Presenters: Deborah Minor‐Harvey & James Pfluecke, IRN Technical Assistance Providers This workshop will identify best practices in federal grant proposal project management including developing a work plan and your work team. Participants will learn about the organizational capacity needed to successfully complete a federal grant proposal, how to assess and document your community's needs, and how to develop a time line for the successful completion of all aspects of the proposal.

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Improving Your Odds at Getting Funded
Developing a Proposal Building Team
Presenters: Deborah Minor-Harvey & James Pfluecke,
IRN Technical Assistance Providers

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Step 1: Where Do I Begin?
Research Federal Funding Sources
• Illinois ResourceNet (www.illinoisresource.net)
• Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
• Grants.gov
• Federal Register/NOFA (Notice of Fund Availability)

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Step 2: Answer Key Questions
• Does your organization have clearly defined mission,
goals and purpose statements?
• Is your mission and strategic plan aligned with the
problem to be addressed in the RFP (Request for
Proposal)?
• Who is driving the grant-seeking process?
• Who will manage the proposal development
process?

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Step 3: Assess Your Organization’s
Capacity
• Board Governance
• Strategic Planning
• Management Systems
• Financial Management Systems
• Fund Development Plan
• Human Resources (Leadership, Management & Program
& Administrative Staff

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Step 4: Make Necessary Adjustments
If Necessary Take A Pass Until Adjustments
Are Made….

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Step 5: Study (really study) the RFP
• Funding Opportunity
Description
• Eligible Applicants
• Objectives
• Evaluation Measures
• Key Questions to Be
Answered & Assigned
Points
• Grant Amount & Duration
• Target Group To Be Served
• Cost Sharing or Matching
• Application & Submission

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Step 6: Assemble Your Proposal
Development Team (Heavy Lifters)
• Proposal Development Manager
• Program Staff
• Community Partners/Collaborators
• Grant Writer

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Step 7: Identify Proposal Development
Supporters
• Funding Agency
• Professional
Organizations Related
to RFP Objectives
• Educational
Institutions
• Board Members
• Clients
• Local Agencies
• Community
Organizations
• Technical Assistance
Providers

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Step 8: Develop Project Time
Line

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Step 9: Develop Proposal Development
Work Plan
• Assign Action Steps to Team Members
According to Skill Set & Time Availability
• Have Proposal Development Manager Facilitate
Work Plan Implementation
• Adjust Plan As Needed
• Maintain Clear Lines of Communication

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Step 10: Assess Community Needs
• Reports from Program Staff
• Intake Forms
• Surveys of Target Population
• Community-Based Focus Groups
• Statistical Data (area organizations, educational
institutions, local government agencies, planning
departments)

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• Take inventory of existing programs &
services provided for the target population
• Identify service gaps
• Document research results
Step 10 continued:

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Step 11: Conduct Strategy Development
Sessions
• Brainstorm strategies that address the problem
• List all possibilities
• Identify opportunities for collaboration
• Reach consensus on strategy
• Develop program logic model
• Create draft budget

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Step 12: Gather or Create “Off the
Shelf” Documents
• Two-page synopsis
describing vision &
mission
• Problem assessment
supporting data
• Goals, objectives &
strategies
• Evaluation approaches &
results
• Budget templates
• Board information
• Relevant forms

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Step 13: Assemble Proposal Documents
• Empirical Data
• Program Logic
Model
• Strategy Work
Plan
• Budget
• Appendices
• Support Letters
(if applicable)

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Follow Instructions
Follow Instructions
Follow Instructions
Follow Instructions
Follow Instructions
Follow Instructions
Step 14:

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Step 15: Develop Proposal Submittal
Checklist

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Step 16: Submit Proposal
Do Not Wait Until the Last Minute

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Step 17: Proposal is Submitted
Celebration Time!