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Finding & Securing Funding: Sustaining Your Success

Finding & Securing Funding: Sustaining Your Success. OACHE Winter Retreat 02.19.09 Dr. Pollyanne S. Frantz Development Consultant Appalachian Higher Education Network Appalachian Regional Commission. Today’s agenda:. Funding opportunity databases Awards information

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Finding & Securing Funding: Sustaining Your Success

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  1. Finding & Securing Funding: Sustaining Your Success OACHE Winter Retreat 02.19.09 Dr. Pollyanne S. Frantz Development Consultant Appalachian Higher Education Network Appalachian Regional Commission

  2. Today’s agenda: • Funding opportunity databases • Awards information • Electronic publications • Hands-on searching practice • Letters of inquiry overview • Hands-on LOI writing practice • Information sharing: what we plan to do

  3. Funding opportunity databases • Broadest in scope (includes federal/state/private funders): • Community of Science (subscription) • Sponsored Programs Information Network (subscription) • GrantsNet (free) • FundSource (free) • Federal funding only: • Grants.gov • Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance • Private funders (foundations) only: • Foundation Directory Online (subscription) • Foundation Center’s Foundation Finder (free) • Foundation Center’s 990PF (free) • Other valuable resources: • Appalachian Regional Commission (free) • GuideStar (free & subscription)

  4. Looking at awards made • Agency databases: NSF, NIH, DoED • Agency web sites: NEH, NEA • Research.gov • Individual foundation web sites • Foundation Center • Foundation Finder & 990 Finder (FREE)

  5. Selected Electronic Publications • Agency-specific: • MyNSF (National Science Foundation) • EDInfo. (U.S. Dept. of Education) • NIH TOC (National Institutes of Health) • NEH Connect! (National Endowment for the Humanities) • RFP Bulletin (Foundation Center) • Grants.gov email notification subscription (federal) • Rural Assistance Center Health Update (mix) • GrantsNet Funding News (RSS format)

  6. Searching Strategies • Define your project & create a list of related keywords & terms • Think broadly on initial searches • Refine & limit searches based on initial results • Use different keywords & phrases in search results to launch additional searches • Don’t rely on just one database

  7. Learning more about the funder • People • Areas of interest • Giving trends (awards history) • Giving amounts • Method of approach

  8. Interpreting Guidelines Part 1 • Read (and re-read) guidelines: • Are you eligible? • What will be funded? • What is the agency really looking to fund? • What is the format? • What information is required? • Are these the most current guidelines? • When is the deadline? • How many awards will be made?

  9. Interpreting Guidelines Part 2 • Pay close attention to: • Words • Concepts • Phrasing • Themes • Review criteria • Further sleuthing includes: • Perusing agency’s web site for additional information • Searching awards databases • Talking to program officers • Talking to funded and unfunded PIs

  10. The “look into your head & heart for answers” questions: • Do we want to do this? • Can we do it? • Can we compete?

  11. The Letter of Inquiry The first step toward cultivating a relationship with a funder.

  12. What it should be • Brief & written with clarity • A description of you & why you are seeking funding • Evident that you have researched the funder and its priorities • In compliance with formatting requirements specified by funder

  13. What it should look like • Printed on finest quality stationery • Board members’ names listed on left • Proper formatting & length • Appropriate use of • Headings • Bullets • Page numbers • White space

  14. The 10 elements of content • Title • Project overview • Statement of problem

  15. The 10 elements of content • Project aims & objectives • Target population • Experience & qualifications • Evaluation plan

  16. The 10 elements of content • Support from other sources & sustainability plan • Budget • Letter author’s contact information

  17. How it should read • Opening paragraph • Project overview • Statement of problem • Project aims and objectives • Target population • Experience & qualifications • Evaluation plan • Support from other sources • Sustainability plan • Budget • Closing paragraph with contact information

  18. The timeline: what happens next? • Don’t pester funder for response – allow time for review • Status update: • Approved • Rejected • More information requested: • Regardless of outcome, write thank you letter

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