Alternate Revenue Overview

1. Alternate Revenue Overview AFT School Health Leadership May 17, 2010 Washington, DC

2. Alternate Revenue Sources

3. Pursuit of funding always pays off- even if your proposal is not selected the first time • Can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket • Can’t receive funding unless you pursue • Professionally and personally rewarding • Requires task focus and clarity of ideas • Critique of reviewers makes the second attempt stronger

4. Ensuring Success • Innovation and Creativity is important • Looking for new solutions to old problems • Primary rule of brainstorming: every idea is a good idea • Contacting the Program Officer is critical • Between 80-90% of successful grant/funding seekers have had contact with the program officer

5. Federal Ebb and flow linked to political agenda e.g. NCLB, IDEA, Race to the Top Purpose and goal directed: you are told what to do State Ebb and flow linked to political agenda Frequently linked to local issues and concerns outsourcing work when staff is reduced and budgets are cut Sources of and Purposes of Revenue

6. Private Foundations Altruistic purposes and goals: resources made available to address what matters to the foundation advance a particular cause: Turn2 for children Even in tough economy over billions distributed often fund geographically Corporations Altruistic purposes linked with corporate interests Casts wider net to enhance its employment pool improve corporate image: BP Private Giving

7. Types of Alternate Revenue and Funding • Grant • purpose is to transfer resources (money, property, services) from funding source to recipient in order to accomplish a specific purpose • Relationship between the funding source and the recipient defined by project purpose and goals • Cooperative Agreement • substantial collaboration between funding source and recipient • Contract or Purchased Services • Predefined outcomes and actions to achieve the outcomes

8. What is a Grant? • A grant involves funds disbursed by one party (Grant Makers), often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often (but not always) a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual . • The grant maker identifies the issue they want addressed, the recipient makes a proposal as to how that will be done. • The idea originates with the grant maker • The recipient defines the work to be done.

9. Grant Funding agency defines issue or funding priority project strategies defined by recipient Recipient defines details as to who does what, when and how Funding agency retains oversight Contract project and strategies prescribed by funding entity or agency agency procures service of vendor agency exercises direction or control agency closely monitors Grant vs. Contract

10. Types of Grants • Research or Program Evaluation • Curriculum • Demonstration or model programs • Professional Development and Training • Capital projects: Equipment,Technology etc

11. Qualities of Effective Grant Writing • Quality of the idea and its appeal to the funding source • The ability to communicate clearly and concisely

12. A good idea or concept A good fit for you and your agency Identify team Match your concept with a funding agency(ies) Read the directions Reread the directions-they don’t say what you want them to say Speak with the program officer Develop a detailed program plan Develop a resource plan (budget) aligned with the program plan Reread the directions Write your proposal The Process

13. Taking The Concept or Idea to Implementation • The concept or idea exists with you • The challenge is to transform the idea into a viable project which will be supported by funding agency • Connect your idea to current issues or concerns and identify a specific problem to be addressed or needs to be met e.g. bullying and cyberbullying or sexting

14. Finding a Revenue or Funding Source • Sign up for email alerts e.g. grants.gov • Foundation Center Subscription • Agency Listserve • State Department of Education Notices • Other State Agencies (e.g.Dept of Health or Health and Human Services) • School District Endowment Funds e.g. Westerly RI

15. Federal Is your agency or LEA eligible? Is there a $$ match requirement? How many projects to be funded and at what level? Private Who, what and where do they fund? Money match? Number of projects funded and at what level Is it the Right Source?

16. More Questions to Ask • Does the funding agency share your interest and goals? • Has the funding agency funded projects similar to yours? • Have they made awards to entities or LEAs similar to yours? • When will the award be made? • What are the reporting requirements?

17. Two Rules in the workplace and in proposal writing: • Rule Number One: The Boss is Always Right • Rule Number Two: When in Doubt see rule One • Rule Number One: Read and Follow the Funding Requirements • Rule Number Two: When in doubt see rule number one

18. Following the Directions • You must follow the directions exactly. • Respond to all sections. • Adhere to any format restrictions. • Topics must be covered in the order presented in directions. • Use headings that correspond to the directions.

