gone badly talking. You don't have to build the space shutde, just engage and educate your students. Sometimes less really is more. Focus on your strengths or areas you would like to become your strengths. For example, I'm kind of a tech nerd, so a lot of times my grants focus on Web 2,0 tools and projects. If technology scares you (yes, I know you are out there) then focus on a different form of grant until you have had time to increase your technology prowess and feel comfortable taking on more challenging projects. Check your progress: O What supplies, projects, or experiences do you hope to gain? O What classroom/library goals do those supplies, projects, or experiences support? 0 Does the grant provide opportunities to be successful or highlight my skills? THE PERFECT PAIR 1 wish I could tell you that diere is a m^ical grant out there with your name on it already , , , but you know that doesn't even happen in fairy tales. That said the perfect paring of grant writ ...

1. Grant Writing without Blowing a Gasket
By Alicia Vandenbroek
WHY SHOULD I FUNDRAISE?
No one woke up this morning asking for a budget
cut, but the harsh reality is that in todays eœnomic
downturn it is becoming more and more common.
Even libraries seen as a vital pan of the educational
process are subject to reductions becatise districts are
suffering financially Just as you've been tightening
your personal finances, schools face the conundrum
of funding exceptional programs with inadequate
funding. The answer? Grants, They aren't a perfect
solution, but there is a lot of financial support
available for those who ask.
Besides the monetary gain, one commonly
overlooked reward of grant funding is campus
revitalization. This renewal comes in several forms.

2. Other teachers are encouraged by your success and
willing to take risks. Sometimes those risks involve
using the materials you've acquired through your
grant, and sometimes the risks involve funding
for their own creative projects. Grants typically
allow students access to a unique experience. This
experience makes them broader educationally
and usually involves a cross curricular project that
develops lifelong learning,
BEGINWITHTHEENDINMIND
Beginning a grant can seem overwhelming if you
don't break it into manageable pieces. Always start
with the end in mind. In other words, what do you
want? This can be money, supplies, experiences, and
so on. Find the best deal by pricing these items in
advance. Be honest with vendors so they know you
might not actually place an order, but work out a deal
that gets you the most value.
After you know exacdy what you want, be creative

3. and find a way to use those items or experiences
in a student-friendly manner that direcdy supports
curricultun. For the most part grants are geared
toward directly impacting education; therefore, your
proposal must be educationally sound. Be careful not
to over commit yourself; this is the voice of grants
gone badly talking. You don't have to build the
space shutde, just engage and educate your students.
Sometimes less really is more. Focus on your strengths
or areas you would like to become your strengths. For
example, I'm kind of a tech nerd, so a lot of times
my grants focus on Web 2,0 tools and projects. If
technology scares you (yes, I know you are out there)
then focus on a different form of grant until you have
had time to increase your technology prowess and feel
comfortable taking on more challenging projects.
Check your progress:
O What supplies, projects, or experiences do you

4. hope to gain?
O What classroom/library goals do those supplies,
projects, or experiences support?
0 Does the grant provide opportunities to be
successful or highlight my skills?
THE PERFECT PAIR
1 wish I could tell you that diere is a m^ical grant
out there with your name on it already , , , but you
know that doesn't even happen in fairy tales. That
said the perfect paring of grant writer to grant flinder
is actually easier than you might expect. Once you
know what outcomes you hope to achieve then you
are ready to look for a perfect pannership.
Focus on grant flinders whose goals and programs
support your desired outcomes. For example, the
first grant I ever applied for was a science grant, I
submitted an innovative hands-on activity to a
company who prides themselves on being cutdng

5. edge in their field, I got the grant with no problems.
Of course no one is perfect, because recendy, I
applied for a grant to a very conservative library
supporter for a somewhat out-of-the-box after school
program, I didn't receive that grant because the
proposal did not support the private organization's
opinions of what constitutes a strong library program.
After you find a source learn a litde more about the
company behind the funding. Are they a company
with which you would feel proud to have your name/
your school's name linked? If not, perhaps you should
consider another funding source. All flinders evaluate
your program and ideas, so you should take time to
ensure this is a mutually beneficial partnership,
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS:
O Is the grant proposal a good match for the place
that I'm applying?
O Is the company one of integrity and
financial responsibility?

