Posted ByNikki on April 05, 2003 at 03:40:40:
In Reply to: Re: How to write a proposal? posted byPhanelia Crowe on April 25, 2002 at 10:55:56:
Getting a Grant...
Going through the grant process is the first step to getting your money! It can sometimes be an uphill battle, but, stick with it and the odds are in your favor!
Add a little flare and your grant application can stand out, making your chances of selection better. Every agency giving grants has different rules for applications. The government is a stickler for details. Your application will be disqualified if you do not follow directions.
There are sources in your library to consult about grant proposal writing in addition to the advice given here. It is always best to read as much as you can in preparation for your grant writing duties.
If you are seeking a grant for a specific idea or project, contact the agency after you receive their packet to see if they have recently awarded any grants for this type of work. If they have, it may be that no further grant money is available for that project. You may then have to come up with another idea to obtain your money.
Whatever your idea, try to enlist written support from individuals in your community who may know you and like your idea. Letters written by your local government, community, and business leaders improves your chances of receiving the award. Federal grant money may actually require these letters of endorsement.
Even if not required, support letters are encouraged. It gives further credence to your idea. It may make the difference if the grant award comes down to a couple of applicants, and the agency is forced to choose.
If you have more than one partner who has a different expertise than you, add their names and qualifications to the overall proposal. Having assistance on the project enables agencies in making grants more available and the project’s chances of completion are heightened.
Relating your idea(s) to the individual agents who will be considering your grant request would be the best approach. Many of these employees have been there a substantial length of time and are knowledgeable in obtaining grants. Asking for their advice can do wonders for you in terms of saving time and effort.
When it’s convenient, you can make a personal visit to the specific agency to meet the individuals who will be considering your proposal. There may be pertinent reference information within the agency that can help you with your proposal. By all means, stay in contact with these employees, especially if they work in the agency to which you will be submitting your bid(s).
Even if you do not get a positive response on the first grant proposal, keep in touch!
They can continue to inform you regarding future projects, they may have a chance of being funded. You will not be the only one writing for grant money, so you have to do a better job than your competitor. By making sure that there is:
• a need for your idea or project;
• sufficient research done on your part to satisfy the grantors;
• no question that you are the best candidate to receive the grant;
• time to spend performing the application process and preparing your grant proposal
Then you will be ready to write your first proposal draft.
GRANT REQUEST
There are two documents you need when requesting a grant. The Grant Proposal and The Letter Of Appeal.
Some Foundations would rather work with an organization, than with an individual. If this is the case, you would greatly increase your chances of getting a grant, by creating a non-profit organization.
First step is to file for as a non-profit organization certificate with the Secretary of State. Next step, file an application with the IRS and Treasury Department.
Here are the essential parts of a grant proposal:
1. Summary. This generally outlines the proposed idea or project, and is naturally slotted for the opening paragraph. Keep it both brief and interesting. It will be the first impression the grantor(s) will have of you and your abilities, so work hard on this part of the document. Poorly written, could end your chances immediately. Conversely, well written beginnings are encouraging to the reader(s) and improve on your chances. Be sure only your key points are in this portion. Do not oversell it with too much detail. Make it easy to read, but informative.
2. About You (and your Business). The next section summarizes your qualifications and others that will be working with you. You may want to include updated biographies of everyone involved. Let the grantor (s) know about your recent work or success, especially, if you have been successful with any other grant program.
3. Problem Statement. This is where you summarize the need for this project or idea. You will need to write your idea’s, who will benefit, how they will benefit, what socio-economic area will be affected, hard data supporting the nature of the problem, what is currently being done (or not done) about the problem, what will happen if your idea is not funded and implemented, and how you intend to solve the problem. This may be the longest part of your proposal. Get supporting documents from local communities and government organizations. Be sure you can justify your ideas contained in this section. It’s the what, why and how of the grant proposal.
4. Objectives. These are the actual means by which you will solve the problem you outlined in step #3. Outline them in detail, provide cost analysis of each to support your funding request, and lay them out in logical sequential order. The agency will periodically review the progress of your project or idea once the grant is given, and it will likely be these actual objective points that will be used to measure your work.
5. Detailed Objectives. Step #4 provided a summary of your objectives. All of the activities relating to accomplishing these objectives will be laid out in detail here. This could include dates, resources, staff, progress checkpoints, relevant diagrams, charts or drawings and all relevant detail. Highlight any innovative work that will be used to help accomplish your objectives. Provide any reference material necessary to back up your details.
6. Evaluation. You will need to identify the results that will come from the project. You briefly stated these in your opening, but more specifics will be needed here. The only way to evaluate the project may be from seeing if it meets the results expected. You are solving a problem, after all, so your results should be your solutions and their resulting benefits. Some agencies have standard evaluation techniques, so be sure you reference those here if that is the case.
7. Future Funding. What will happen to the idea or project once finished? If it is self-completing, say so. If further maintenance will have to be done to keep the problem at bay, record how this is to be funded. You might be able to arrange for local support once the initial funding is depleted and the problem is solved if it is something that requires ongoing work.
8. Budget. While it would be nice to see the grant money fund the full cost of your idea or project. Current federal budget cuts may not make that feasible. If you are securing other funding, or have a plan for money to pick up the additional expenses of the project, let the agency know that. Write out a detailed budget listing (and justifying) the assorted expenses. You may receive all of the funding you need from the one grant, but you really shouldn’t count on it. It’s often easier to secure government funding if you have also tapped into other sources to help cover the costs, even, if it’s a small investment on your (and, if applicable, your partners’) part.
