Writing Grants for Weed Projects: How to Get the Money

1. Writing Grants for Weed Projects: How to Get the Money Sue Donaldson Cooperative Extension Bringing the University to You

2. How much do you know about writing grants?

3. What is a grant? • A gift • A gift with strings attached • An award of money to allow you to do very specific things, according to specific guidelines, to which you must respond clearly in your proposal

4. Why do you want grant funds? • For a specific weed management project • For an ongoing effort • To cover administrative costs or salaries, general organizational support • For research • Etc…

5. Who can receive a grant? • Depends on the grant requirements • Small grassroots groups will not be able to acquire foundation and government grants unless they have nonprofit status (501 (c) (3)) • It takes time and work to get nonprofit status

6. Assess the need for your project

7. Does your project fill a legitimate, pressing need? • Need establishes the problem that the grant is trying to solve. • Are you creating a problem and trying to solve it because you think money is available? • Or, did the problem exist before you discovered the source of grant funds?

8. Which idea is fundable for a small, local weed organization? • A statewide weed mapping database • A state-of-the-art computerized spray rig including truck • A county weed SWAT team to address new infestations • A backpack sprayer and supply of chemicals

9. Avoid duplication of efforts

10. Who else is working on a similar project? • Can you build a coalition of other groups? • Is the niche already filled? • What makes your project stand out?

11. Finding grant sources

12. “People think you have to know someone, but you don’t.”

13. Match grant sources to your goals and objectives • Do your homework to locate funding sources • Library • Internet • Networking • Check to see if sources have funded similar projects – ask for last year’s winners • Talk to people!

14. Sources • Government (National or regional initiatives, pesticide safety and research, restoration, water quality, etc.) • Federal and state agencies • Foundations (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) • Corporations (Patagonia, SPPCo.) • Environmental organizations

15. What’s the hook? Match the project goals to the interest of the funder

16. Ideas are delicate things – don’t dim the lights!

17. Reality checks • List specific goals and objectives • Who will benefit? • Are goals and objectives realistic and achievable? • Can you measure results? • Do you have the capacity to manage the grant properly? • Does the project really meet the need? • Will anybody pay for it?

18. Basic parts of a proposal • Cover sheet • Attachments • Narrative (abstract, introduction, problem statement or need, objectives, methods, evaluation, how project will be sustained after grant) • Budget • Appendices • Cover letter

19. Writing the proposal • Get the proposal guidelines and read them carefully • Follow the directions! Don’t send in a “canned” proposal. • If you don’t understand something, call the proposal contact person

20. “We want people to call if they have questions.” “When in doubt, ask. You have nothing to lose.”

21. Writing the proposal • Follow the directions exactly. Page length, font size, etc. “I don’t want to reward people who don’t read the guidelines.”

22. Writing the proposal • Edit carefully to avoid typos, inconsistencies, etc. Use spell and grammar check. • Keep proposal honest, clear, concise, neat, and free from jargon. Longer is NOT better!

23. Writing the proposal • Allow plenty of time • Have colleagues read & critique it • Submit the proposal on time

24. Sample format (NDOA grants) • Contact information • Total $ requested • Grant administrator • Project need • Project goals • Organizational information • Project site information • Project management plan • Early detection/rapid response • Budget

25. Sample format (Pulling grants) • Applicant information • Project information (name, location, dates) • Total $ requested • Matching contributions • Total budget

26. Sample format (Pulling grants) And… • Proposal narrative: includes • Summary, 2 sentences • Abstract, 1 page • Need, objectives, methodology, research/management implications, overall context, map, evaluation, results • Budget – complies with OMB • Timeline for implementation • Additional applicant information (staff, mission & goals, trustees, IRS forms, etc.)

27. “This project will complete a basin-wide invasive weed survey including private and public lands in California and Nevada. The survey data will be utilized to coordinate a comprehensive weed management plan to stop the threat posed by invasive weeds to Lake Tahoe’s water clarity and the biodiversity of the fish and wildlife habitat.”

28. Writing objectives • Goals refer to broad, long-term intentions, for example, to manage weeds in your geographic area. • Objectives are clearly defined, measurable results (outcomes) that a program is intended to achieve. • They must be specific, concrete, measurable, realistic, attainable, and time-bound

29. Objectives • Provide GIS weed survey data and maps to continue the planning and implementation of a long-term invasive weed management strategy for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin. • Implement Integrated Pest Management practices for eradication and revegetation of known weed populations. • Develop educational materials and outreach programs to target groups to stop the spread of invasive weeds.

30. Try your hand at writing objectives

31. Methods • What specific tasks will you undertake to reach your objectives? • Include who, what, how, when • Methods must be: • clear • achievable • tied to each objective

32. Write some methods

33. Include a timeline, even if it’s not required

34. Evaluating the project • How will you measure success? • Report numbers • # acres mapped or treated • % control achieved • # of presentations provided • # of news articles, etc. • Show benchmarks have been achieved • Show an increase in capacity to address the problem in the future • Report additional funds raised

35. Budgets • Research previous awards for the range of funding provided • Keep budget reasonable and justifiable • If allowed, include a budget narrative • Avoid being overly specific, i.e. listing a specific brand of pesticide

36. Budgets • Budget should be adequate to do the job • Don’t forget to build in overhead costs (phones, accounting, etc.) • Document in-kind dollars (match) • List long-range plans for additional funding

37. PTI grant • Awards range from $10,000 to $100,000, with an average award of $30,000. • A list of PTI projects funded in 2003 can be found here (click on link)

38. Sample budget

39. The abstract: a work of art! • Write it last • Keep it brief and concise • Must give the reader a good sense of: • The need • The program • The applicant • The goals and objectives • The budget • Spend plenty of time writing the abstract – it may be all the reviewer reads

40. What are the chances?

41. “I sometimes read a proposal and can’t see where it’s going.” “Make it easier to use, with headings, bullets, and so on.”

42. “I hate pseudoscience babble – just tell me what you’re going to do.”

43. “I hate it when budgets make no sense. And I loathe the “blah, blah, blah syndrome”…when grant writers sort of go blah, blah, blah instead of just telling us directly what they plan to do with the money.”

44. “Tell us what lessons you learned. We love it when you say “We bombed this year…but we’ll do better next time.”

45. “Our reviewers go off when there are a lot of spelling errors.”

46. Grant review Applications will be reviewed by a grant panel selected from the Nevada Weed Action Committee. The decision criteria will be scored as follows: • Organizational structure including diversity and commitment of participants, 20 points • Project need, 20 points • Project management plan: integrated, thorough, ecologically sound & effective, 20 points

47. Grant review • Project goals: long- and short- term goals are realistic, 10 points • Early detection, rapid response plan, 10 points • Budget: appropriateness of budget and financial management, arrangements; matching funds, in-kind services and resources, 10 points • Supports Nevada’s Coordinated Invasive Weed Strategy, 10 points

48. So you got the money!

49. Do what you promised…and then some! • Bring the grant group together • Reread your objectives and methods • Review and adjust the timeline • Get started! • Be sure to include evaluation methods • Take lots of photos

50. Administering the grant • Keep thorough records • Review progress periodically • Track expenses to avoid running out of money • Save all articles, reviews, brochures • Add the funder to your mailing list • Be honest