Successful

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Successful Grant Writing
Presented By Melanie Dillard David W. Dillard
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YOGI ISMS

• Youve got to be careful if you dont know where
  youre going cause you might not get there.

• Remember that whatever you do in life, 90
  percent of it is half mental.

• Stay alert-you can observe a lot by watching.

• The future aint what it use to be.

• If the world were perfect, it wouldnt be.

• If you ask me a question I dont know, Im not
  going to answer.

• We make too many wrong mistakes.

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So you want to write a grant?

• Workshop objectives
• Planning a proposal
• Hints on grant writing and management
• The typical parts of a proposal
• Budgeting process
• Grant Management
• Finding a grant to write will be a future
  in-service

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A Successful Grant Has

• An adequate staff pattern that describes who is
  needed to do what tasks when. (This will help
  ensure that job descriptions match the tasks that
  must be accomplished.)
• An clearly written overview of the activities and
  how they relate to costs and the attainment of
  the objectives.
• A logical framework on which to evaluate the
  tasks performed.

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A Successful Grant Has

• A detailed analysis of the materials, supplies,
  and equipment related to each objective.
• An efficient way to keep track of in-kind or
  matching donations.
• A basis for dividing costs among multiple
  funders.
• A working document that makes it possible to
  assess the involvement of multiple organizations
  and participants.

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Grant Writing Hints
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General Hints

• Be sure your project fits the application
• Follow the sections in the grant application
• Read the scoring rubric and address the key
  scoring points
• Grammar and spelling are critical
• Proof read, proof read, proof read, and then have
  others read your proposal, and then proof read
  again
• Be clear and precise leave out the jargon and
  acronyms
• Do the readers really know what you are going to
  do?

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General Hints

• Have an individual who has not participated in
  the grant writing process proof the application.
• If mailing your grant allow ample time for the
  grant to arrive.
• Note number of copies, font size, page limits
  etc.
• Read carefully (postmarked by or due by)
• Always, always use registered mail, return
  receipt requested.

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Major Components of a Grant

• Proposal Abstract or Summary
• Needs Statement
• Goals Objectives
• Plan of Operation (Activities that support the
  goals and objectives)
• Key Personnel
• Evaluation
• Adequacy of Resources
• Assurances
• Attachments
• Budget and Cost Effectiveness

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Proposal Abstract or Summary

• A short description of the project
• Keep it short and positive
• Be very specific and to the point
• It has to be clear the reader should know what
  is going to happen
• What are you going to do
• How are you going to do it
• There may be a separate section (introduction)
  that describes your institution (school) and the
  community

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Needs Statement

• A good needs statement should give the reader a
  clear picture of who has the need and what they
  need.
• Statement of the problem
• Include lots of local data, national and
  research data is often not helpful, but may not
  hurt (Scientific Research Based)
• Make sure it fits the intended purpose of the
  grant
• Be positive dont cry about being poor or
  rural or low academic scores or not having
  equipment or services
• Explain what you have been successful at in the
  past in similar projects

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Goals Objectives

• There is usually only one to three goals
• The goals are usually broad
• There should two or more objectives for each goal
• They need accomplish the goal
• They need to be measurable
• They should describe
• Who will do
• What
• By When
• How measured

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Activities to Support Objectives

• A detailed account of what you are going to do
• Should be directly tied to and supportive of the
  objectives
• Begin with a verb.
• Students will.
• Read, Identify, Participate,Record,Reflect,Partici
  pate, Demonstrate.
• Activities should be in logical order (A timeline
  is often helpful)
• There should be benchmarks (to ensure the project
  is being accomplished on time)
• Responsibilities should be outlined

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Key Personnel

• Often required to provide a list, if not you need
  one for yourself
• Define roles and responsibilities
• Tie back into the goals and objectives

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Evaluation

• A written plan that helps the reader determine if
  the project goals can and will be achieved.
• (The trick is to refer directly back to the
  objectives)
• How will you know if you have met the goals and
  objectives
• Use more than one evaluation tool.
• If using standardized testing make sure the data
  will be in on time to meet your timelines.
• Who will do the evaluation
• In-house or outside evaluator
• Levels of evaluation
• School Board, Committee(s) involved,Granting
  agency,Student, community, teacher

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Evaluation Continued

• The evaluation section of your proposal must
  clearly delineate
• what will be evaluated,
• when the pre- and postevaluations will occur,
• how much change is predicted,
• who will perform the evaluation, and
• how much the evaluation component will cost.
• Be prepared to explain why the criteria was not
  met.
• The key is that the project was evaluated, not
  necessarily that every objective was met.

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Adequacy of Resources

• Do you have adequate resources to implement the
  proposal?
• Keep in mind resources are not always equipment.
• support from administration / school board
• staff
• professional development
• supplies
• budget
• continuation

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Assurances

• Read carefully, some components are uniform for
  all grants, but each grant can be different
• Usually legal and set forth by law
• Review them so you do not violate them
• Be aware of multiple year grants and district
  matches per year
• Basic concept is that you are authorized to
  expend funds for the purposes outlined in the
  application and that the district is held
  accountable for all deliverables. (See next
  slide)
• Signed by the Chief Administrator
  (Superintendent)
• Often, if they are not met, funding may have to
  be paid back.

