Write A Winning Grant

1. Write A Winning Grant 2013 NCA Leadership Conference Maureen Fitzgerald Kori Stephens

2. WhatWe’llCoverToday • What Grants Are and Aren’t • Picking the Right Funder • Rules of Thumb • General Format for Grants • Using a Logic Model • Tips for Success

3. Grants Are Grants are good for start-up or short-term projects. Grants are a contract between the funder and your agency. Grants are about change, not about money.

4. Grants Are Not Funding you can do with as you please. A sustainable source of funding. Something you are entitled to.

5. General Rules Grants are like baseball. Grants are like the academy awards. Do not become grant driven.

6. Picking the Right Funder Do your research – find the best funder for your project. Be polite and respectful. Don’t assume the funder knows what you are talking about.

7. Relationships Matter • Make a connection with the funding agency • Call the Grants Officer or Program Officer before writing • Does your particular project fit? Are they interested? • Recognize your funders after an award has been made • Invite them to your CAC • Give a shout out in your local news

8. Relationships Matter • Connect with professional organizations in your community • Grant Writing Groups (regional, state, etc) • Council of Foundations • Professional development opportunities • Templates • Funder Round Tables • Meet with funders and talk to experienced grant writers

9. Relationships Matter • Seek out personal connections on your Board of Directors • Do you have board members connected to local giving groups? • Does your board member have a contact at a foundation • Consider networking with other nonprofit professionals by BOD service

10. Hey, what if we fund a whiney one this year?

11. General Format for Grants • Letter of Inquiry • Introduction • Statement of Needs • Plan of Action • Goals and Objectives • Activities • Evaluation • Budget • Future and Other Funding • Organizational Capacity • Attachments

12. Letter of Inquiry Gives you an opportunity to sell your proposal to the funder so you will be invited to submit a full proposal. One to two-page snapshot of your project.

13. Letter of Inquiry Organization Overview/Purpose Reason and Amount of Funding Requested Statement of Needs/Problem Project Description Organizational Capacity Any Other Committed Funders Request Funding Application

14. Introduction • Provides an opportunity to describe your agency, mission, client base, location, history, etc. • This provides a framework for the funder to see that your agency and its mission fit within their criteria.

15. Statement of Need • Condition you are trying to change. • The extent that the problem exists in your community. • Why it is a problem. • Statistical data. • What has been done to date. • Start building the argument for your approach to the problem.

16. Statement of Need Focus on change – not on the tools for creating that change. For example: Getting people to think differently about sexual abuse is change. Having a series of classes is a tool.

17. Statement of Need If you use statistics, cite the source. Don’t make statements you can’t back up. If you use national or generally accepted statistics, show how they tie to the local community.

18. Statement of Need People want to think that they make decisions based on logic. More often they make decisions based on emotion and use logic to rationalize their decision. You need to address both in your needs statement.

19. Try it Out Team up with a partner. Imagine that this person is a potential funder. Take a few minutes to create a brief needs statement. Share your needs statement and ask your potential funder to give you feedback on the liklihood of being funded. Partner – it’s your money. Is the need compelling? Switch places.

20. Plan of Action Outlines what you plan to do to address the need. Includes rationale for why this plan is proposed – why it is the best approach for creating change. Includes Goals & Objectives.

21. Plan of Action Logically follows your statement of need. Talks about the population you plan to target.

22. Goals and Objectives Goals speak to the overall change that you hope to create. Objectives speak to how you plan to reach the goal. Objectives are measurable and time specific.

23. Goals and Objectives Objectives don’t talk about how you are going carry out your project, they show what your outcomes will be. This is what you will measure in your in your project evaluation.

24. Activities These are the actions you will take that will allow you to meet your objectives. Make sure they logically follow the needs statement, the goal, and the objectives.

25. Activities Activities are outputs. They are the deliverables of your grant.

26. Using a Logic Model Program developers and administrators use logic models as tools to strategically, purposefully and scientifically identify causal pathways between goals and interventions/activities and assist with the evaluation of those program goals and objectives. AKA Logical Framework, Theory of Change, Program Matrix etc.

27. Using a Logic Model Inputs • Human = staff, time • Physical = supplies, equipment • Outputs • Activities = Tasks we do • Participation = Who we serve • Outcomes • Short Term = Learning, awareness, skills • Long Term = Consequences, social, economic etc

28. Traditional Logic Model Example If… then

29. Let’s give it a try! STEP 1: Get together with 2-3 people STEP 2: Work through the Logic Model worksheets STEP 3: Reconvene with group and present group logic model

30. Evaluation The evaluation section measures your objectives. These are outcomes. Make sure the evaluation is reasonable and achievable.

31. Budget The items in the budget need to be related to the activities outlined in the proposal. Some budgets require that you link the expenditure to specific objectives and activities.

32. Budget & Budget Narrative Make sure the budget and the budget narrative match. Double check your math. Show your work.

33. Future and Other Funding Use this section to describe other funding or resources that are available to carry out the proposed activities. If match is required, it has to be related to activities outlined in the grant. Talk about the sustainability of the project – how will it continue after the grant funds are gone?

34. Organizational Capacity This section speaks to the capacity of your organization to carry out the proposed project. • Who will oversee/manage the project • Staff qualifications • Agency history managing similar projects • Mention board/advisory function • Audit findings (positive)

35. Attachments Make sure all attachments are included in the grant application and are easily identified (if possible, put a header on each one). Missing attachments cost you points and could get your grant tossed during a technical review.

36. Letters of Support Current, and specific to the project. From key partners. From individuals impacted by the project (if possible). For CAC’s – from your MDT. Try to avoid template letters – give those writing letters a basic summary of project but ask that they write something original.

37. Create a Grant File Include items typically requested by a funder: • IRS 501(c)(3) letter • Annual budget • Audit • Board of Directors List • Resumes of key staff • Job Descriptions • Annual Report

38. Potential Funder Site Visits • Be prepared • Be polite • Make sure key staff/leadership are available • Be respectful of time

39. Plan for Disaster Don’t wait to the last minute – all of these things have happened to me: • Your copier will break down. • Your printer will run out of ink. • Your computer will crash. • Your child will get sick. • You will have trouble getting your grant to upload to the site. • You will get stuck in traffic on the way to the post office/Fed Ex. • Your boss will be out of town when you need the face sheet signed. • Spell check will default to French and refuse to change.

40. How Grants Are Scored • Reviewers make recommendations to the funder – they don’t decide who gets funding. • Reviewers may make recommendations as to the amount of money funded.

41. How Grants Are Scored • Readers often are looking for answers to specific questions. • Grants are often scored by sections. • Large government grants or accademic grants may be separated with different sections scored by different people.

42. How Grants Are Scored • Different sections often have different points. • Failure to clearly address a section will cost you points (use subheadings). • Reviewers may be reading many grants in a short period of time – make it easy for them to understand your proposal.

43. Questions?

44. Thank You! Maureen Fitzgerald Outreach Coordinator - Western Regional CAC mfitzgerald@safepassagecac.org Kori Stephens Outreach Coordinator - Midwest Regional CAC kori.stephens@childrensmn.org