Grantwriting for Health Councils

1. Grantwriting forHealth Councils Ron Hale, Coordinator New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils www.nmhealthcouncils.org ronhale@aol.com (This presentation completed with support from the New Mexico Department of Health)

2. I. Introduction & General Tips

3. Basic Rules of grantwriting: • Demonstrate that your interests are the same as those of the funder • Follow the instructions • Make it easy for the reviewer • Only apply if it’s appropriate

4. General recommendations • Follow the guidelines exactly • Answer every question or section • Include everything that is requested, nothing more • Use logical format • No B.S. • Make it easy for the reviewers

5. Deciding to apply • Is it appropriate? • Is the program feasible? • Is there time to do a good proposal? • Is this the appropriate organization? • What is the likely competition? • What are the chances of success? • Are all the appropriate stakeholders at the table?

6. When is a grant appropriate? • Non-profit, 5019(c)(3) organization • Alignment with organizational mission & plans • Applying is feasible • Success is likely • The organization is capable of administering the grant

7. When is a grant not appropriate? • When it’s the sole source of funding • When it could divert the organization from it’s mission • When it won’t cover the real program costs • Political activities, lobbying • Religious purposes

8. When is a grant more difficult? • Government-run programs: schools, libraries, etc. • Faith-based organizations • Advocacy programs

9. Health Councils & Grant Funding

10. Health Councils & Grant Funding: Options • Applying for direct funding • Facilitating community processes: coalitions, collaborative projects • Endorsing funding proposals • Using of Health Profile information • Providing assistance with research, writing proposals

11. Funds leveraged by MCH Councils • During a three year period, County MCH Councils received approximately $8.5 million from the NMDOH. With this core funding, they were able to leverage an additional $37.8 million. • County MCH Councils attracted over $4 for every $1 provided by DOH in core funding. --Ann Hayes Egan & Ron Hale, March 2003

12. MCH Funds leveraged, 2000-2003 • State: $10,313,517 • Federal: $12,877,334 • Foundation: $12,602,915 • Other: $1,627,220 • Total:$37,420,986

13. Grants to health councils: Advantages • Collaborative • Can leverage funding • Community-wide impact • Stable

14. Grants to health councils:Disadvantages • Jeopardizes perceived neutrality • Competition with community organizations • Fiscal agent • Role as facilitator of community processes

15. III. Funding Sources

16. Charitable giving in the U.S.: • Individuals: 75% • Foundations: 12% • Corporations: 5% • Bequests 8%

17. Types of Grants: • Programs & projects • Contracts to implement specific programs • General operating funds • Capital grants • Research grants • Grants to individuals

18. The Closer-to-Home Rule: • Personal contacts • Local foundations or businesses • Regional funders • State-level funders • National funders

19. Types of Funding Sources: • Private/family foundations • Community foundations • Health foundations • Corporations, businesses • United Way • Local government • State agencies • Federal grant programs

20. New Mexico: Family Foundations • McCune Foundation, www.mccune.org • Frost Foundation, www.frostfound.or • Maddox Foundation, www.jfmaddox.org • Daniels Fund, www.danielsfund.org • Mabee Foundation, www.mabeefoundation.com • Messengers of the Healing Winds Foundation (no website)

21. New Mexico: Community Foundations • New Mexico Community Foundation • Albuquerque Community Foundation • Santa Fe Community Foundation • Taos Community Foundation • El Paso Community Foundation • Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico

22. New Mexico: Health Foundations • Con Alma Health Foundation • Northern NM Health Grant Group • Paso del Norte Health Foundation • Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation (primarily education)

23. New Mexico: United Ways • Central NM, Albuquerque • Eastern NM, Clovis • Northern NM, Los Alamos • Southwest NM, Las Cruces • Others in Alamogordo, Artesia, Carlsbad, Farmington, Hobbs, Roswell, Santa Fe, Tucumcari

24. New Mexico: National Foundations • W.K. Kellogg Foundation • Kresge Foundation • Burnett Foundation • Brown Foundation • Ford Foundation • Intel Foundation • Robert Wood Johnson

25. Federal Funding Sources • Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) • Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) • Administration on Children & Families (ACF) • Others: Dept. of Education, Dept. of Labor, Dept. of Agriculture

26. IV. Prospect Research

27. Information Sources: • Personal contacts • Community history • Foundation Center Collections • Internet data bases • Foundation websites • Federal Government: Grants.gov • State agency websites

28. Search Criteria: • Accept unsolicited proposals? • Geographic areas covered • Areas of interest • Funding history • Deadlines • Limitations/prohibitions

29. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES The Foundation Directory Online Foundation Grants to Individuals Online PRINT RESOURCES Board Member's Book (2003) The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing (2007) The Grantseeker's Guide to Winning Proposals (2008) The Foundation Directory (2008) The Foundation Directo5ry Supplement (2008) Foundation Fundamentals (2008) Foundation Grants to Individuals (2008) Foundations Today Series Foundation Giving Trends (2008) Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates (2008) Foundation Yearbook (2008) Guia para Escribir Propuestas (2008) Guide to Funding for International and Foreign Programs (2008) International Grantmaking IV (2008) National Directory of Corporate Giving (2008) Philanthropy Annual (2008) Securing Your Organization's Future (2001) Social Justice Grantmaking II (2008) Foundation Center Materials:

30. Useful Resources: • Foundation Center: foundationcenter.org/findfunders/ • Foundations on Line: www.foundations.org • NM Grantmakers: http://nmgrantmakers.org/ • NM Assn. of Grantmakers: http://www.nmag.org/grantseek.php • Center for Nonprofit Excellence: http://www.centerfornonprofitexcellence.org/home/ • Grantsmanship Center: http://www.tgci.com/funding.shtml • Guidestar: http://www.guidestar.org/ • NM Funding Directory (UNM): http://research.unm.edu/publications/nmfd_book • Chronicle of Philanthropy: http://philanthropy.com/grants/ • Rural Information Center, National Agricultural Library: http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/fundguide.html

31. V. Creating a Successful Grant Proposal

32. Group Planning • Convene the stakeholders • Develop the program • Sketch out a rough budget • Assign tasks • Do an application work plan & timeline

33. Proposal Timeline & Work Plan

34. Writing Style • Use clear, concise language • Avoid jargon • Don’t assume the reviewers know you, your program, or New Mexico • Write the way you talk • Support assertions with data and/or anecdotal evidence

35. Basic Elements of a Proposal: • Introduction/Abstract • Needs • Goals • Objectives • Outcomes • Activities/Work Plan • Evaluation Plan/Logic Model • Organizational Capability • Budget • Appendices/attachments

36. Introduction/Abstract • Hook the reader • Clear idea of the proposal in first paragraph • Demonstrate that the proposal addresses the funder’s interests

37. Community Needs • Community Description • Urgent needs: health, social, economic, cultural, artistic • Data: National, state, local • Organizational experience • Community strengths, resources

38. Goals • Broad statements of intent • Measurable or verifiable • Overall outcomes of the project or mission of the organization • Example: The goal of this program is to reduce child abuse & neglect in Sierra Co. by 10%.

39. Objectives • Strategies: sets of activities, processes • Specific, measurable, verifiable • Concrete accomplishments • Time-framed • Example: By June 2008, the X program will enhance parenting skills by providing parenting education classes to 150 teen parents.

40. Outcomes • Program outcomes: Changes in behavior, knowledge, or conditions of target population • System outcomes: Community-level changes in organizational relationships, policies, funding patterns, networks, coalitions, community infrastructure • Health status changes: improvements in population health indicators

41. Examples of Outcomes: • Population outcome: Program participants will demonstrate improved parenting skills, as measured by the Parenting Stress Index • System outcome: The schools will develop policies that support teen parents in completing high school. • Health status outcome: The rate of substantiated child abuse and neglect cases in X County will be reduced by 5% by 2012.

42. Time Frames for Outcomes: • Short-term: Up to one year • Intermediate: 1 – 5 years • Long-term: 5 years or more

43. Activities/Action Steps • Organized by objectives • Tasks to be accomplished • Who will be responsible • Partners involved • Completion dates

44. Outputs Quantifying activities: • Products developed • Services provided • Numbers of people served • Events produced (e.g., classes, town meetings, health screenings)

45. Project Work Plan

46. Project Timeline

47. Project Logic Model

48. Expenses: Personnel: Salaries, Benefits Space rental Supplies Telephone Internet Postage Equipment Supplies Travel Administrative Overhead Income: Grants Program revenue Private contributions Organizational resources In-kind: Space Utilities Administrative supervision Administrative support Budget: Expenses

49. Budget: Income Income: • Grants • Program revenue • Private contributions • Organizational resources • Matching funds In-kind: • Space • Utilities • Administrative supervision • Administrative support

50. Project Sustainability Support following termination of the grant: • Program-generated revenues: fees for services, tuition, sales of products • Third-party reimbursements: Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, etc. • Leveraging of additional grant funding (seed funding) • Spin-off of program activities