An Introduction to Grant Writing

November 2016

Where to start?

Begin at the beginning!“Begin at the beginning” said the King, “and stop

when you get to the end!

Workshop Goals

• Increase knowledge of the grant writing process (gov’t, corp, foundation)

• Experience in reviewing funding information to determine alignment with your institution’s needs/goals

• Develop a project outline/concept paper addressing a grant RFP

Best way to never get a grant

Don’t Apply!

Best ways to get a grant

Apply by deadlineRead the instructions carefully.Follow the rulesAnswer the questions

Be Grant-ready

Know who you are and what you want to accomplishHave a project description written Have all your attachment information in handHave a plan for signatures/finalizing copy

Types of funders

Government Funders Know what programs your organization is eligible for Contact Officers Attend any provided info sessions

Corporate Grant Programs Separate from donations or sponsorships some foundations have specific

grant programs with a formal process

Foundation Grant Programs Foundations differ in the formality of their application processes

Trade Associations, Sororities, Fraternities, Service Clubs Artsvest (Business Council for the Arts), SOCAN, Kiwanis, etc.

Differences in Approach for Types of Funders

Where there is a formal grant process differences in government, foundation and corporate grants are fewer than you might think.Major difference is where personal contacts will help. Personal connections/contacts will help with: Understanding government grant processes but not with access

or success Will help with information about and success of corporate

grants (can be essential). Can help with access, information and success with foundations

(mileage varies)

A couple of examples of Sponsorship Decks

For an opera project For a youth programFeaturing compelling pictures and diagrams to tell stories

How to find funders:

Research who funds organizations like yours. If organization is not new, who funded them in the past.

Look for funder links/info on non-profit service sites such as Charity Village, arts service organizations

Invest in a fundraising database like Imagine Canada for more leads

Sign up for all funder newsletters, mailing lists you findSnoop private funders’ CRA information returns onlineJoin fund-development networking groupsDevelop your own database of funders and outcomes

Researching funders

Don’t just read the guidelines and think you know the funder, where available read:• What they fund (other organizations they support)

and look for patterns• Annual reports and general information on funder

priorities, news releases• Borrow their language for your application where

there is congruence.

Assemble and save basic information

Save the site address, passwords, and guidelines plus any correspondence with Officers Exact deadline: Day, time. (hardcopy required by same deadline or to follow, date-stamped by)Format required: paper, online, email, both. Signatures required, board motion, proof of statusAttachments and fodder documents

Annual grantwriting tasks

End of arts season: Write a report on prior seasons highlights, challenges and business positionSummer time: Update your organizational profile and description Example Keeping in mind your 5-10 top foundation matches, develop a foundation application template that will include:

Mission & MandateHistoryCore Programs/DistinctivenessAwards, Accolades, press quotes, case stories of impactRecent highlights challenges and short-term goalsSpace for ask and acknowledgements

Specific Challenges

Debt No funder wants to fund debt. Provide a solid business plan for how

you are going to retire debt and assure them their funds will not fund the debt.

Higher than usual surplus Explain what the surplus funds are being saved for

New organization References, support letters even if not required Trustee if required Note if a PO Box is permissible, often not, physical address is required

Be Proactive

Before reacting to the grant questions, know what you need to say What is the problem/need you are addressing Your idea, goals Who is involved, resources needed Timelines, schedule, plan What will success look like and how will you evaluate

Writing steps Write with the guidelines open and follow alongFill in all the basic organizational information, but then tweak it to address question asked, guidelines and program emphasis.Answer additional questions from material you have prepared in advance but review to ensure you have answered the question asked in language the funder will understand.Do phone the grant officer if you are unclear on how to respond (after looking for answer in guidelines and basic information). Before finalizing copy. Review your key grant information document and see if there is anything missing in telling your story. Plug that information into the relevant question. Proof-read for typos and grammar

Grant budgets

These can vary in complexity. Start with your pre-existing project budget and adapt it to the format needed.

It’s helpful to create an Excel working document before adding figures to locked forms.

Establish whether the application guidelines want you to include or exclude costs outside of eligible costs

If you are only including a portion of a project in your budget, make that consistent with your narrative.

If a budget form is too simple to be believed in a grant, it probably is. Look for an “add more lines” button! Or, contact the Officer to see if they want a more detailed budget submitted as supplemental.

When you are apportioning a reasonable amount of the grant towards staff costs, it is usually better to suggest 1 or 2 people rather than 10, even knowing that more will be involved. Divide the amount by the average hourly salary.

Follow-up

If you don’t receive an automatic confirmation of receipt of grant by email, follow-up with a note to the Officer saying “just submitted” or “just mailed”. Can save you if something goes wrong.It’s perfectly okay to email or mail supplemental information. Take care to describe it as supplemental not “corrections” as that would be inadmissible. Things like new partners, newly confirmed funds, new inkind and breaking press can help your application.

Grant-writing in a team

Clarify roles, especially who is the lead writer and who will prepare the budget.Set specific target dates for stages of completion and when new draft versions will be circulated.Use reviewers tools only in small teams and/or in close proximity.Use collaborative software or platforms for larger groups.

Practice Exercise

Research government and foundation grants that you are eligible for. ( pick 2-3)Review guidelines for the program and develop key points that you’ll want to cover in your application.What materials and attachments do you need?How much will you ask? What is your work plan for writing the proposal. Share your plan.

You are a small puppetry company recently incorporated as a non-profit and you do have charitable status. You are not an operating client of any of the arts councils yet and you need to find funding for a co-creation project with a community group for a local ethnic heritage celebration that will attract some audience from outside Toronto. You have an annual budget of about $150,000/year and this project is in the $25,000 range.

Additional resources useful to new organizations

Introduction to grantwriting Grantwriting as a teamStarting a Non-Profit- Charity Village GuideCharity Start-up Toolbox- Law Help OntarioStarting an organization – Imagine Canada