6. A NAME SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOU
Think about your own name. Few people are
ambivalent about their own name; it's usually either
love or hate. It's not quite the same with grants, but it
is pretty close, A grant proposal is only really as good
as it can be remembered; diis is where a catchy tide
comes into play, A simple yet unique tide will make
your grant memorable and can speak volumes about
the content of your grant before the reader even
begins consideration.
Some easy pitfalls include using tides that say
nothing (e,g. Grant Proposal), using dtles that say too
much (e,g. Grant Proposal to Use Digital Cameras to
Teach Habitats on Wikis with Student Involvement
and Corresponding Library Resources), or worse,
using titles that say something only to people in
your field (e,g. Region 11 NKLB Wiki Tide I Grant
Proposal), The latter is especially important because

7. frequendy people in other states or outside of your
educational venue view these grants, so bogging them
down in jargon distracts from the grant content.
Check your progress:
O Is your title creative (will it stand alone)?
O Is your tide clear of buzz words or
write expressions?
ESTABLISHING A BUDGET
As you research the items for the grant, make sure
you are following district policy. Some items, like
technology, must be on an approved bid list, while
others need only be from an approved vendor. Keep
copies of quotes or catalogues so that when you
receive the funding you will know exactly where the
money goes. Work with vendors for discounts like
free processing or shipping. Buying in bulk often
means deeper discounts, so allow time to contact
vendors direcdy. Include an itemized budget in the
written proposal. If the grant is only one portion

8. of the funding, be sure to refiect where additional
funding sources are provided.
Check your progress:
O Have you followed district guidelines
for purchasing?
O Do you have clear records or quotes for
reference after you earn your grant?
CREATING A TIMELINE
If you've ever been part of writing a campus plan
you understand the importance of an accurate
timeline. The timeline must be detailed but loose
enough to allow fiexibility. Always pad the time,
allowing for Mr, Murphy to make his presence
known. Build in time for processing, completion,
refiection, evaluation, and reporting.
2 8 • LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION May/June 2010
Your timeline should follow the
S.M.A.R.T. principles:

9. Specific—detailed step by step
Measurable—results need to be quantifiable
Achievable—should be accomplished in the
designated time
Realistic—clear expectations that are
developmentally and academically appropriate
Time bound—succinct time structure, can be
days or weeks but be consistent
Check your progress:
O Does your timeline cover every important part
of the grant?
O Is the timeline flexible enough to allow for
changes or difficulty?
O Does your timeline meet the
S.M.A.R.T. principles?
WRITE, WRITE, WRITE
If you spent time in the first stages, this should
prove to be a fairly easy part of the process. Be
sure to refer to the helpful sites listed below for
suggestions about where to locate frequently
needed information. If a template is provided,
you are ready to start compiling the necessary
information. If no template is provided, start with
subject headings.

10. To ensure you meet all the guidelines of the grant,
look at the directions and write the requirements
of each section under the subject heading. Include
information relating to word limits, required detail,
information of importance, and so on. Once you
have this shell you are ready to write. These bullet
points will help keep you from getting off track
and ensure you address all required items.
There are two schools of thought on writing a
grant. Some grant writers suggest you write one
section at a time, perfecting it before you go on,
and some suggest a more holistic approach to
writing the entire grant and then going back to
fine tune the details. My suggestion is to do what
makes the most sense to you.
Check your progress:
O Have you located a copy of the template or
created your own document with subheadings?
O Have you used the directions and rubrics to
make notes under each subheading?
O Have you written the necessary narratives
adequately answering each item?
TO RUBRIC OR NOT TO RUBRIC—
THAT ISAN EASY QUESTION!
Grants always come with a written set of
directions and protocols for grant submission.
Consider this your primary rubric. In addition
to those directions, grants frequendy come with
a rubric for scoring. If the company provides
this type of rubric PLEASE use this valuable

11. tool. Failure to use a rubric is no different than
a student not utilizing a rubric you provide for a
research paper and then failing because they didn't
meet your expectations. Rubrics are the keys that
set your grant apart from others and take your
proposal from average to exemplary.
If a template is not provided, use the directions
of the grant to structure the proposal. After
you write the grant, proofread it several times.
The first proofread is for grammar and spelling.
Second, screen for conceptual problems, and lastly
review your rubric and directions, ensuring that
you've adequately met the requirements. If time
permits, allow a day in between each reading.
Mistakes are caught easier with a fresh eye. Ask
a colleague to review your work and compare
it against the rubric. Frequently, they will catch
contextual issues potentially overlooked.
Age-Specific School References
Designed to Meet State Educational Standards
NEW
EDITION!
Grades 3-5
©2009
COPYRIGHT!
Grades 9-11
©2010
Merriam
Webster's

