Dr. Debbie Douma, Dean Office of Grants & Federal Programs

1. Prior Experience Points,Who Needs Them?A Practical Guide to Winning a New TRIO Grant AwardFlorida Council for Resource DevelopmentSpring ConferenceMiami Dade CollegeApril 2018 Dr. Debbie Douma, Dean Office of Grants & Federal Programs

2. Pensacola State College • Serves Escambia and Santa Rosa counties (total pop. 352,615) in the NW corner of the Florida Panhandle • One of 28 colleges in the Florida College System • Opened doors in 1948 as Florida’s first public 2-year college • ~10% of all persons in the two- county district 18 years or older attend the college

3. PSC Grants & Federal Programs Staff • Jamie Russell Grants Coordinator • Lisa Alloway Documentation Technologist

5. PSC’s newest TRIO programs: • Veterans Upward Bound • Veterans Student Support Services

6. Veterans Upward Bound 2017 • Points Available (w/o PEP): 105 • Score to receive grant in initial announcement: ≥105.67 • The funding band: 105.33 – 104.67 • PSC Score (w/o PEP): 105 • Unofficial List: 14 NEW VUB projects funded

7. Getting Started – The Basics • Read the RFP • Read the RFP, again • Set up a working document template • Preferably, work in a collaborative environment (i.e., Google Docs) (Yep, pretty basic here)

8. Need for the Project (24 points) 24/105*65 = .22857*65 = ~14.857 pages/12 • Proposed target area lacks services for eligible veterans (6 points; ~3.7 pages). • Large number of veterans (or your proposed participant population) in target area are low income (6 points; ~3.7 pages) • Large number of veterans in target area who have not completed high school or have completed high school but not enrolled in postsecondary education (6 points; ~3.7 pages). • Other indicators of need for VUB project, including unaddressed academic or socio-economic problems (6 points; ~3.7 pages).

9. “Need” Data Sources • Use only primary sources for data • U.S. Census • State Health Department • Administration of Children and Families • Workforce Board • Survey of current target population • Focus groups • Google Scholar for current journal articles referencing like projects, populations, services • Use an attention-getting quote – politician, student • Don’t mix apples and oranges • Keep hard copies or screen shots of all data

10. Objectives (9 points) 9/105*65 = .0857*65 = 5.57 (about a page/objective)/6 Provide the objectives exactly as stated in the RFP, including your percentages. Give their words back to them. Paragraph headings for each objective: • Addresses Need: Provide baseline statistics showing what is going on in your target area. • Clear, Specific and Measurable: If the PERT provides baseline data, how will the PERT be used in the program • Ambitious and Attainable: How do you know the percentage you picked for your objective the right one?

11. Objectives (cont.) • PSC Objective #1: • Academic Improvement on Standardized Test: 80% • Need: 65.99% of all PSC FTIC degree-seeking students failed at least one test; 100% of all new VUB participants failed at least one test. • Measurable: Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) used to measure • Ambitious/Attainable: ambitious compared to previous performance; attainable because of project services • Other objective target percentages: 75%, 70%, 60%

12. Plan of Operation (30 points) 30/105*65 = .2857*65 = 18.57 (3 points per section, ~1.8 pages each)/23 • Plan to inform • faculty/staff: all types of internal communications • Interested individuals/organizations: existing partnerships, social agencies, targeted paid ads • Plan for identifying, recruiting, selecting participants • Identifying: Eligibility factors • Recruiting: How will you get the word out, who is responsible, restate how many participants • Selection: Process narrative and selection process flow chart; what will you do if they are not chosen

13. Plan of Operation (cont.) • Plan for assessing individual needs and monitoring progress • Assessment tools before and after selection (i.e., PERT, learning styles, career) • Written plan of action for each individual • Progress reports • Plan for locating project within organizational structure • Reporting lines • Organizational chart

14. Plan of Operation (cont.) • Curriculum, services and activities • Orientation • curriculum/instruction/tutoring • Workshops • admissions/financial aid counseling • Career counseling • Personal counseling • Referral to other resources • College trips and cultural events • Peer mentoring • Timelines

15. Plan of Operation (cont.) • Plan to ensure effective and efficient administration • GPRA • Financial management • Participant records management • Personnel management • Plan to use resources and personnel to achieve project objectives and coordinate with other projects for disadvantaged students • Other college resources • Other TRIO projects, other like-projects (CROP, displaced homemakers, etc.) • Local university partners/projects

