Laurie Jarrett Rogers and Amy Nisenson
March 2016
Introductions
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Name
Your Agency
Your experience with grant writing
If you had a magic wand…what would you do?
Workshop Objectives
• Increase your understanding of
the grants process
• Learn how to research and
narrow sources
• Increase your knowledge of the
components of a grant application
• Ensure best fit between funder
and agency
• Understand importance of
stewardship/thank you
Types of Grantmakers
Individuals
Independent foundations
Community foundations
Operating foundations
Corporate foundations
Corporate giving programs
Government funding at all levels
Faith Community
• Annual funds/operating support/seed monies
(foundations assume individuals will primarily fund this)
• Planning/assessing/capacity building
• Programs
• Capital projects/capital campaigns
• Endowments (typically individuals better source)
• Equipment, furnishings and technology
• Challenge grants
• Matching grants
• Special projects/RFPs
• Research
• Scholarships (typically individuals better source)
• Technology
Give people a fact or an idea and
you enlighten their mind.
Tell them a story and you touch
their soul.
- Hassidic Proverb
How do you better tell your story…
o Articulate organization’s needs
o Mission/Vision
o Impacts/Benefits/Outcomes
How do you better tell your story…
o Define your project/problem
o Needs in response to larger context
o Target Audience
o What funding have you gotten in the past?
Proposal Idea Questions
• What new projects (or program expansions) are you
planning for next two to three years (strategic plan)
• Who else is doing these projects? Is there duplication
of effort? Can a partnership be formed that will
benefit all organizations concerned with a project?
Research Tools
• The Foundation Center
• http://www.foundationcenter.org
• Directory of VA Foundations:
www.grantsconnection.com
Exploring the Grants Connection
• www.grantsconnection.com
 Unlimited access to the database of Virginia
foundations. The most current information
available on foundations giving in Virginia.
 The bulk of the information is from the IRS
PF990 forms for the Foundations.
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The Foundation Center
Grants Connection
Grant Station (via TechSoup)
www.K12grants.org
Fundsnet: fundsnetservices.com
Grantstracker.com (fee based)
Grantwatch.com (fee based)
• Michigan State Univ. Library (free)
staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants
• Chronicle of Philanthropy
 Websites of foundations, corporations and organizations
 Federal grants www.grants.gov
 Federal Register www.federalregister.gov
 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov
 U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov
 National Science Foundation www.nsf.gov
How to cull through research
and know what to submit…
 Be discerning! Don’t just shoot in the dark.
Look at interests or giving history (990s are a great source for
this)
Look at geographic approach (know the funders in your area)
When researching, look for
 Historical funding and amounts (never go way above their historical
range unless you have been told differently)
 Deadlines, requirements and can you meet them
 Does the foundation accept unsolicited proposals or do you
need an invitation?
 Review funders guidelines
 Some funders issue proposal guidelines and application
procedures (deadlines, geographic limitations, etc.)
 On-line resources to find guidelines (print or download application
forms and instructions)
 Contact the funding source
 Set up an initial informational interview/visit
 Use connections to get an introduction (if appropriate, send a Letter of
Inquiry)
Research work
Spend the next 30-40 minutes doing the
following:
• Find 3-5 viable funding sources for your
organization
• A few of you can report out on what you find
Once you research, now what?
• Organize your research and decide where to apply
• Narrow it down where you have the best chance of
getting the grant
• Reflect back on your development plan
Relationships are important
Board has an important role
– Make introductions
– Accompany on site visits
– Help identify potential donors
– Write letters of support
Talking to the Funder
• Complete funding research before calling a potential
funder
• Use the call to make sure you are a fit with the
funder’s objectives and goals
• Ask about an in-person visit or visit to site
• Ask if the information from their recent IRS Form 990
is indicative of their giving priorities or if there have
been changes
Talking to the Funder
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Sample questions to ask the funder…
How many new awards do they expect to make in this
program area?
Does the program provide one-time only support or do
they offer other funding opportunities in the future?
Would they be willing to review a draft proposal in
advance of a submission?
What is the review process?
Does the funder expect last year’s average grant
amount to change?
Talking to the Funder:
The Questions They Will Ask YOU!
 How does the project serve? (what do you want to
accomplish?)
 Is agency sound? (do you have the capacity to
accomplish what you want to do?)
 Is there a future here?
 Are we the only funder here?
 How will you know if you accomplished your goals?
 Will your program have genuine impact/make a
difference?
Letter of Intent
• 1-2 pages
• Ask for the gift in first
paragraph.
• Describe the need
• Describe the project
• Background/history of
your agency
• Budget Information
• Conclusion
Usual Proposal Components:
• Cover Sheet
• Organizational Information
• Need
• Project: goals, objectives,
activities, timelines
• Evaluation/Outcomes
• Logic Models
• Budget/Budget justification
Components of the Proposal
• Cover
sheet/Executive
summary
Proposal Component:
 Intro/background/mission
statement
Proposal Component:
Need Statement
 THE driving force of what led you to create a response -- what is the problem
- how significant is it
- who has it
- how do you know???
 Focus on the conditions of the lives you wish to change
 Community Assets are part of this discussion
 Reasonable dimensions
 Urgent but Hopeful
 Statistics
 This is about your clients, community -- not your organization!
PROPOSAL COMPONENT
Project (includes what you are
doing, how you will find your
participants, the timeline for
activity, objectives, the plan!)
PROPOSAL COMPONENT:
Evaluation
- Goals: Broad-based statement of
a desired end (increase, decrease,
reduce)
- Objectives: measurable, achievable;
indicates a path your org will take to meet
goal
- Strategies: specific activities to
achieve each objective
The Evaluation Cycle
Start
Step 1:
Plan Program and
evaluation
Step 4:
Adjust program as
data suggests;
adjust evaluation
Step 2:
Implement
program and
collect data
Step 3:
Review data. Are you
doing what you planned?
Are you having the
intended impact?
PROPOSAL COMPONENT:
Budget/Budget Justification
Cultivate Support…Don’t Expect It!
Awaiting the Decision
 Provide updates to the funder, as needed or requested. Do
not pester the funder while the decision is in process.
 Inform your board that the proposal has been submitted.
Take advantage of any relationships that might exist.
 Do not assume anything – await formal notification.
Cultivate Support…Don’t Expect It!
You DIDN’T get the grant
 Contact the funder to see why you weren’t
funded.
 Ask for a critique!
 Do not get discouraged. Sometimes you have to submit more
than once to get funded.
 Common reasons for decline:
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Similar proposals being considered at same time
Limited funds
Proposal wasn’t a fit for funder
Key pieces of proposal not included
Cultivate Support…Don’t Expect It!
You received the grant!!
 Congratulations!
 Say thank you!
 Invite funder to see your work
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Stewardship:
Ensure that the funder feels
good about the return on
investment
Reporting to the funder…
 Ensure you follow all of the reporting requirements
 Be accountable
 Meet deadlines
 Provide an update on how many you served, the activities, how
the outcomes are going
 If something changes with regard to the proposal, contact the
funder. Don’t wait until reports are due.
 If funder doesn’t require a report, include update in final thank
you note
*** No surprises!!!!!!
It has been said that "grant writing is
like playing the stock market; there is
seldom a guarantee that your efforts
will be rewarded, but the more you
know about the process and the
more you use this knowledge,
the greater the probability for
success."
Source: Hensen, K. L. "The Art of Writing for Publication."
Laurie
Rogers
Amy.nisenson@gmail.
com
[email protected]
Amy
Nisenson