19. Speak with the Program Officer! The major variable in getting proposals funded is contact with the program officer prior to submission of a proposal.

20. Any Conflict of Interest? Will this Involve Human Subjects? Timelines and Due date Page limits Format: Spacing, page numbering, margins, font size and type Letters of Support or Commitment? Issues to Consider Before Writing

21. Employ Grant Writer: Yea or Nay? • Ensure the needed knowledge and skill to make your grant application or proposal more competitive • Common technical errors may be avoided • A “pro” will write what is needed, we amateurs tend to write what we want

22. Cover Page Table of Contents Abstract Problem or Needs Statement Goals and Objectives Project Design or Methodology Quality of Key Personnel Project or program Evaluation Reporting and Dissemination Budget: Financial plan and Narrative Appendices Typical Sections or Parts of a Grant Application or Project Proposal

23. The Title • Clear and concise to convey what the project is about

24. For Example • “Tower Empowers”

25. Abstract • Stand alone project description • APA quality for publication • Clear, concise, one page, single space • Do not use 1st person • Be sure to address all key elements/sections in order specified in the directions (read the directions)

26. The Needs or Problem Statement How does the data or evidence inform you that this is a problem or an issue?

27. The Challenge: What is it that you will overcome? • Convey to the funding agency that you: • Have identified and quantified the issue and that you understand the need and will meet this challenge and solve the problem • Use data to prove the need • cite evidence • illustrate with tables, graphs and charts • Translate the data into information • Use the information as the basis for your plan/proposal

28. The Problem Statement: Describing the issue, problem or concern to be addressed • Assume that you are not alone- someone else is thinking the same way • The Problem Statement is the foundation for your definition of the work you propose • The project goals, objectives, strategies, and evaluation must be clearly linked with the problem statement • Provide a thorough explanation of your need • test assumptions • anticipate questions of others • incorporate proposal guidelines • Begin with a framing statement then provide documentation • Assume that you are not alone- someone else is • thinking the same way • The Problem Statement is the foundation for your • definition of the work you propose • The project goals, objectives, strategies, and evaluation • must be clearly linked with the problem statement • Provide evidence (data) and an explanation of the need • based on that evidence

29. Convey to the reader that you understand the challenge or issue Illustrate to the reader this as an important issue for your school and community, other schools in the region and maybe even nationally Clearly and concisely describe what your project/proposal will do to solve the problem or specific aspects of the problem Show that your approach to this problem is creative and will fill the gaps in current system Describe how this project is a good fit for your school agency, how it is consistent with the mission, goals and plan of your school When done well the Problem Statement will:

30. What significant needs have you identified? How will this project help address the identified need? Who will do what, when, where and how and at what cost? What is the discrepancy between what we know or what we are doing and what we want to know or want to be doing What does the literature and research say? Is this a significant issue locally, statewide, regionally, and or nationally? What previous work has been done to meet this need? Was it effective? Brainstorm and Structured InquiryWhat are we trying to address what do we know?

31. Sample Problem Statement not likely to be funded Bullying Behavior: Middle school students exhibit significant bullying behavior which results in conflicts in and outside of school

32. Sample Problem Statement more likely to be funded Bullying Behavior: There is a growing body of evidence which confirms that bullying behavior (including cyber bullying) is a significant concern in our schools. Over 40% of children have reported being bullied while online and over 33% report having been threatened.

