The Grant Writing Process Diane Cruze Coordinator, Resource
Development Jefferson County Public Schools October 30, 2012 1
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Goals for Today How to prepare for writing a grant. Basic steps
for developing a proposal. Ways to identify funding for
projects/ideas. 2
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Grant Writing Fundamentals 3
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Know the Language Requests for Proposals (RFP) Request for
Applications (RFA) Notice of Funding (NOF) Letters of Intent (LOI)
Notice of Award (NOA) 4
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Searching for Funding Grantwrangler.com Grants4teachers.com
grantsalert.com Foundationcenter.org - Search RFP database. Also,
sign up for Philanthropy News Digest (PND) e-newsletter for grant
alerts Google grants AND literacy; grants AND math 5
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Sample Proposals US Department of ED FOIA Reading Room:
www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/rea dingroom_2.html Sample
Proposals - www.k12grants.org/samples/ Grantproposal.com Request to
agency or submitting institution 6
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Read the RFP Carefully Make note of eligibility requirements
Look at Funding Limits and Year Limits Use the font suggested or
required Many online applications have character limits. Use the
line spacing and page layout required by the agency Note funding
priorities Follow directions explicitly!!! 7
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Get to Know the Funder Call the Program Officer and ask
questions. Look on the website or annual report to see the types of
work that was funded in the previous year. Request copies of
previously funded proposals for the Dept. of Ed they will refer you
to the FOIA Reading Room. ALWAYS participate in technical
assistance workshops and webinars for applicants if offered. 8
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How to prepare Understand as much as possible about the funder
search and read! What are the current trends in the field? Research
and evidence-based strategies. What projects/programs have been
funded recently? What are the priorities of the funder? 9
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Investigate Total amounts of funds Number of projects to be
funded Average dollar amount awarded Record of past awards Who/What
have they supported in the past 10
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Understand the Review Process Anticipate reviewers for the
proposal Look for reviewer rubrics and evaluation information in
the RFP or on the website Note points awarded for specific sections
and information Anticipate what the reviewer will want to know and
provide the answers to questions before they are asked 11
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Foundation/Corporate Proposals May require a one to two page
Letter of Inquiry or preliminary proposal first. Many do not accept
unsolicited or uninvited proposals. 12
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Before You Write Read the RFP Instructions several times
through making notes. Highlight frequently used phrases. Develop
your proposal outline and have it match the RFP outline. Know the
scoring rubric to help you allocate time and space in writing.
Draft your goals and objectives. 13
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Proposal Language Use active language avoid am, is, are, was,
were, be, been, being Be concise make every word count 14
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Learn to Write Active Text Active Voice "I write technology
articles." The subject (I) does something (write). Passive Voice
"Technology articles are written by me." The subject (technology
articles) has something done to it (are written). 15
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Writing the Grant Write objectively (the students, the staff,
etc.) Write to the reviewer Answer only the question Answer the
entire question Edit the entire document Number the pages 16
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Writing the Grant (Cont.) Use key words and phrases Skip
educational jargon No jargon Clear and concise sentences No passive
voice Use format to enhance content (usually must be in Word)
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Writing the Grant (Cont.) Dont ramble on Use Who, What, Where,
When, Why, How Inverted Pyramid / Newspaper Style Bold or underline
to emphasize Bullets rather than long sentences 18
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Key Elements of a Proposal Essentially the same for every
funder may vary slightly. Most proposals now are submitted online
with character/space limitations. Federal proposals generally will
be longer than proposals submitted to foundations and corporations.
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Key Elements of a Proposal Background (Have updated description
of organization for any grant proposal) Needs Statement
Goals/Objectives/Outcomes Methodology/Management
Plan/Implementation Plan Evaluation Plan Budget Budget
Narrative/Justification 20
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JCPS Background JCPS Background Jefferson County Public Schools
is the largest urban district in Kentucky and the 29 th largest
district in the nation. With more than 100,000 students enrolling
for 2011/2012 in 155 schools, over 62% of the districts students
qualify for free/reduced lunch with 52% of the student population
white and 48% non-white. Thirty-six percent of JCPS students are
African-American, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 4% identify as other
ethnic minorities. The district provides Exceptional Child
Education services to almost 14,000 students and more than 5,000
students have limited proficiency in English. More than 10,000 JCPS
students are homeless at some point in the year. 21
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Statement of Problem or Need Reason for writing the proposal.
Condition or situation you wish to change: scope and magnitude,
demographic and geographic. Related to purposes and goals of the
organization. Objective evidence of problem/need. 22
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Needs/Problem Statement National Needs State Needs Regional
Needs Local Needs 23
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Examples State Assessment Scores (% proficient, distinguished,
and novice) Free/Reduced Lunch Rates ACT Scores % ECE students
Number of students who are homeless Number of parents who attend
parent/teacher conferences 24
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Sources for Statistics Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count
Kentucky Youth Advocates KDE School Report Cards Office of
Education Accountability district Data Profile 25
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Sources for Statistics (cont.) I Love Mountains.org Interactive
database by county of health statistics and life expectancy -
http://ilovemountains.org/the-human-cost US Census 26
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Regional/Local Need(s) Use current, relevant data and
information. You must prove there is a compelling problem.