16. Plan of Operation (cont.) • Plan to work cooperatively with parents, key administrative, teaching and counseling personnel at target schools • For adult programs (VUB), reach out to family members • Local technical centers, colleges, school districts • Follow-up plan for tracking graduates • Participant release form • National Student Clearinghouse • Alumni group • Don’t forget plan for reach-out to non-completers

17. Applicant and Community Support (16 points)16/105*65 = .15238*65= 9.90 pages/8 College Commitments: • Facilities • Equipment • Personnel and other resources • Business Affairs • IT/Microcomputer Resources • HR/SPD • Marketing • Maintenance • Health Clinic Community Commitments: • Community outreach • Referral of participants • Accept referrals • Distribution of marketing materials • Public Service Announcements • Provide guest speakers • Invite program staff to speak • Workshops

18. Commitment Letters • I write drafts of ALL requested commitment letters • Original letters kept on file, provide a table of all commitments in narrative (community commitments was 3.5 page table) • Name names – table should include names and titles for both internal and external commitments • U.S. Department of Education does not want “I support this funding in my city-county-state-district” letters from politicians; however … • Will they commit to referring eligible constituents? • No “match” requirement for TRIO projects, but can you quantify the “commitments” made?

19. Quality of Personnel (8 points)8/105*65 = .07619*65 = 4.95 pages/4 • Project Director (100%) • Master’s degree • Managing project/budget, supervising staff, reports, maintaining community/education contacts • Represent project to college administration • Other personnel • Academic Coordinator/Instructor (100%) • Master’s degree • Implement academic program, supervise tutors • Recruitment/Retention Specialist (50%, shared with VSSS) • Associate’s degree • Administrative support, recruitment/follow-up

20. Quality of Personnel (cont.) • Part-time staff • Program instructors • Lab managers/tutors • Peer mentors/tutors

21. Plan to Employ • Where are you advertising? • TRIO listserv • Local newspapers highly read by minority populations • Council of Opportunity in Education (COE) employment listings • Give examples of current staff • Reference GEPA and EA/EO

22. Budget & Cost Effectiveness (5 points) 5/105*65 = .0476*65 = 3.09 pages/5 • Budget is adequate & reasonable • Provide appropriate justification (i.e., historical amounts, college policy) • Be sure that all costs are allowable and are related to activities included in Plan of Operation.

23. Evaluation Plan (8 points) 8/105*65 = .07619*65 = 4.95 pages/5 • Appropriate to project • Qualitative • Student focus groups, informal feedback • Quantitative • Enrollment rates, pre- and post-test scores • What kind of analysis (mean, frequency, distributions) • Measurable ways project is achieving objectives • Formative and summative • Project evaluation team

24. Quality of Project Design (5 points) 5/105*65 = .0476*65 = 3.09 pages/2 • Introduction to the Logic Model • ~one page • Logic Model (one page) • Inputs • Activities/Services • Outputs • Outcomes • Evaluation • Program adjustments as needed

25. Tables Used in Narrative • Veteran Status • Target Area/PSC demographics • Area Veteran Demographics • Poverty Status • FGIC/FTIC • Educational Attainment Rates • Homeless Daily Count • Public Assistance • Plan to inform • Curriculum/Schedule • Timeline • College Commitments • Business/Community Commitments • Budget Narrative, YR1 • Performance/Process Evaluation Plan • Comprehensive Evaluation Plan

26. Figures Used in Narrative • Area Map • Project Selection Process • PSC VUB Organizational Chart • Logic Model for Plan of Operation and Evaluation

27. Fatal Flaws • Applying when you’re not eligible • READ THE DIRECTIONS • Missing important deadlines • READ THE DIRECTIONS • Ineligible formatting (# of pages, margins, fonts – try to stick within “guidelines”) • READ THE DIRECTIONS • Asking for too much money (or not enough) • READ THE DIRECTIONS • Manner in which grant is submitted • READ THE DIRECTIONS, AGAIN!

28. Depending on Spell Check to find all errors • HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION • Not using appropriate grammar/punctuation • HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION • Using unexplained acronyms or vocabulary • HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION • Full of inconsistencies • HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION • Lack of polish/Choppy • HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION • Budget doesn’t match the proposed activities • HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION

29. Basic Tips • Think/write in “active” voice • Write in an “institutional” voice • Don’t write in first person • “The College” rather than “I/We” • Address eachand every guideline in RFP • Use appropriate/up-to-date data • Be persuasive • Be interesting

30. ddouma@pensacolastate.edu 850.484.1705