COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF CHICAGOGRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

CREATED BY CATHERINE HERZOGASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR CORPORATIONS AND GRANTS

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

What is the goal of this workshop? → Introduce you to grant writing → Learn how to find grants → Create a personal road map for applying to grants now and in the future

Our time together → Overview of grant writing → Overview of where and how to find grants

→ Breakout session: finding the right grant for you → Outlining a grant: from idea to execution

→ Workshop and Q&A→ Final Questions and Survey

WHAT IS A GRANT?

WHAT IS A GRANT?

A sum of money given by an organization for a particular purpose

Come from governments, corporations, and foundations

A way to fund your projects!

ARE YOU READY TO APPLY FOR A GRANT?

Ask yourself Do I have a specific program in mind? Can I get principal buy-in for this proposal? Can I get the materials I need to support this proposal?

Make sure you have A defined project A plan for implementing your project and tracking the results A persuasive, accurate author Principal support

KEEP IN MIND…

If you don’t have buy-in or principal support don’t invest your time. If you don’t have the right tools and can’t get them, don’t invest your time. If you have support, make sure you have the skills and resources to write the

grant.

You need all the components of a grant to be successful!

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE GRANT PROCESS

Putting together the puzzle pieces of a grant

WHAT EXACTLY DOES A GRANT CONSIST OF?

→ Introduction / Executive Summary→ Statement of Need→ Program/Objectives→ Goals and Projected Outcomes→ Evaluation→ Implementation Timeline→ Budget→ Key Personnel→ Conclusion

Remember: every grant proposal will have different sections and requirements. Be prepared to tailor your application to fit the specific grant you are applying to!

THE GRANT PROCESS

Find grants • Review • LOI?• Propos

al?

Develop general proposa

l & budget

Submit LOI or

proposal before

deadline

Agency reviews

Grant receive

d or decline

d

Carry out

project

Report on final outcom

es

REMEMBER…

Make sure you have all the information you need before you start writing. Use relevant statistics. Don’t do or ask for anything they don’t ask for. Follow instructions. Don’t guess – if you have questions, reach out! Don’t stretch the truth or exaggerate – be honest about your program the way it

is! You might have to apply to more than one grant before you receive one.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: FINDING FUNDING SOURCES GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

WHERE DO YOU FIND GRANTS?

Google Search! Grant Directories & Databases Company websites Newsletters Word of Mouth

Google can be a great way to find grants. You just need to know what

to look for!

RESOURCESONLINE RESOURCES→ foundationcenter.org → getedfunding.com→ www.teacherscount.org/grants/→ www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources

NEWSLETTERS → Strengthening Chicago’s Youth (SYC)

scy-Chicago.org→ Foundation Center RFP Bulletin

foundationcenter.org

ASSOCIATIONS→ Form of Regional Associations of

Grantmakers givingforum.org/resources

→ Forefront (previously Donors Forum)myforefront.org

RELATIONSHIPS→ Current funders

→ Partner organizations

→ Educational nonprofits

IS THIS GRANT A GOOD FIT?

PurposeWhat is the focus of their giving? (i.e. animal welfare, education, women’s issues, healthcare)

Fields of InterestWhat specific subjects do they fund? (i.e. dog fighting, literacy, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS)

Geographic FocusWhere do they give? (i.e. internationally, nationally, Illinois, Chicago)

DemographicsWho do they want their grant making to impact? (i.e. minorities, children, women, refugees)

Application InformationHow do you apply? (i.e. submit an LOI online, send a letter, fill out an online form)

Financial DataHow much money do they give away? What is the average grant size?

IS THIS GRANT A GOOD FIT?Funder Name Meemic FoundationWebsite www.meemic.com/the-meemic-foundationContact Person foundation@meemic.com

Purpose• Educational initiatives• For classroom projects, field trips, assemblies, professional development• For teachers/school employees

Fields of Interest • Arts, STEM, literacy, social sciences, digital literacy, information literacy

Geographic Focus • Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois

Demographics • Students grades K-12, higher education

Application Information • Applications submitted online; deadlines 3/31, 6/30, 9/30, 12/31 annually

Financial Data • Grants up to $500 are available

I’M NOT SURE IF THIS GRANT IS A GOOD FIT!

Visit their website Look at their 990 Ask your peers Email them!

A 990 form can be found online and lists

who grants were given to and how much was

given.

BREAKOUT SESSION

• Find a partner and share the details of your project.

• Brainstorm what types of agencies might be interested in funding your project.

• Go to GetEdFunding.com and create a login.

• Spend time trying to find a grant for your program. Use your partner for help if

you get stuck!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: OUTLINING YOUR GRANTGRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

THE PIECES OF A GRANT

→ Introduction / Executive Summary→ Statement of Need→ Program/Objectives→ Goals and Projected Outcomes→ Evaluation→ Implementation Timeline→ Budget→ Key Personnel→ Conclusion

Remember: every grant proposal will have different sections and requirements. Be prepared to tailor your application to fit the specific grant you are applying to!