12. jbitermediate
Dictionary
Merriam
Webster's
Elementary
Dictionary Dictionary
COPYRIGHT!
Grades 6-8
©2009
ISBN: 978-0-87779-579-7 • $17.95 ISBN: 978-0-87779-580-3 •
$18.95
ISBN: 978-0-87779-675-6 • $17.95
AGE-APPROPRIATE WEB SITE
WordCentral.com has the only fully searchable age-appropriate
diaionary on the Web.
Also interactive games. Dally Buzzword, and more! To see
which titles are best for
your classroom, please visit WordCentral.com/edu and browse
our
State Standards Alignments section.
M e r r i a m - W e b s t e r I n c . • 8 0 0 - 8 2 8 - 1 8 8 0
www.Merriam-Webster.com • www.WordCentral.com
May/June 2010
LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION 2 9

13. Check your progress:
O Have you located a copy of the
complete directions?
O Does your grant provide a rubric? If not, have
you created your own rubric?
O Have you checked your rough draft
for spelling?
O Have you checked your rough draft for
conceptual problems?
O Have you compared your rough draft to the
rubric and directions and made the
necessary changes?
O Are the word counts at or below the
required number?
ADMINISTRATIVE MUSTS
Make sure your principal supports your project.
Without administrative support your funding
will not be approved. If your project involves
collaboration, be sure all parties involved are
committed. This can be a double-edged sword.
There is strength in numbers and often working
with partners provides flexibility; however, there is
nothing more frustrating than having participants
back out at the very last minute or not carry their
portion of the workload.
Every school district has slighdy different policies
so it is important to adhere to the rules for your
district. Typically, you will write a grant and submit

14. it to the grants office for approval. After reviewing
their suggestions, you submit the revised grant for
the Pmal necessary board approvals.
Check your progress:
O Does your principal support your program?
O Have you determined if you will work alone or
with a partner?
O Have you followed the school district
grant process?
AFTER THE CELEBRATION
Take a moment to celebrate . . . you got grant
funding! Remember this feeling, becatise this
satisfaction fuels the desire for future success. But your
work has only jtjst begun. This next stage is critical
for compliance with grant guidelines. If you apply
for more than one grant in a calendar year, consider
tracking your commitments using a spreadsheet.
Write down the dates on the timeline on your
personal calendar with reminders of due dates a
few weeks before required. Also jot down notes
about what sort of documentation you will need.
Throughout the project take photos for school
publicity and photos for funders. Be sure any
photos that leave the school do not have faces
of students or faculty unless you have written
permission from all parties involved. It is also
helpful to keep copies of handouts or promodonal
items. If possible highlight the project using Web

15. 2.0 technology on your school website. Not only
will this increase parent support of the library, but
potential donors usually take time to preview a
school website before donating, and it is an easy
commercial for effective collaboration.
Check your progress:
O Did you actually celebrate?
O Does your calendar reflect important
upcoming events?
S U B M i n i N G A WRITTEN REPORT
when you submit your report track, the items
you said you wotild. With that in mind, think
about confidentiality of students. Make sure the
information collected is aggregated rather than
tising individual student names. When sending
the final report, a thank you goes a long way. This
can be from students or just from you, but take a
few minutes to thank the people who made your
success possible. Before final submission, review the
guidelines to ensure complete compliance.
Submit a duplicate copy of the written report to your
principal, and set up a meedng to review the success
of the grant. Not only will this confirm youve
completed the grant requirements, but it also shows
administration your commitment to the school's
success. Favorable outcomes mean more principal
support not only for future grants but good money/
supply management encourages the endowment of
more funds when they become available.

16. The last copy goes in your personal portfolio. If
you don't have a portfolio, start a simple three
ring binder with copies of reports. This is a great
tool when showcasing your classroom or library or
when trying to procure additional funding.
Check your progress:
O Have you confirmed your written report met
all the requirements of the grant?
O Are photos of students clear of student faces or
do you have appropriate permissions?
O Did you review the written report with the
principal or other supervisors?
O Does your portfolio contain a copy of the
final report?
O Have you included Web 2.0 representations of
the project on the school website? • •
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AISD. "Grant Application Procedures." [Online] 26
May 2009. www.aisd.net.
AISD. "Grant Process." [Online] 26 May 2009.
www.aisd.net.
Browning, Bev. Grant Writing fir Dummies. 2nd.
Hoboken, NJ; Wiley Publishing, 2005.
Karsh, Ellen, and Arlen Sue Fox. The Only Grant Writing
Book You'll Ever Need. New York: Garroll & GrafF, 2003.

