Applying for Funding:
What you Need to Succeed
Mario R. Gravelle
Learning & Innovation Analyst
Applying for Funding:
What you Need to Succeed
Identifying a need: Can you show that a problem exists and
prove that a new intervention is needed?
How can you ensure that your intervention will be effective and
what makes your intervention efficient?
How can you show that your grant tracking and reporting initiatives
will support a learning culture and promote your organization’s sustainability?
What are proposal deal-breakers and deal-makers?
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Identifying a Need
Two steps that show your intervention is required…
Step one: Using the right approach to demonstrate that a problem needs to be addressed.
“Acts of violence in high schools affect student learnings outcomes in two ways: First, systemic violence in
high schools is very disruptive to the student body. Second, disciplinary measures force the perpetrators to
miss important classroom time. Violent incidences also impacts staff career outcomes as it leads to poor
workplace conditions. It is important to note that violence in high schools has an impact outside of the school
setting as expenses incurred to prevent/come to terms with violent incidences (policing; disciplining
offenders; and HR costs) are shouldered by the taxpayer. The funds to pay for these unnecessary expenditures
could certainly be used in other places.”
“Verbal and physical violence in high schools is an ever increasing problem. According to the provincial
government, each high school experiences at least three acts of violence (student on student and/or student on
staff) per day. This number has doubled in the past ten years. (Provincial Government, Report on High School
Violence. 2011)”
Step two: Proving that a service gap exists.
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Effectiveness
Using a Theory of Change to test/prove that your intervention will work.
A Theory of Change expresses the underlying theories/beliefs that guide a service delivery strategy and
are assumed to be critical for producing positive change.
A Theory of Change can be captured in a series of IF-THEN statements: If something is done with or for
project participants, then something should change.
Case Study: Improving student learning and staff career outcomes by decreasing violence in high
schools.
Problem identified: Violence (verbal and physical) in high schools (student/student and student/staff)
affects student learning outcomes (good grades, graduation rates, and participation in post-secondary
education) and staffing conditions (sick days, burnout and turnover).
Solution: Design an intervention for students, staff, and caregivers to change behaviours that will
reduce violence in high schools.
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Theory of Change:
Improving Learning and Career Outcomes
IF resources are available, THEN a
program can provide a certain set of
activities or services to participants.
IF a target group’s support network takes part in
activities or receive services, THEN the target
group is more likely to experience specific
changes in their knowledge, attitudes or skills.
In this case, IF we have the right
resources, THEN we can provide
activities to limit violence which is a
factor that influences learning and
career outcomes.
In this case, IF facilitators provide conflict
intervention strategy training to caregivers and
staff, THEN students will be supported in
choosing to resolve conflicts peacefully.
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IF participants take part in activities or
receive services, THEN they will
experience specific changes in their
knowledge, attitudes or skills.
IF individuals change their knowledge,
attitudes or skills, THEN they will
change their behavior and usual
practice.
In this case, IF facilitators provide
nonviolent conflict management strategy
training to students, THEN these students
will develop nonviolent conflict
management skills.
In this case, IF students/caregivers staff
gain knowledge about how to avoid
and/or defuse violent confrontations,
THEN fewer incidences of violence
will occur in these schools.
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Effectiveness
A Logic Model Diagram illustrates the connection between the theories that underscore your
initiative and what you intend to provide that will lead to the outcomes you want to occur.
Terminology:
-Inputs/Resources (financial, human, knowledge and infrastructure)
-Outputs (activities and services)
-Outcomes/Impacts (changes in knowledge, attitudes or skills leading to changes in behavior
and usual practice)
A Logic Model Diagram acts as a drawing that shows how one component of an initiative leads to the next.
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
OUTCOMES
Case Study: Improving student learning and staff career outcomes by decreasing violence in high schools.
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Logic Model:
Improving Learning and Career Outcomes in High Schools
Inputs
Outputs
Outcomes
Short-Term
Long-Term
Financial Resources: (From grantmakers,
government, and/or grantee in-kind
contributions)
Situation:


Verbal and
physical
violence in
high schools
affects
student
learning and
staff career
outcomes.
$81,000 Grant from The
Counselling Foundation of Canada
$48,000 Grant from ACME Inc.
Human Resources: (Grantee staff,
consultants and/or trained facilitators)



Program Manager
Program Assistant
Staff members from the high
school
Knowledge Resources: (Theories and/or
concepts)

Nonviolent Conflict Management
and Conflict Intervention strategies
Infrastructure Resources: (Physical space,
tools and/or materials)



Meeting space at the high school
Technology at the high school
(overhead projectors and screens)
Nonviolent Conflict Management
and Conflict Intervention strategy
materials
Nonviolent Conflict
Management Sessions
offered to high school
students.
Conflict Intervention
Sessions offered to
caregivers and staff
members from the high
school.
Students use nonviolent
conflict management
techniques instead of
violence = Decrease in
student punishment; increase
in student academic
performance; and better
working conditions for school
staff.
Caregivers and staff use
conflict intervention
techniques to prevent and
break up violent incidences =
Decrease in student
punishment; increase in
student academic
performance; and better
working conditions for school
staff.
Better student
learning outcomes
(higher graduation
rates and access to
post-secondary
education)
Improved staff
career outcomes
(decrease in staff
burnout and
turnover)
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Efficiency
Are your proposed activities required and realizable?
Are your timelines realistic?
Is your budget reasonable?
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Supporting a learning culture and
promoting your organizational sustainability.
Grant
Application
Grant
Reporting
Grant
Tracking
PROJECT B
Grant
Reporting
Grant
Tracking
Grant
Application
PROJECT A
PROJECT C
Grant
Application
Grant
Reporting
Grant
Tracking
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Deal-breakers and deal-makers
How do you intend to stay in business?
Spreading the wealth through replication
The added value of ensuring a project’s intellectual legacy
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Resources
Theory of Change and Logic Model
Andrea Anderson, The Community Builder’s Approach to Theory of Change:
A practical guide to theory and development.
Julia Coffman, Learning From Logic Models: An Example
of a Family/School Partnership Program.
University of Wisconsin, Enhancing Program Performance with Logic Models.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Logic Model Development Guide.
Professional Development and Other Links
American Evaluation Association
Canadian Evaluation Society
Innovation Network
The Community Tool Box
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