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION

1. What is the problem you want to address?

2. What is the solution your program proposes?

3. What is the funding you need to implement your program?

4. Why is this program the one that will address the problem?

CIS OF CHICAGO’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION

1. What is the problem you want to address?Every 26 seconds in America, a student drops out of school. CPS students face high dropout rates and students who fail to graduate high school are more likely to remain caught in a cycle of poverty.

2. What is the solution your program proposes?CIS of Chicago integrates support programs into 122 Chicago public schools each year to help at-risk students.

3. What is the funding you need to implement your program?We are seeking $10,000 from the ABC Foundation to help us bring violence prevention programs into schools.

4. Why is this program the one that will address the problem? Studies show our work contributes to higher math and reading scores and helps students stay on track. We have the results and qualitative and quantitative data to support our work.

STATEMENT OF NEEDWhat a need statement says… What is the problem you are trying to address? What are the causes and symptoms of this problem? Who does it affect? What statistics and research back up this data?

What a need statement DOESN’T say…≠ We don’t have a ton of money≠ We want to hire someone≠ We lack the resources to implement this program

Your need statement discusses the nature and cause of a problem you want to fix.

STATEMENT OF NEED

A need statement should…

Be simple. Avoid jargon. Remember to KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Relate to the mission of your program.

Focus on people not on your organization/school.

Define the problem, its causes, and symptoms

Have a sense of urgency.

CIS OF CHICAGO’S STATEMENT OF NEED

1. What is the problem you are trying to address? Only 66% of CPS students will graduate from high school.

2. What are the causes and symptoms of this problem? 87% of students are from low-income households. They are exposed to high rates of violence, lack adequate healthcare, and are isolated from cultural resources and opportunities. There is a lack of social emotional support. This makes educational achievement more difficult.

3. Who does it affect? What statistics and research back up this data? When students drop out, they will make less money, be more likely to be a victim/perpetrator of violent crime. High school dropouts are 140 times more likely to be incarcerated by the age of 34 than peers who graduated.

PROGRAM AND OBJECTIVES

What you are doing that no one else is doing? How does this specific program address the identified need? What are your activities/methods? What are your goals and objectives?

PROGRAM AND OBJECTIVES

1. What is the goal and overall work of your program?CIS of Chicago connects students with integrated services that schools lack the resources to implement.

2. How does this specific program address the identified need?We connect students to programming that helps them develop resiliency, creativity, self-expression, and bolsters academic success.

3. What are your activities/methods?We have a network of 150 community organizations who offer free programming to CPS schools; we also have 5 trained social workers embedded in 5 CPS schools to directly case-manage students.

4. What are your goals and objective? 1. Goal: link high need CPS students in 122 schools with prioritized programs. Objective: 50,000 students will participate.

2. Goal: Work with 150 community partners to deliver programming. Objective: 1,000 programs will be connected.

3. Goal: Directly case-manage individual students at 5 partner schools. Objective: 200 students will be case managed.

CREATING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Types of Objectives Behavioral Performance Process Outcome Product

Strong Objectives are SMART Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-Defined

BE SMART WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING OBJECTIVES

→Specific: who, what, where, why, and how?

→Measurable: the numbers that you want to reach

→Achievable: consider the resources needed to reach this goal.→Relevant: make sure the goal is consistent with the mission.→Time-Sensitive: set a realistic deadline

EVALUATION AND RESULTS

1. How will you know when and if you hit your goals?

2. How will you track your goals, objectives, and activities?

3. Will you have qualitative and quantitative data?

EVALUATION AND RESULTS

1.How will you know when and if you hit your goals? CIS of Chicago generates reports from our database to identify: # of students being connected; # of programs being connected; # of schools being reached; types of services connected.

2.How will you track your goals, objectives, and activities?CIS of Chicago collects data from schools, community partners, and students. We use post-service evaluation forms; surveys; staff observations; and student attendance, behavior, and grade data.

BUDGET

1. Expenses1. A breakdown of the required funding and how it will be spent.

2. Narrative 1. A description of where and how the money will be spent.

Points to remember… If there is a funding limit, don’t ask for more money. Describe the need for the items in the narrative. Budget should be realistic, not idealistic.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BUDGET

Your budget should include all dollars for PEOPLE, PLACES, and THINGS1. Personnel2. Travel3. Equipment4. Supplies

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BUDGET

1. PersonnelCommunity partner team, school partner team, fundraising team, administrative team

2. TravelTravel to and from schools and meetings

3. EquipmentComputers for new staff members, new printer.

4. SuppliesOffice supplies, stamps, envelopes.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK…

Item Budget Amount

Notes/Justification

3 laptops $600 Three laptops at $200 each are needed to help students learn…

Notebooks for students $25 Basic office supplies are needed since students lack the funds to provide their own.

Chaperones for field trip to digital coding lab $500 An additional adult is necessary to help

chaperone this field trip.

Bus rental for field trip $200

Subtotal $1,325

FINAL THOUGHTS GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Make sure you have everything you need before you start writing! Don’t get frustrated if you can’t find the right grant right away. You might need to apply to several grants to win one (we use a four to one rule). Keep your writing and budget simple and easy to read. Have someone else proof read your grant before you submit!

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