developing a grant proposal
TRANSCRIPT
Developing a Grant Proposal
LYRASIS Preservation Services
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities, division of Preservation and Access.
LYRASIS Digital &Preservation Services
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monitoring equipment available for loan. • Publications: all types of preservation
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assist you.• Consulting: personalized assistance for your
specific preservation needs.
Welcome• This short class is intended to introduce
participants to a few of the top questions to ask when developing a grant proposal.
• Your particular needs will vary, depending on the type of grant you are applying for and the conditions outlined in the proposal.
• LYRASIS Preservation is available to assist you with the NEH-PAG grant. We can issue a letter of commitment and help review your final proposal.
• For more information on LYRASIS Preservation and a wide variety of classes available thru LYRASIS, please visit: http://bit.ly/LYRPresHome
To develop an idea into a proposal/plan, answer these
questions:• 1. What is the community need that the plan is
addressing? – Ask yourself “why should they give me funding?” Focus on how
the grant will serve the community, not just on how receiving the grant would make your job easier! This is where you can really hook your funders with a strong statement and a viable need.
• 2. What would an improved community situation look like?– This is the objectives part of the proposal- state specific goals and
measurable results.
• 3. What can my organization do to improve the situation? – These are the methods by how your objectives will be achieved.
Define how the project will be administered, the selection and preparation of materials, timeline, co-ordination of staff and how the project can fit with potential program building.
To develop an idea into a proposal/plan, answer these
questions:• 4. How will it be determined that the project has
succeeded? (evaluation)– You will want numbers here- measurable goals that you might
track to evaluate your project. The measure of an outcome can often be judged by the following statement: Has our target audience changed or improved skills, attitudes, knowledge, behavior, status, or life condition by experiencing our program?
• 5. How much will the project cost? (budget)– The budget translates methodology into money – and
delineates costs. You will need to follow funder forms and guidelines – they’re all different, and the rules are very important.
• 6. How will this project be funded in the future? (sustainability)– Will you finish the grant within an allotted period of time, or
what other support or programs will carry it on into the future?
For the summary/abstract part of the proposal, you will need to
answer:(*in one or two pages)• 1. Who are you and what is the mission of your
organization?• 2. What is the proposed project (title, purpose, target
population)?
• 3. Why is the proposed project important?• 4. What will be accomplished by your project
during the time period of the grant?• 5. Why should your organization do the project?• 6. How much will the project cost during the grant
time period? How much is being requested?
In the introduction to the proposal, you will want to include the
following:• Name• Location• Legal Status• Date of Beginning• Your Mission• The target population• Programs that your institution already
have in place• Accomplishments• The personnel/staff that are “on board” for
the project
Your statement of need/purpose
• 1. Who are the people with the need?• 2. Where are the people with the need?• 3. When is the need evident?• 4. What is the need?• 5. Why does this need occur?• 6. What evidence do you have to support your
claim?• 7. What are the consequences of meeting the
need?• 8. How is the need linked to your organization?
Listing the goals and objectives for the grant:
• 1. What is/are the key areas you are seeking to change?
• 2. What segment of the population will be involved in the change?
• 3. What is the direction of change (increase or decrease, improvement or reduction)?
• 4. What is the degree or amount of change you’ll be looking for?
• 5. What is the deadline to reach the degree of change?
Methodology• 1. What are the “givens” that are inflexible?
(such as date of completion, dollars and staff available)
• 2. What activities need to be done in order to meet the objectives?
• 3. Who has responsibility for completing each activity?
• 4. How will participants be selected? (not always applicable)
• 5. Why did you choose this method? Does it build upon existing models? Is it a different approach, if so, why is it better?
The Organizational and Administrative Plan
• 1. How will the project be administered?• 2. Who is responsible for what?• 3. How will staff be hired? Trained?• 4. What are the qualifications for staff?
(Job descriptions, resumes, etc.)• 5. Include information about
consultants, their qualifications, why they were chosen, etc.
The budget– Estimate your DIRECT expenses- revision will
usually become necessary as the costs become clear. These expenses cover costs associated specifically with the project objective, such as:
• Salaries and benefits• Equipment and supplies• Travel, lodging
– INDIRECT expenses are not usually covered (overhead), but a grant may pay a percentage of these costs – government agencies often assign a maximum allowable/total percentage for this. These expenses can include:
• Building costs, Lighting, etc.• Liability insurance• Equipment leases
The budget• Cost sharing or matching means that a portion of project or
program costs is not covered by the grant.– Cost share includes cash contributions from the organization
that received the grant for the project, in-kind contributions from third-parties, and matching funds from third parties.
• Third party in-kind contributions' means the value of non-cash contributions provided by non-Federal third parties. Third party in-kind contributions may be in the form of real property, equipment, supplies and other expendable property, and the value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the project or program.– These are part of the direct expenses of the project and
usually are reflected on the cost-share (not the federal or grant) side of the budget.
• Matching funds are cash contributions to the project, to the cost-share side of the project. If they are eligible, NEH will match them dollar to dollar, but only for a specified amount made at the time of the grant award.
Where to look for grants:• There are a wide variety of granting agencies that can
help you preserve your materials. Here are a few places to start:– National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH):
http://www.neh.gov/ – Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS):
http://www.imls.gov/ – National Historical Publications and Records
Commission (NHPRC): http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/ – State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs):
http://www.statearchivists.org/shrabs.htm • Foundation grants for preservation in libraries, archives,
and museums, 2010 edition from the Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/preservation/about/foundtn-grants.pdf
LYRASIS is available to assist you with the NEH-PAG Grant!
• The Preservation Assistance Grant for Smaller Institutions is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. – These grants are for up to $6,000.00 with no
matching or cost-sharing required.– The PAG encourages first-time participants.– The deadline for this grant is generally in May
but check NEH PAG guidelines for specific date. – Due to online submission traffic it is highly
recommended to submit before the dealine date.
NEH-PAG: some details• Submissions only accepted online.
• You MUST be registered at www.grants.gov to submit a proposal to the NEH. Do it today!
• PAG grant information is available at: http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html
NEH-PAG: who to contact• Contact the NEH for answers to discuss
specific project proposals if you are unsure your idea fits within the grant guidelines.– Phone: 202-606-8570 – Email: [email protected]
• Contact LYRASIS Preservation for general PAG questions, to obtain a letter of commitment, or to request for a LYRASIS Preservation staff member to review your grant proposal before submission.– Phone: 800-999-8558– Email: [email protected]
For more information on grant writing:
• Foundation center: proposal writing short course:– http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/
tutorials/shortcourse/index.html
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Thank You!Contact us if you have any
questions
LYRASIS Preservation [email protected]
1-800-999-8558