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Deliverables

• Make a list of what you must provide at the end
  of the grant
• Training dates/times, attendance lists, topics,
  handouts
• Educational activities dates, curriculum,
  development, use of software, other activities
• Reports and progress reports know what data is
  required to be turned in

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Attachments

• Include only if specified in the application
  manual.
• Attachments might include
• Letters of recommendation
• Supporting data
• Scientific Based Research

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Make the Most of Funds

• Often grants can be used to supply the district
  match of other grants
• Planning is very important
• Know what other grant coordinators/managers in
  the district are doing
• Know what amounts the district can match
• Keep track of matching funds

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Budget

• Government grant rules allow for small changes,
  but even in these cases the changes must be
  documented and often they have to be pre-approved
  (amendments).
• The key to making a budget change is to back up
  the request with a rationale that is linked
  strongly to the projects activities/ methods and
  how the change will help accomplish the
  predetermined objectives.

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Budget

• The budget is usually where problems happen
• This is often the only area (outside mid-year and
  final reports) that are checked by DESE
• District auditors will also check
• Codes must be in the district budget and all
  expenditures in the correct category

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6100 Salaries

• State Definition the total amount regularly paid
  or stipulated to be paid to an individual, before
  deductions, for personal services rendered while
  on the payroll of the LEA.
• If the person is under contract to the district,
  any additional payment is considered a salary
• All stipends paid to local teachers is a salary
• The key is if they are employed by the District
  (the Fiscal Agent) any payment to them except
  reimbursements, are a salary and subject to
  benefits (retirement, Medicare and possibly FICA)

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6200 Benefits

• These are the matching amounts paid by the
  district, the teacher will still have an equal
  amount with held from their check
• Teacher retirement
• Medicare
• These need to be calculated on all salaries
• These are often overlooked when paying salaries,
  if they are not included, they have to come out
  of local funds
• Check with your local book keeper, usually about
  0.13 of salary
• If there is a full time position under the grant
  you should include insurance

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6300 Purchase Services

• State Definition Personal services rendered by
  personnel who are not on the payroll of the LEA,
  and other services which may be purchased by the
  LEA.
• These can be several different expenditures
• In joint efforts, teachers paid in another
  district are under purchased services
• Repair can be a purchase service
• Contracted services
• Lease purchases

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6400 Supplies

• State Definition Items that are not electrical
  or mechanical in nature or furniture which costs
  less than 1,000.00 per unit or items which have
  a useful life of less than one year. Usually a
  material item which is expended and consumed or
  worn out or deteriorated in use or has lost its
  identity through fabrication or incorporation
  into a more complex unit or substance.
• Different grants have different definitions
• School districts will have a policy that
  established an amount also

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6400 Supplies

• All software is considered a supply no matter
  the cost
• Expendables paper, pens, disks
• Meeting materials and food if purchased and
  served (it could also be a purchase service)
• Textbooks (most grants will not allow)
• Some furniture
• Some grants have different limits other than the
  1,000.00 -- sometimes you can use the District
  established amount if there is no definition in
  the grant application

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6500 Equipment

• State Definition Items that are electrical or
  mechanical in nature or furniture and 1) have a
  useful life of at least one year 2) would
  require repair rather than be replaced 3) the
  cost of tagging and inventory is a small percent
  of the items cost and 4) cost more than
  1,000.00
• Usually have serial numbers (furniture will not)
• Some grants have lower limits
• Some grants have limit on the percentage of
  expenditures in equipment

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Equipment

• You are ethically (and in some cases legally)
  responsible for maintaining an accurate record of
  all equipment purchased under your grant,
  including documentation that the equipment was
  awarded to the lowest bidder.
• Inventory of Equipment- if your school does not
  have an inventory system that you are comfortable
  with, develop one!
• DESE often checks
• Place some form of semi-permanent sticker or use
  an engraving tool for date of purchase and grant
  source

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Grant Management
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Develop a File System

• File folders
• File box
• Three-ring binder
• A box
• Keep all information about the grant in one
  location, use what ever works for you
• Color coding system

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Usual Components of a File System

• The grant manual or RFP
• Your grant application
• List of state, federal, or foundation contacts
• Miscellaneous background information used in
  writing the grant
• Sign-in sheets planning, training, events
• Created materials, usually curriculum
• Budget
• Purchase orders invoices

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Develop A Timeline

• Place large calendar on the wall
• Place the major events within the project
• When are amendments due?
• What is the amendment process?
• Deliverables
• Mid-year report
• Final report

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Indirect Administrative Costs

• Indirect Costs- One of the least understood areas
  in the grants field is that of the recovery of
  costs associated with the acceptance of any grant
  award. The term indirect costs is usually
  identified with federal grants, while the term
  administrative costs and overhead is usually
  identified with the foundation and corporate
  grants.
• Many grants do not allow

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Non-Supplant

• State Definition to substitute a new source of
  funds to provide services or materials already in
  existence in the LEA and previously funded with
  other funds.
• Many grants have this as an assurance (especially
  federal)

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• Questions