17. Susan M. Heathfield. "Beyond Traditional S.M.A.R.T.
Goals." [Online] 26 May 2009. http://humanresources.
about.com/cs/performancemanage/a/goalsetting.htm.
Alicia Vandenbroek is
a library media specialist at
Shackelford Junior High in
Arlington, Texas.
HELPFUL SITES (JUST A FEW TO GET YOU STARTED)
Grant Writing Sites
www.npguides.org
http://712educators.about.com/od/grantwriting/Grant_
Writing.htm
www.libraryspot.com/features/grantsfeature.htnn
http://foundationcenter.org
http://librarysupportstaff.com/find$.html
Grant Sites
www.ed.gov/fund/landing.jhtml
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/
business/grants, htmi
www.schoolgrants2009.com

18. www.grantwrangler.com
www.homeroomteacher.com/teacher_grants.htmi
vvvvw.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html?zone=321
www.realschooigardens.org/en
http://iibrarygrants.blogspot.com
www.technologygrantnews.com
www.schoiastic.com/iibrarians/programs/grants.htm
General Information
Community Demographics http://factfinder.census.gov/
home/saff/main.htmi?Jang=en
Schooi Distria iD http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator
3 0 LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION
May/June 2010
Copyright of Library Media Connection is the property of
Linworth Publishing, Inc. and its content may not be
copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written
permission. However, users may print, download, or email
articles for individual use.

19. 18 techdirections AUGUST 2014
S
CHOOL districts across
the country are chal-
lenged by mounting
budget cuts that leave
both administrators and
teachers scrambling to fill budgetary
gaps while providing students with
a quality educational experience.
And given the nation’s focus on de-
veloping STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics) skills,
CIOs, principals, and teachers are
expected to maintain state-of-the-art
technology-infused classrooms that
meet the learning needs of tech-
savvy students.
Based on my experiences as both
a grant writer and reviewer, I would
like to share some tips to help you
write a winning technology proposal
that can bring in valuable funding for
technology in your classroom or lab.
A Variety of Sources
With district and state funds
shrinking in some areas, grants are
becoming an increasingly important

20. means for funding technology in
schools and classrooms. Technology-
Tips for Writing
a Winning
Grant Proposal
By Ron Flavin
Ron Flavin is president of Ron
Flavin, Inc., a growth and funding
consulting firm. He is an expert in the
field of government grants and incen-
tives and has particular expertise in
securing government grants to support
STEM programs and school-based
technology.
focused grants are offered by state
and federal governmental agencies,
charitable foundations, and compa-
nies. The size of grants can range
from $250 up to millions of dollars,
depending on the funder and the
program.
In addition to securing more than
$138 million in grants, I also regularly
work as a professional proposal re-
viewer for state, federal, and private
funders, so I am thoroughly knowl-
edgeable about the entire process. In
my experience, only about 3% to 5%
of all grant proposals are awarded
funding. And with the increased de-
mand, there is increased competition

21. for funds, which makes the grant-
seeking process much more challeng-
ing. Now more than ever, only the
“best of the best” proposals will get
funded. The loss of just a single scor-
ing point can make the difference
between success and failure.
Regardless of whether the funder
is a governmental agency, a founda-
tion, or a corporation, the grant-seek-
ing process is essentially the same.
The funder or funding agency pub-
lishes a request for proposals (RFP)
that outlines the basics, such as size
of awards, focus areas, eligible uses
of funds, proposal requirements,
due dates, and the criteria by which
proposals will be chosen for funding.
The first step in the grant-seeking
process is to carefully read through
the RFP.
Make Sure the Funder
Is a Good Fit
First, be sure to review the fund-
ing agency’s giving priorities to be
certain that your project is a fit.
Usually, the funder will have general
giving priorities and then outline
specific types of projects that it is
seeking to fund. Carefully review the
guidelines to verify both that your
program or school is eligible to ap-
ply for funding and that your funding

22. objective is a fit with the funder’s
interests.
If there is not a match, don’t waste
your time developing a proposal
because it will not get reviewed.
Funders receive hundreds—and
sometimes thousands—of grant
proposals each year and will not con-
sider proposals that are outside the
scope of their funding priorities.
Be certain to follow the instruc-
tions outlined in the RFP or funding
announcement. This seems obvi-
ous, but in reality, not following the
given instructions is the number one
reason that grant proposals do not
get funded. In many cases, an ap-
plicant ignores a question or does
not provide a requested attachment.
If a question does not apply to your
school, program, or situation, never
leave it blank. Instead, at the very
least write “not applicable’”or pro-
vide a brief explanation as to why the
question does not apply.
As you present the need state-
TE/CTE 19www.techdirections.com
ment or discuss the issue you want
to address with the project, remem-

