SUPORTING YOUR GRANT REQUEST WITH RESEARCH

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SUPORTING YOUR GRANT REQUEST WITH RESEARCH

• Patricia M. Adrian, Research Specialist, WIRED
• 9/10/2008

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PURPOSE

• Sharpen the focus of your efforts
• Fact-based decisions
• Articulate the NEED for your proposal
• Supporting Evidence
• Make a stronger case for receiving WIRED funding
• Ensure that your proposal moves southeastern
  Wisconsin toward regional transformation
• Link and leverage

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AGENDA

• Grant Proposal Content
• Program Need
• Using Research
• Existing Data
• What else is needed?
• Targeting the solution
• Tools
• Finding Partners
• QA

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GRANT PROPOSAL CONTENT

• Program Description
• Program Need
• Fact-based Substantiate with statistics,
  research findings
• Supporting Evidence
• Identify the purpose of your project and why it
  should be supported. Try to convince the funding
  institution that your project is important and
  that you are experts in this field. Give
  supporting evidence for your project from other
  experts showing that a problem exists and needs
  to be dealt with. (Encyclopedia of Grant
  Writing and Fund Raising http//www.urbanministry
  .org/book/export/html/9962)
• Expected Outcomes How Success is Measured
• Fact-based Supported by similar research
  findings
• Partners
• Extend the networking among agencies across the
  region?

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PROGRAM NEED

• Understand the current situation
• Document the opportunity area
• Whats the focus of your idea?
• Investigate possible approaches
• What would improve the current situation?
• What would transform the current situation?
• Are there initiatives in other regions that
  address similar situations?
• Do these approaches seem likely to work here?
• Support with evidence!

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PROGRAM NEED EXAMPLES

• a proposal for a new physical-education program
  for a school district documented the old and
  scarce equipment. There aren't enough soccer
  balls, so teams had to wait their turn to play.
  But idle time is not good for those students,
  because many are obese and do not meet basic
  fitness standards for children their age. The
  school district sought money for new sports
  equipment for activities that would appeal to
  more students, such as tennis, strength training,
  and aerobics.
• In a proposal for a community technology center,
  the applicant showed the need for the facility by
  reporting the high poverty level of the
  surrounding area, along with the low standardized
  test scores in the schools. That was supported by
  national statistics showing less computer
  ownership among lower-income families.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education, How to Write
  an Outreach Grant Proposal, Sept. 15, 2006
  http//chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/09/2006091501c
  .htm

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USING RESEARCH

• Understand the current situation
• Find existing data
• Quantify numbers of people affected today Trends
  over time Projections
• Defensible sources (not blogs!)
• What is not known?
• May know s of high school dropouts but not the
  reasons
• Document the opportunity area
• Envision the way things could be
• Consider the uniqueness of your region
• What unique strengths could you build on?
• Support the need for change with research
• I never guess. It is a capital mistake to
  theorize before one has data. Insensibly one
  begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead
  of theories to suit facts. Sir Arthur Conan
  Doyle

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USING RESEARCH, cont.

• Investigate possible approaches
• Unique needs of the region (growing the uranium
  exploration industry is likely not a good fit for
  southeastern WI)
• Use the right vocabulary for the focus area
• Research about jobs may want to use SOC (Standard
  Occupation Classification) categories (makes it
  easier to access existing research)
• Illustrates your knowledge of the area
• Tools
• WIRED Research Index
• Web sites, individual research studies, glossary
• Government/Official Web sites
• Census Bureau, Dept. of Labor, Dept. of
  Education, etc.
• Workforce (http//www.workforce3one.org)
• M7 (http//www.choosemilwaukee.com/)
• Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking
  and prying with a purpose. Zora Neale Hurston

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HOW MUCH RESEARCH?

• Identify the practical boundaries of the focus
  area
• Dont want to drown in data (analysis paralysis)
• Different categories of funding
• Exploratory Does data exist or will you do
  additional research to identify an opportunity?
• Cite research to describe/justify approach
• Demonstration - Will you apply a solution,
  measure the impact the focus area?
• Cite research to indicate likelihood of success
  explain reasons for approach
• Implementation - Will you implement a proven
  approach widely across the region?
• Success measures of pilot program

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FINDING PARTNERS

• Check out what local projects are underway
• Funded by local, national foundations
• Google List of top funding foundations in WI?
• Selected The Grantsmanship Center
  (http//www.tgci.com/funding/top.asp?statenameWis
  consinstatecodeWI)
• Selected Helen Bader Foundation selected link to
  hbf.org
• Selected Programs Youth Development
• Got a summary of the funding philosophy, link
  to 2007 grants list
• Talk to community leaders, economic development
  agencies, schools, etc.
• Network here today!

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HELEN BADER FOUNDATION YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (2007)

• (Source http//www.hbf.org/2007_SAN.pdf)
• St. Marcus Evangelical Lutheran Church Milwaukee
  WI 20,000
• This grant will help St. Marcus School
  participate in Discover America, an integrated,
  experiential educational approach that introduces
  students in grades 4-8 to a global viewpoint.
• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee,
  Inc. Milwaukee WI 20,000
• This grant will help the Boys and Girls Club of
  Greater Milwaukee continue the Milwaukee
  Striders' track and field training for central
  city youth.
• Milwaukee Public Library Foundation,
  Inc. Milwaukee WI 15,000
• This grant will help the Milwaukee Public
  Library Foundation continue its Teen Outreach
  Project, which uses a Library Teen Advisory Board
  to provide a voice for young people in planning
  library programs, collections, and teen services.
• Urban Strategies, Inc. Milwaukee WI 14,000
• This grant will help Urban Strategies provide
  consulting services to the Milwaukee Striders to
  help the nonprofit develop a long-term
  sustainability plan.
• Counseling Center of Milwaukee, Inc. Milwaukee WI
  10,000
• This grant will help the Counseling Center of
  Milwaukee (CCM) serve Milwaukee's runaway and
  homeless teens.
• Milwaukee Tennis Education Foundation,
  Inc. Milwaukee WI 10,000
• This grant will help the Milwaukee Tennis and
  Education Foundation offer its programs to
  disadvantaged Milwaukee children, ages 7-16.

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Questions?

• Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
  committed citizens can change the world indeed,
  it's the only thing that ever has.
• Margaret Mead