Anecdotal information is ok if used to enhance data/statistics.
Cite sources. The Needs Section drives the entire proposal. 27
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Sample Needs Statement Community and education leaders have
reacted to evidence that many Jefferson County students are
struggling and need support in order to be successful in school.
The most recent data from the Kentucky Department of Education
reports that in 2010 the JCPS graduation rate (where students
graduate on time in four years) was 69.3.7% and the dropout rate
was 5%. These numbers are higher than the state graduation rate of
76.7% and the state dropout rate was 3.2%. 28
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Use Research In Needs Statement A 2009 KIDS COUNT Indicator
Brief entitled Reducing the High School Dropout Rate points to the
quiet troubles associated with disadvantaged communities that often
make it difficult for students to stay on track. The brief
recommends that schools should focus on forces outside of school
that contribute to dropping out including health issues, mental
health issues, and personal needs such as lacking clothes or shoes.
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Sample Needs Statement (cont.) Data from the 2011 KIDS COUNT
gives details on the multiple risk factors of children in many
Jefferson County households. The number of children living in
poverty has increased from 19% in 2005 to 25.3% in 2010 and the
number of children enrolled in Medicaid increased from 52,719 in
2005 to 62,210 in 2009. Of the 170,927 children living in Jefferson
County, 7,787 received KCHIP, 7,978 received K-TAP, 5,716 received
SSI, and 40,270 received food stamps. In addition, 21% of all
births in the county in 2006 were to mothers who were not high
school graduates. 30
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Your Case for Support How does your school/organization create
value? Why does your school/organization merit support? Who
benefits from your organization and the work that it does? What
impact does your organization have in the community? 31
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Why does your school/organization merit support? Family
Resource and Youth Service Centers (FRYSCs) were established by the
Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990 to provide school-based
assistance centers for children and their families. The FRYSC
program is the largest state-supported, school-based, family
support program in the United States. The centers primary goal is
to address the multiple barriers to student achievement by
developing and sustaining programs, services, and partnerships that
promote student success. Understanding that poverty can be a major
barrier to student success, Family Resource Centers at the
elementary school level and Youth Service Centers at the middle and
high school level are placed in schools where a minimum of 20% of
students qualified for free lunch. FRYSCs are now in 132 of the
districts 155 schools. 32
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Why does your school/organization merit support? (cont.) But
limited and reduced funding has caused many FRYSCs to cut back in
the services they are able to provide the growing numbers of
students who need help in order to be successful in school. These
centers need additional assistance to address the specific needs of
struggling students and their families. 33
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Goals and Objectives Goals Are large statements of what to
accomplish Are not very measurable Objectives Operational Tell
specific things you will be accomplishing in your project Are very
measurable 34
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Goal Statement Change in status Condition to be changed What do
you want to accomplish with this grant? Big picture statement
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Change in Status To improve To prevent To enhance To change
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Condition to be changed Literacy Homelessness Achievement
Attendance Parent Involvement 37
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Your goal statement should focus on your ultimate outcome and
results. 38
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Sample Goal Statements To turn around persistently low-
performing schools using whole- school reform and targeted
approaches to reform. To improve achievement for high- need
students. To increase college access and success for graduating
students. 39
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Objectives OBJECTIVES arise out of goals and provide a basis
for evaluation. They are: Measureable indicators of achievements or
quantifiable outcome of the project. Specific define the target
population to be served and when. Give a time frame for project
implementation. 40
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S.M.A.R.T. Objectives Objectives measurable outcomes Specific
reasonable scope of project. Measurable quantifiable. Attainable
are you attempting too much? Realistic do you have the resources to
make it happen? Timed state when you will achieve objective.
Include baseline measures. 41
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Objectives (cont.) To define your objectives, ask such
questions as: What will our target population learn/do/achieve as a
result of this project? What percentage success rate can we expect?