These are the key elements in writing your proposal. Get as much help as you need, depending on the size of the project. Obtain as much information as you need from area experts before writing the proposal. They might have excellent suggestions and could play a role in helping you to complete the various activities associated with accomplishing your stated objectives. They might even be helpful-in-writing certain aspects of the proposal, especially, the details of the work and tasks necessary to meet your objectives.
Do a first draft. Then—get feedback! Give it to people who have helped you, or whom you trust to be properly judgmental about it. The best writing is done during the rewriting phase, so it’s important to have people take a critical look at your first draft. You’re too close to be thoroughly objective. That’s O.K! Just know that you should get others to help you analyze your initial work in preparation for a second draft.
Go through the same process with your second draft. This should be shorter and less feedback should come in if you elicited enough comments the first time around. Make any changes necessary and get it to final draft form. Then have it proofread and bound into a booklet for submission purposes. You’re ready to submit!
Remember that the grant proposal should be written after you have obtained the agencies application and grant guideline forms. There are many places to contact for potential grant information, and your decision should be closely allied with your skills and interests. The following list should help you get started. Isolate the agencies that you feel are the best possibilities for you.
FINDING A FUNDING RESOURCE
Review your catalog program the Grant Agency sends you. Special emphasis should be placed on the Objective, Uses, and Use Restrictions sections of the Catalog.
The description can tell you which programs might provide funding for an idea.. Do not overlook the related programs as potential resources. For a proposal to be considered an acceptable candidate for funding, the applicant and the grantor agency should have the same interest, intentions and needs. When a potential grantor agency is identified, call the contact telephone number identified in Information Contacts and ask for a “grant application kit”.
Get to know some of the grantor agency personnel. Ask for suggestions, criticisms, and advice about the proposed projects. In some cases, the more the agency personnel knows about the proposal, the better the chance of support and of an eventual favorable decision. Sometimes it is useful to send the proposal summary to a specific agency official in a separate cover letter, and ask for review and comment at the earliest possible convenience. Always check with the Federal agency to determine it’s preference if this approach is under consideration.
If the review is unfavorable and differences cannot be resolved, ask the examining agency or the official to suggest another department or agency, which may be interested in the proposal. A personal visit to the agency’s regional office or headquarters is also important. A visit not only establishes face-to-face contact, but also may bring out some essential details about the proposal or help secure literature and references from the agency’s library.
Government agencies are required to report funds that are approved, increased or decreased among projects within a given State depending on the type of required reporting. Also, consider reviewing the Federal and State budgets for the current and budget fiscal years to determine proposed dollars amounts for particular budget functions.
Study the eligibility requirements for each Federal or State Government program under consideration. The applicant may learn that he or she is required to provide services otherwise unintended, such as a service to particular client groups, or involvement of specific institutions. It may necessitate the modifications of the original concept in order for the project to be eligible for funding.
Questions about eligibility should be discussed with the appropriate program officer. Deadlines for submitting applications are often not negotiable. They are usually associated with strict timetables for agency review. Some programs have more than one application deadline during the fiscal year. Applicants should plan proposal development around the established deadlines.
PROPOSAL CHECKLIST
1. Confirm that the foundation/government source is interested in receiving your proposal.
2. The organization you plan to serve, have they been involved in planning the project?
3. Does your proposal include information on other individuals working with your project?
4. Have I followed my funding sources guidelines to the tee?
5. Have I outlined innovative features of my project and set it apart from others?
6. Has my draft been reviewed by an impartial party for clarity and understanding?
7. Have I accurately outlined my budget? Is my budget complete and my math correct?
8. Has my proposal been proofread and free of typos?
9. Have copies of my proposal been distributed to other project participants?
WHY PROPOSALS FAIL
1. The project you proposed is not convincing or well documented.
2. Your proposal is poorly written, confusing, or difficult to follow.
3. Your objectives are not within the interest of the funder.
4. Your proposal’s documentation is not convincing to the funder
5. Your goals and objectives appear to be unrealistic or overly ambitious.
6. Your budget is incomplete.
7. Your budget is too high for that particular funding agency.
8. Your proposal does not follow their guidelines.
9. There’s know indication that your project can be sustained beyond the funding period.
LETTER OF APPEAL
A letter of appeal is a summary of a proposal. Generally, if a small amount of money under $2,500.00 is requested, a letter of appeal will usually be sufficient. For larger sums of money send the proposal and letter of appeal. Your letter of appeal should be brief, to the point. Long and unorganized letters could get passed by. Your letter of appeal should be composed in such a way that you’re able to get the attention of the grantor.
This will be your first impression, you should make it count .The letter of appeal outlines your program/project in a clear unambiguous and a concise way. The following should be included.
A. The Proposal
B. A statement of need
C. Evidence of the need
D. How the need will be met
E. Your total cost
F. Amount requested
G. Complete list of other supporters and proposed supporters
H. Duration of program or project
I. Staff capabilities
J. Future funding needs
K. Description of the individual, corporation or organization
L. How the organization began
M. How long it has existed
N. Significant accomplishments
O. Support received from other organizations
While everyone including the Grantor realizes you may not be able to provide all of this information it is necessary to gather as much as possible.
LOL
keep smiling.
Nikkki