33. Components of a Problem Statement • The first sentence describes the issue or problem. • The problem or issue is clarified by defining the type and amount of the behavior • It confirms that this behavior needs to be addressed and that the funding agency will see measurable results from their investment

34. Cite current research and/or literature 8-10 significant citations If possible some of this work will have been yours! Key Information sources Case studies Statistics - objective Surveys Focus groups Use graphs, tables and charts Data and Evidence

35. The Late Ernie Harwell:Words that paint a picture "Baseball is a lot like life. It's a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life." The Needs/Problem Statement must enable the reader to “see” exactly what is the issue

36. Statistics Number of children bullied per day, week, month or year Number who are threatened Number who are cyberbullied/threatened References Impact of bullying behavior on victims and the perpetrator Illustrations, Charts and Tables Victimization by bullies threats in and outside of schools Threatening behavior increases in bullying behavior over the past 2, 5 10 years References Impact of bullying behavior on school culture and environment and how it has changed over time Data used to create information which is used to document the need

37. Organizing and Writing the Needs Statement • Make the case with the data and evidence • Follow the directions • Be clear and concise • Follow the directions • Paint a picture with words that result in a logical conclusion which then becomes the foundation for the project goals and objectives

38. And finally… The needs statement must: • Emphasize the significance of the project • what will be the outcome(s) • what impact will the project have • will the impact of the project sustain • Be sure to address the priorities of the funding agency, and • Convey into the future the usefulness and importance of what you propose

39. Goals and Objectives What is going to be done

40. Is it appropriate to overuse the word appropriate? • The proposal directions almost always require measurable goals, objectives and outcomes • Using the word appropriate (eg the project will utilize appropriate strategies to minimize bullying behavior) tips readers to applicant not knowing what to do

41. Project Goals and Objectives • Condition/Context • Behavior/Actions • Criteria (How good is good enough?) • Goals and objectives are based on the statement of need. • What will be done, under what conditions and how will success be determined • The goal is where we want to be. • The objectives are the steps needed to get there

42. Crisp and Concise • one or two goals • A number of objectives related to accomplishing the goals • The strategies, actions or steps to achieve each objective. • Conditions/context • Behavior/actions • Criteria

43. Objectives • Objectives describe who is going to do what, when they will do it, and how it will be measured (conditions and criteria) • Discuss desired end results of the project (the expected behavior) • But not how those results will be accomplished (that comes in the project design or methods section • Arrange them in priority order.

44. Plan of Action, Project Design, or Methods • This is often the section of the proposal which is worth the most points in the scoring rubric. • This is often the most challenging to prepare • Many proposals are rejected due to poor or missing methods/project design section • This is the “essence” section where a detailed description of what will be done, by whom, according to a timeline is provided • Each action needs to be clearly described and link to goals/objectives and with each other

45. Serve as a GPS to enable the reader to find their way through the project Describe the strategies and activities as they relate to the objectives Provide a timeline with task completion dates Does it provide an organizational chart Describe how the activities and strategies will be conducted Specify who does what, when, where, how and for how long? Project Proposal Methods Does your plan of action:

46. If program plan or methods are new or unique explain why they are better than that previously used Specify program/project design and why it was selected Define all important terms and acronyms Provide descriptions of data sources including participants, how they will be selected, the number of participants Describe all procedures Basically describe a step-by-step work plan: who does what, when, where and how Project Proposal Methods

47. Quality of Key Personnel: Who Are these People? And, why are would we give them our money? • Purpose of this section is to convince the funding source that you are capable of doing what you say you can do • Emphasize the knowledge, skill and competencies the key personnel • Describe your experience in managing other projects • Consultants • In instances where you cannot identify a specific person, provide the key elements of the job description or the qualifications required • Describe the roles and responsibilities of all staff, and level of effort of each by time or percentages

48. In the Key Personnel Section be Sure to Include: • Publications or projects/programs in which you and the project staff have been involved • The training, credentials, licensing, certifications of the key personnel • Other dissemination: Conference presentations, web sites, etc.

49. Agency or Institution Qualifications • Why should the award be made to your institution? • The Grants Office will help you with the information in this section. • Highlight institution’s capabilities, relation of the project to mission. • Facilities, support, library, computer, etc.

50. Program/Project Evaluation Did we do what we set out to do? Did we do it well enough? Are we sure of our results? Did we learn anything we didn’t expect?