STRATEGIC GRANT WRITING (SESSION 3)

Workshop conducted by Rick Olsen

Session Two: The Mechanics of Writing a Superior Grant

•  PREPARATION –  Defining Your Project –  Identifying the Right Grant Sources –  Contacting the Funders –  Acquiring Proposal Guidelines –  Determining Personnel Needs

•  WRITING THE PROPOSAL –  Writing the Narrative and the HOOK –  Aligning the Budget to the Project Mission –  Supporting Materials –  Authorized Signatures

•  FOLLOW UP

DEFINING THE PROJECT

GOLDEN CONJUNCTION

YES

SCHOOL STRENGTHS

STRATEGIC LAYERS OF

ONION

GRANTOR’S MISSION

You can start from any

circle

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is pleased to announce our 2010 National Grant competition. The Foundation's grant-making program seeks to develop or expand projects designed to support the development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their children. A total of approximately $650,000 will be awarded; no grant request should exceed $65,000. In order to be considered eligible for a grant, an organization must meet the following criteria: -- The organization must have current nonprofit or public status and have been in existence for two or more years as of the date of the application -- The organization must have maintained fiscal accountability -- The organization must operate an instructional literacy program that has been in existence for at least 2 years and includes one or more of the following components: a) literacy for adults; b) parent education; c) pre-literacy or literacy instruction for children pre-k to grade 3; d) intergenerational literacy activities (Parent and Child Together Time [(PACT]).

Statement of Need

•  Purpose (mission statement):

•  Goals:

•  Measurable objectives:

•  Compelling, logical reason why the proposal should be supported (assumptions supported by research):

Approach

•  Method & process of accomplishing goals & objectives:

•  Expected outcomes:

•  Initiatives with timeline (who does what by when):

•  How do we measure success (funder’s expectations)

The HOOK

DIFFERENTIATION • In what ways could your project be different from other projects that have the same goal

• Divide your project into its different components and then change each component to see what happens; encourage wild and crazy ideas; see who can come up with the craziest ideas…

LEADING THE REVOLUTION

COALITIONS • Who in your community supports your project…

• In what way is your project a revolution…

• How will you engage your coalition partners…

• How will you lead the revolution…

Layers of the Onion Pick One!

•  Abstinence Education •  Adult & Public Education •  Children & Youth •  Community Service •  Crime Prevention •  Economic Development •  Elders in Need •  Food & Nutrition •  Health •  HIV/AIDS •  Homeless Services

•  Housing •  International Programs •  Micro-enterprise •  Prisoner Reentry •  Refugees & Asylees •  Rural Needs •  Substance Abuse •  Technology Resources •  Veterans •  Workforce Development •  Other

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

•  STRATEGY PLANNING TEAM: STEERING COMMITTEE •  BOARD OF DIRECTORS: DUTIES OF A DYNAMIC BOARD •  VISION STATEMENT: FUTURE STATE •  MISSION STATEMENT: PURPOSE •  VALUES STATEMENT: STRATEGIC PRIORITIES •  CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS •  SWOT ANALYSIS •  GOALS & OBJECTIVES & MEASURES •  INITIATIVES: WHAT BEHAVIORS DRIVE PERFORMANCE •  OPERATIONAL PLANS: WHO DOES WHAT BY WHEN •  COMMUNICATION PLANS •  MONITOR & CONTROL PLANS

GRANT PROPOSAL WRITING TIPS

•  http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html