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MYTHS OF GRANT WRITING

MYTHS OF GRANT WRITING. MYTH Number One: There is no money available. Truth:. Great sums of money Individuals, institutions, agencies as desperate to give as you are to receive. Truth:. Individuals Small institutions Small businesses, schools, hospitals Small governments. Truth:.

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MYTHS OF GRANT WRITING

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  1. MYTHS OF GRANT WRITING

  2. MYTH Number One:There is no money available.

  3. Truth: • Great sums of money • Individuals, institutions, agencies as desperate to give as you are to receive

  4. Truth: • Individuals • Small institutions • Small businesses, schools, hospitals • Small governments

  5. Truth: • Philanthropic giving up 8% • Federal funding up 26% over 7 years • State funding doubled • Competition greater!

  6. Myth Number Two: The money that is available goes to big, prestigious institutions and agencies; not to individuals, small institutions, and small agencies.

  7. Mabee Foundation • 2002 = $6 million/$10 million to small organizations and schools NSF • 2002 = over 500 fellowships to individuals

  8. Truth: • Local corporations and agencies favor proposals from local residents • Purposely seek out individuals and small institutions • Success (not size) begets success—focus on strengths

  9. Truth: • It is a focus of almost all agencies to serve the underserved • Underserved = • Women in science and math • Minority groups (especially American Indians, African Americans, Hispanics) • Small colleges • Rural schools and communities • Isolated colleges • First generation college students • Poor

  10. Truth: • Faith-based groups are respected for successes, strength of contributions and quality of participation

  11. Myth Number Three: Successful grant writing requires connections, and I don’t have any.

  12. Truth: • Friends in funding agency • Proposal reader for major funding agency • Follow guidelines and meet expectations • Rating form

  13. Truth: • Friends in the legislature • Friends at the Regents • Collaborations and partnerships

  14. Myth Number Four: I don’t have time to write grants.

  15. Truth: • Everyone has same number of hours. • You have time for the things you value. • Make appointments for writing. • Write even if the deadline is too close—next cycle you will be ready, gain from reviews.

  16. Truth: • Write about your passion and profound interests • Take all the time you need – willingly miss the deadline – and you will be read next time

  17. Myth Number Five: Getting funded just requires preparing a grant proposal and luck does the rest.

  18. Truth: • Quality is the most important • Your job is to convince the readers that your project will do a better job of meeting the funder’s goals than all the competitors • Follow the guidelines

  19. Myth Number Six: Meeting the deadline is everything.

  20. Truth: • Write about your passion and profound interests • Take all the time you need – quality is mandatory. Willingly miss the deadline – and you will be ready next time

  21. Myth Number Seven: Collaboration will spread out the workload and reduce the time required to succeed.

  22. Truth: • Collaboration takes more time. • Collaboration forces the writer to lose control. • Writing is distinctly individualistic, but collaborating takes time to share, plan, review, negotiate….. Add more time to a collaborative project!

  23. Myth Number Eight: The grants are awarded to those applicants who have the greatest needs.

  24. Truth: • Grants are awarded to the best use of the money to meet the funder’s goals. • Grants are awarded for strengths and skills. • Some agencies ignore need totally and focus only on quality.

  25. Truth: • Grants are awarded to known providers. • Grants are awarded to successful applicants. • Corporations fund in their shadow. • Grants are awarded to friends and colleagues of colleagues.

  26. Truth: • OneNet is the best connective technology of all 50 states. It will help disseminate results and enhance projects.

  27. Myth Number Nine: Community Colleges are not research institutions, so they will not be funded.

  28. Truth: • Projects, training, education reform, student services, community service • Collaborations with research institutions • Undergraduate research • Research improves teaching better than anything else

  29. Myth Number Ten: Getting funded is where it’s at!

  30. Truth: • Writing is valuable in and of itself • Develops knowledge • Research improves teaching better than anything else • Writing should be externally rewarded

  31. RECAP OF MAJOR IDEAS • Money is always available • Goal – produce proposals that convince • Use connections—make connections—convince—rating form • Plenty of time is available • Passion + deadline + well written proposal

  32. RECAP OF MAJOR IDEAS • Quality and strengths—convince • Collaboration takes more time • Best use of funder’s money • Research + programs, training, education reform, community service • Research and writing improves teaching better than anything!

  33. Attitude is everything! • Internal locus of control • Belief in yourself • Grant writing is about POWER—we write grants because they empower us to do things we otherwise could not do. • Myths created by non-writers.

  34. Attitude is everything! Cast away the myths that defeat many.

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