23. ber that “lack of technology” is never
the problem. Funders will not be
swayed by the fact that students
don’t have iPads or other technolo-
gies in the classroom. Rather, they
want to know about the challenges
students face and how those chal-
lenges are impacting their lives and
academic performance. The goal
when writing a need statement is to
present a clear, concise statement
that relates directly to the problem
the project is trying to resolve. Quan-
tify the problem using recent, local,
relevant data.
When describing technologies or
innovation, always focus on the ben-
efits not the features. Tablets, smart
devices, videoconferencing, mobile
applications, and other technological
innovations offer an amazing array
of exciting new features. However,
funders aren’t interested in the fea-
tures but rather, how the technolo-
gies engage students and directly
support improved learning or attain-
ment of the project’s goals.
For example, interactive video-
conferencing technologies can bridge
gaps by providing access to a vast
array of global content and resourc-
es. Be creative, but always keep the
focus on the benefits the items you
are seeking will provide for students

24. and how they support the learning or
engagement process.
Provide Measurable
Outcomes
Provide measurable outcomes for
the goals of your grant seeking. Out-
comes must always be Specific, Mea-
surable, Attainable, Realistic, and
Time-specific (SMART). A success-
ful grant proposal always includes
clearly-stated outcomes that can be
measured and quantified. If you can-
not quantify (measure) the outcome,
then it’s not measurable and you
should head back to the drawing
board. Here are some examples of
measurable outcomes:
We will conduct five outreach
sessions.
The program will provide tech-
nology training for 100 disadvan-
taged youth.
At least 75% of program partici-
pants will achieve a passing score on
a particular standardized test as the
result of having access to the funded
equipment.
Include a plan to evaluate your
project. Funders are interested in
outcomes, so you need to demon-

25. strate how and when you are going
to measure your progress. For ex-
ample, if you say that your program
will provide technology training for
100 disadvantaged youth, then you
need to explain how you will track
the number served (sign-in sheets,
activity logs, etc.). Additionally, you
will need to show how you will mea-
sure (e.g., survey, pre- and post-test,
etc.) improvements in participants’
knowledge or skill level after they
participate in the training.
You will also need to tell the re-
viewers how you will sustain your
program or a project related to the
technology beyond the grant-funded
period. Foundations and other
funders are like venture capitalists in
that they are interested in making in-
vestments in programs and projects
that will be around for the long term
and have a lasting impact.
Building sustainability into your
project plan from the start is critical
to successful grant seeking. Be as
specific as possible when describing
your plans for sustaining the project.
If the funder allows attachments
or appendices you can include let-
ters committing to sustaining the
program from a program advisory
board, your administration, possible

26. project partners, and other funders.
Be Specific
In seeking grant funds for your
classroom technology program,
never use a boiler-plate proposal or
take a shotgun approach. Every fund-
ing program has its own unique pri-
orities and areas of focus. During the
review process, reviewers score each
section of the proposal based on how
well it addresses a specific focus or
priority outlined in the RFP.
A template or boiler plate will
most likely not be aligned to the
proposal requirements, and when
key information is not where it is ex-
pected to be, critical points are lost.
A strategic, highly-targeted technol-
ogy grant-seeking approach will be
much more effective than a random
shotgun approach.
Here are a few more tips for win-
ning over grant proposal reviewers:
Use bullet points and tables
wherever possible.
Use recent data and cite sourc-
es.
Make the proposal more

27. readable by including plenty of
whitespace between paragraphs and
sections.
Use bold type or other format-
ting (e.g., italics, underline, larger
font, etc.) to identify review criteria
(e.g., Project Management, Evalua-
tion Plan, etc.) and key concepts.
Never make the reviewer “hunt’”
for important information or review
criteria.
While nothing can guarantee with
100% certainty that a grant proposal
will get funded, follow these sugges-
tions and you and your program will
be far ahead of the competition.
A strategic, highly focused
approach is essential to
successfully navigating
the technology grant-
seeking maze.
Copyright of Tech Directions is the property of Prakken
Publications and its content may not
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without the copyright holder's
express written permission. However, users may print,
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individual use.