Successful Strategies for Acquiring Funding : “Secrets” of A.I.R.

Successful Strategies for Acquiring Funding: “Secrets” of A.I.R. George Hong, Ph.D.Professor of History February 19, 2014

Attractive proposal • Impressive PI’s Credential • Right Sponsor

Attractive Proposal S.M.A.R.T Principals: Simple Abstract Measurable Outcomes Achievable Goals Reasonable Budget Tangible Plans

Simple Abstract • Why is it necessary? • The reviewers spend 63% of their time reading the abstract only. • The reviewers only take about 45 minutes on average to read a proposal, including the time to write their comments. • About 30% of reviewers are not native speaking scholars

2) How to make a simple abstract? • Less than 250 words (one page) • Generally written in the third person rather than the first person • Write the abstract last, not the first • Briefly states the rationale, goals and objectives (Why) • Presents a brief overview of the proposed plan and activities (What) • Briefly states the expected input, output, impact, significance or contribution

Measurable Outcomes • Why are they important for a winning proposal? • They are worth 15-25% of the total evaluation points • Easier for reviewers to criticize • Many federal proposals failed due to the deficiency of this performance • Why are they difficult to address? • Education is not business and its outcome is hard to be measured in a short timeframe • Scholarly research is hard to be measured quantitatively • Lack of assessment training

2) Quantitative results • Number of participants (beneficiary) • Deliverable products (reports, paper, and grants) • Changes in the curriculum and program • Practical improvement of facility and equipment

3) Qualitative analysis. The method of coding is popular for analysis. 4) Method of assessment, such as rubric, questionnaire, statistical survey through new technology, and mass media coverage. (need to list the samples).

Example A: Objective, Outcome and Measurement Table (OOM Table) • Goal 1: XXXX

OOM Table Continue…

Goal 2 XXX

OOM Table Continue…

OOM Continue…

Example B: Monitoring and Evaluation Model Plan (M&E) 1) Trainee Application 2) Trainee Registration and Attendance Sheets 3) A Pre-Workshop Questionnaire 4) Post-Workshop Questionnaire 5) Reform Plan by Trainees 6) Reform Report by Trainees 7) Reform Report by the Evaluator

8) Interviews 9) Media Coverage 10) Final Survey 11) Program Quarterly Reports

Achievable Goals 1) From Bottom Up Strategy (detail projects and plans--feasible objectives-- achievable goals) 2) New Bottle with Old Wine Strategy (innovational format and conventional contents)

“One picture is worth a thousand words.”Growth of Religious Organizations in China (1978-2004)

ReasonableBudget 1) Don’t make the personnel budget too high (up to 70%) 2) Don’t overstate what you cannot do.

Tangible Plan 1) Paper vs. proposal; ideas vs. project 2) Timetable 3) Interactions between steps 4) Project Details 5) Logic Model

Logic Model

II. Impressive PI’s Credential Build up your track records: • Try small grant but big name • Try teamwork (1+1>2) • Try to “kill more birds with one stone”

4. Try the right process A. Three logical steps: conference presentation, grant proposal, and publication B. Service project: brainstorming session, pilot studies with “seed” money, and full comprehensive grant proposal C. Regarding the level of difficulty, try internal grant, professional association, international, private, state and federal grants

III. Right Sponsors Overview—Type of sponsors • Federal • Large grant--obtain reviewer’s comments, get other funded proposal as your reference • Slow, 6-9 months, tough competition, tough regulation.

2) Private or Corporate Foundations • The 1,005 large private foundations supported altogether 127,728,000 projects, totaling $15,924,895,000. • This amount was dispensed mainly in the following areas: education (26%), health (18%), human services (15%), arts and culture (12%), public affairs and society benefit (11%), environment and animals (6%), science and technology (4%), religion (3%), international affairs (3%), and social sciences (2%)

2) Private continues… • Common characteristics: relatively small, usually under $50,000. The median grant for each project was only $25,000. • Requirements for the quality of proposals are less rigorous, review time relatively short • No reviewers’ comments

3) Others • International foundations • Professional Societies or Associations • Academic Institutions (internal grant, pilot money)

How to make a right choice? • Select the right kind of funding • Federal agencies: 4 Rs: reliable PI, respectable scholarship, responsible assessment, and reasonable budget • Private foundations: Triple Ps: pioneering, persuasive and politically corrected projects 2) Select the right size of funding More pains more gains; high risk high returning

3) Select the right level of funding • Don’t jump before walking • Pay special attention to RFP: • repeated words • specific requirements and constraints • suggested preferences or priorities according to the order • review criteria • model programs and winning proposal • read RFP at least five times and read one more time after drafting the proposal

IV. Conclusion • To make your proposal Attractive, you need to make it simple, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and tangible. • To make yourself Impressive, you need to build up your research credentials: no pains no gains, and more pains more gains • To make the selection of your sponsor Right, you need to know three 3Ws: who you are, what you want, and how much you want to pay to get what you want.

THANK YOU! • QUESTIONS?

Successful Strategies for Acquiring Funding : “Secrets” of A.I.R.