What changes will occur in client attitudes and/or behaviors? How
will our services change? How many or what percentage of our
clients will participate in the activity? 42
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Sample Objectives (w/indicators) By June 30, 2011 increase the
high school graduation rate from 87% (June 2008) to 95%. By June
30, 2011 increase the number of 4 th grade students scoring at or
above proficiency in math from 65% (May 2008) to 85%. By June 30,
2011 increase the number parents participating in parent/teacher
conferences from 20 (October 2008) to 60. 43
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All objectives must be tied to the needs statement. 44
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Objectives (cont.) Objectives may be: Short-term for the
immediate time period; generally the end of the grant or project
period. Example: 60% of nursing home residents who participated in
the Tai Chi program will state an intention to continue with a
daily exercise program. 45
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Objectives (cont.) Objectives may be: Long-term results
achieved after the specific time frame and may require follow-up
interventions and additional resources to achieve. Example: Over
the following year, there will be at least a 20% reduction in fall
incidence among nursing home residents who participate in the Tai
Chi program. Do not confuse objectives with methodology. 46
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47 Objectives (cont.) OBJECTIVES, MEASURES, AND BENCHMARKS
ObjectivesPerformance MeasuresData Collection/ Timeline Objective
1: To increase parent involvement with their families, the school
and the community through engaging family and parent programs 1.1:
A minimum of 20% of parents will connect with the school through
activities including parent workshops, open-house, college-nights,
orientations, etc and increase by 5% each grant year. 1.2: At least
20 parents will participate in an intensive parenting workshop each
grant year. 1.3: Increase in parental satisfaction as measured by
comprehensive parent survey. 1.4: Increase parental participation
on parent-teacher conference days by 5% each grant year
Documentation of parent connection frequency for each event (each
grant year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014). Administration and
analysis of parent satisfaction survey (Fall 2010 baseline, 2012,
2013, 2014) Field observations of intensive parent workshop
(2011,2012,2013,2014) semi-structured interviews with sample of
participating parents (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
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Methodology/Program/Plan Who target audience, participants What
are you going to do? Where will activities take place? When -
timeline How will things happen? How will you achieve your
objectives and goal? Who will do the work credentials? 48
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Methodology/Program/Plan (Cont.) Includes specific activities
which must be performed to accomplish objectives. Indicates how
objectives will be accomplished. Step-by-step plan of action; who
will do what, how, where, and when. Includes credentials of key
staff, special qualifications or job descriptions. Any specific
rationale for selection of unusual or unique methodology. Has it
been tested or will it be pioneered in this project? 49
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Methodology/Program/Plan (Cont.) Includes only those activities
critical to interpreting achievement of objectives. EXAMPLES: By
December 1, 2009, the community referral manual will be completed.
Within six months after completion of the Stop Smoking program, the
instructor will have called all participants to ascertain smoking
status. In month three of the project, a coordinator will be hired.
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Management Plan Date Project Activities/Milestones
Person/Agency Responsible Oct. 2011 Recruit project Advisory
Council members and schedule monthly meetingsProject Coordinator
Contact Incredible Years developer and schedule trainingOSDFS/
Seven Counties Identify key staff to be trained in classroom
management, parent, and group treatment component OSDFS/ Seven
Counties Order Incredible Years classroom curriculum/ parenting
materialsProject Coordinator Begin data collectionInternal/
External Evaluators Dec. 2011 Begin job-imbedded professional
development of IY curriculum in K-3 classrooms through modeling and
coaching of classroom teachers Seven Counties therapists/ TLC
teachers Begin IY student counseling groupsSeven Counties
therapists Begin IY Parent trainingsSeven Counties therapists Begin
data collectionInternal/ External Evaluators Develop referral plan
for access to more intensive mental health services for children
and families Seven Counties/ Head Start staff Attend Foundation for
Learning grantee meetingProject Director 51 Project Timeline
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Project Evaluation Why measure objectives? Outcome measurements
perform important functions. Serve as a learning loop that feeds
information back into programs on how well they are doing. Provide
findings that organizations can use to adapt, improve and become
more effective. 52
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Project Evaluation Evaluation flows from goals and objectives.
What has been the impact of the project? Have the objectives been
achieved? Consider independent evaluator 53
Budget Narrative Justification for what has been requested in
the budget. Consistent with proposal Methodology/Program. 55
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All budget items must be connected to objectives and activities
in proposal. 56
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Match If a funder doesnt require matching funds, dont include
in the budget. Match may be in-kind or cash. 57
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Finishing the Writing Run the spell check Run the grammar check
Have individuals not familiar with your agency review the grant
Send in to funder on time or early! Electronic 48 hours in advance
Sign in blue, unless told otherwise 58
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Submitting the Proposal Different requirements for foundations
and corporate proposals vs. federal/state proposals. 59
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Why Grants Are Not Funded Did not substantiate need Did not
follow guidelines Missing pages or signatures Too wordy Unclear
goals / objectives Budget not appropriate / cost value Too negative
Poor spelling, typing, grammar, etc. Unprofessional appearance
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Why Proposals Are Declined 1. The foundation simply cannot
afford it. 2. The proposal does not fit the funders guidelines or
interests. 3. The project/idea is of inferior quality. 4. The
proposal fits, but is not as promising as some of the competing
applicants. 5. THERE ARE NO PLANS FOR CONTINUATION OF THE PROJECT
AFTER THE GRANT HAS ENDED. 61
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Learning More: Grant Writing Advice and Resources Foundation
Center Free Online Proposal Writing Short Course-
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tut
orials/shortcourse/index.html Grant Proposal.com Grant Wrangler.com
Grants 62
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63 Cooperative Collection of The Foundation Center Free public
access to the Center's online databases and a basic collection of
Foundation Center publications. Some also provide workshops on
basic grant seeking. Available at: Louisville Free Public Library,
Lexington Library, Kenton County Library, Shelbyville- Shelby Co.
Library WKU, NKU, Bellarmine University
http://www.lfpl.org/foundation-center.htm
