How to Write

1
How to Write the Perfect NEH Proposal Part 2
The application itself 11 April 2008
2
Careful planning helps...
3
Know your source...
4
It doesnt happen if you dont ask...
5
Spell-Checker Eye halve a spelling chequer It
came with my pea sea. It plainly marques four my
revue Miss steaks eye kin knot sea. Eye strike a
key and type a word And weight four it two
say. Weather eye am wrong oar write, It shows me
strait a weigh. As soon as a mist ache is
maid, It nose bee fore two long. And eye can put
the error rite, Its rare lea ever wrong. Eye
have run this poem threw it I am shore your
pleased two no. Its letter perfect awl the
weigh My chequer tolled me sew. Sauce Unknown
Spelling and Neatness Count!
6
Deadlines You get no points for being
early and you may not even lose for being (a
little bit) late. And dont forget mail
security issues.
7
Know how much we can give Know what we will give
it for Know the process How to ask How we
decide How we can help Dont go it
alone Collegial help NEH help
8
Myths about funding through grants-

• Good ideas are what matters
• Grants are a great way to start a project
• Grants are Free Money

• Must be matched to funders interests
• NEH likes track record
• Grants involve considerable time and money

9
How will this strengthen and improvethe quality
of instructionthe research agendawhatever?
The grant will not solve all of your problems,
nor will it do so for the world
10

• AVOID
• Located in the rolling hills of ______,
  _________ College is a nationally recognized
  selective institution enrolling students of
  superior academic talent. Since 1993, U.S. News
  and World Report has cited __________ College as
  one of the nations leading institutions
• STICK TO THE FACTS
• The 566 first year students enrolled in 2002
  have an average SAT score of 1,010 and composite
  ACT of 22. Sixty-two percent are non-traditional
  students and forty-nine percent are the first
  generation of their families to attend college.

11
Putting the Proposal Together

• Significance of Activity

• What going on with the at your institution?
• How does fit into the institution?
• What is unique?
• What students/public to do you serve?
• Related courses/programs offered?

12

• What are you already doing well?
• Funding levels
• Institutional commitment
• Institutional achievements
• Other major institutional grants
• Consider appropriate vignettes
• What are you doing with community?

13

• What needs to be improved or strengthened (but
  remember not to be negative)?
• What is missing from your institution?
• What inspired this application? What created the
  intellectual need?

14
Impact of Grant Funds

• What are you going to do to address the
  intellectual needs?
• Goals and Objectives
• Is there evidence of long-range planning?
• How/by whom was this solution developed?
• Why is this the best time?

15

• How will you accomplish your goals and
  objectives? Who will be doing this?
• Workshop schedules, acquisition plans
• Limited space, so focus on most important
• (use appendices)
• Convert the non-committed

16

• Appropriateness of the Institution's Resources
  and Plans

• Is the institution capable of sustaining
  outstanding endeavors in the selected field(s)?
• Long-range institutional planning for
  intellectual development?
• How do the plans address needs, build on
  strengths, and improve activities?
• Any evidence of commitment to the long-range
  plans?

17

• How will this significantly improve the quality
  of instruction/programming?
• How will we expand public awareness/understanding
  through outreach activities and informal
  education?
• Does this plan build on your existing strengths?

18

• Matching grants Feasibility of Fund-Raising

• Past successes in fund raising
• Financial stability
• Context of this project- part of a campaign?
• Breakdown of prospective donors
• Lead gifts
• Does this plan broaden your base of support?

19
Appendix

• Include only material that is referenced in the
  narrative
• Letters of commitment (not so much letters of
  support)
• And not political

20
Post Mortem

• If funded- carefully monitor the funds
• If not funded- read reviewers comments, speak
  with program staff, decide if it is worth
  resubmitting

21
More Thoughts

• Role of the evaluation criteria
• NEHs View of Assessment

22

• Rejection
• Doesnt mean the funder hates you or that
• youre a bad person
• Is a cause for action, not dismay
• Is appropriately followed by revision and
• reapplication, not total redesign and
• de novo application
• People who get grants are people
• who reapply for grants!

23
(No Transcript)
24
National Endowment for the Humanities
Old Post Office Building 1100 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20506 www.neh.gov fwin
ter_at_neh.gov