EssentialsofDevelopinga
CompellingGrantProposal
DanielNewberry,ExecutiveDirector
JohnsonCreekWatershedCouncil
NOWCConference,November4,2015
TheBigSecret:
Writing thegrantisthefinal step
indevelopingasuccessfulproposal
Wheretostart?
1. Developaproject,thensearchforafunderwithcommongoals.
OR
2. Findafundingsourceandchangetheprojecttochasethemoney.
WhichdoyouthinkwillmakeamorecompellingproposalANDfulfill
yourorganization’smissionmoreeffectively?
Gettingstarted– asktherightquestions.
• Istheprojectinyourstrategicplan/workplan?
Opportunisticprojectswilloccasionallybeworthpursuing,
butshouldbetheexception,ratherthantherule.
• Whataretheprojectgoalsandobjectives?
• Whattechnicalassistancewillyouneedtodevelopyour
proposal?
• Whatpartnershipsarenecessaryand/orhelpfulforsuccess?
• Whatisareasonableprojectbudget(willcomelaterinthe
process)?
• Whatistheprojecttimeline?
Q1:Whythisproject?
• Whythis project,whynow?
• Whichplanningdocumentsmakethisprojectnecessary?Examples:
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Organizationalstrategicplan
Annualworkplan
Basinlimitingfactorsanalysis
Federal/statefisheries(ESU)recoveryplan?
Q2:Whataretheprojectgoalsandobjectives?
• Whatenvironmental(orsocial)conditionwillbeimprovedbythis
project?
• Howwillyoumeasuresuccess?Takeafirstguessatquantifyingthose
measures.
• Examples:
• Goals:ImproverearinghabitatinBigCreek,improvejuvenilepassageinSwift
River.
• Objectives:Plant1,500nativetreesandshrubson3acresalong625linear
feetonriparianland.Add75piecesoflargewoodincomplexlogjams.
Q3:Whattechnicalassistancewillyouneed
todevelopyourproposal?
• Professionalengineeringdesigns(culverts,channelrealignment,etc)
• Plantingprescriptions
• Monitoringprotocols,staff/volunteertraining,surveydesign,
QA/QC?
Q4:Whatpartnershipsarenecessaryand/or
helpfulforsuccess?
• NaturalResourceagencies(Federal,State,County,SWCD)for
technicalsupportandreview
• Landownerrelationships.Manyinteractionsarehelpful,even
necessary,andtaketime—yearsinsomecases—todevelop.
• Communitygroups,includingotherNGOs,schools(volunteer
support,outreach,clients/beneficiariesoftheprojects)
• Funders– agencies,foundations,individualdonors
Q5:Whatisareasonableproject
budget(willcomelaterintheprocess)?
Typicalbudgetlineitems:
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Staffsalaries(includetaxes&benefits)
Contractedservices
Suppliesandequipment
Mileage
Overhead/indirectcosts
Post-projectmonitoring
Sampleinternalbudgetingspreadsheet
Modified fromanactualproject
Units
300
400
1
1
1
1
1
1079
Unit
Funder
Funder1 Funder2
In-kind Subtotal
Cost
Description
3
30Payroll-Volunteer&OutreachCoordinator
5,400
1,800 1,800
9,000
34Payroll-RestorationProjectManager
5,440
3,060 2,720 2,380 13,600
2500Contract:xxxxx
2,500
2,500
2500Contract:xxxxx
2,500
2,500
Equipment:Safetyvests,waders,polarized
2620 sunglasses
2,000
140
480
2,620
3000Contract:Dr.xxxxxxx,scientificoversight
1,000
2,000 3,000
5000Collegeintern(20hrs/wk*17weeks*$10/hr)
5,000 5,000
0.575Mileage/Gas
620
620
Subtotal
13,840
5,000 10,000 10,000 38,840
36%
13%
26%
26% 100%
Noneofthesefundersallowindirectcosts
Q6:Whatistheprojecttimeline?
• ProjectDevelopment:Isatechnicalassistancegrant
necessarybeforedevelopingthemainproject?
• ProposalWritingformultiple,matchingsources
(includeplentyoftimetodeveloppartnershipsandrequestletters
ofsupport).
• Timeuntilfundsaresecured
• Permitting
• Implementation
• Reportwriting
• Post-projectmonitoring
WatershedCouncilrestorationprojecttimelinesareusually2-5
years,andoftenlonger,especiallywith3yearsofpost-project
monitoring!
Researchingfundingsources
• Mostgovernment&foundationfunders
require matchfunding.Themorematch,
themorecompetitivetheproposal.
• Mostagencies&foundationswillposttheirgrantawardhistories.
• Usethewebsiteguidestar.comtofindfoundationgrantawardhistories.
Theyarerequiredtodisclosethisinformationintheir990forms.
• Lookatmultiple yearsoffunding;checkwebsitesforstatedaward
strategies,averageandmaximumawards,applicanteligibility,
geographicrestrictions,programmaticrestrictions,projectelements
theywillnot fund.
Treatgrantorsasmajordonors
• Buildrelationshipswithprogramofficersandotherkey
agency/foundationemployees.
• Whenitisallowed,call/emailwellinadvanceofthedeadlineand
discussyourproject.Youwilloftengetshintsonhowtomakeyour
projectmorecompetitive!
• Sendannualreports,newsletters,otherinformationtopotential
funders.
Thinklikeagrantor.
• Wearingthegrantorhat,readthegrantproposal:
• Doesthisproposalfitourprioritiesandrequirements?
• Doesitmakesense?Allthepiecesfittogether?
• WhyshouldIfundit?
• Isanythingsuspicious?
• Howdoesitrankwithotherproposals?
Commonreasonsforgettingturneddownforfunding
• Failuretofollowgrantor’sveryspecificdirections
• Submittingtheproposalafterthedeadline
• Proposal’sgoalsnotagoodmatchforgrantor’sgoals
• Unclearobjectives/measuresofsuccess,project
environmental/socialbenefits,monitoringstrategy,
• Requestedfundsgreaterthangrantor’sstatedrangeorattopof
rangewithoutacompellingreasonforsuchalargerequest
• Projectduplicatesanotherorganization’srequest
• Poorwriting(unclear,grammar,punctuation—reflectsonapplicant)
Commonelementsofasuccessfulgrantproposal
Compellingneediswell-articulated
Organizationalcapacitytocompleteprojectisdemonstrated
Organizationhasahistoryofsuccess
Budgetisreasonableandintherangeofsimilarprojectsin
thesamegeographicarea
Communitysupportdemonstratedthroughpartnerships,
lettersofsupport.
Multiplefundingsources,sonosinglegrantorfeelstheyare
“carrying”theproject.
OregonWatershedCouncilfunding
sourcesotherthanOWEB
National:NFWF(BBN,Fivestar,etc),EPA’sRGI,
State:ODFWFishPassage &Screening,ODA,ODEQ319
Local:tax-supportedSWCDs,counties,cities,countyweedboards
Foundations:OCF,MeyerMemorialTrust,CollinsFoundation,
McKenzieRiverGathering,SpiritMtn.CommunityFund,TNC(Pacific
Power&PGESalmonFunds),smallerlocalfamilyfoundations
• Corporate(usuallymuchsmallerthanothersources)
• Mitigationfunds
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