hart tollefson writing winning grants
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Writing and Winning a Writing and Winning a Grant: Grant:
Examples and How-To’sExamples and How-To’s
NATIONAL CHINESE NATIONAL CHINESE LANGUAGE CONFERENCELANGUAGE CONFERENCE
MAY 1, 2009MAY 1, 2009
CHICAGOCHICAGO
Great Truths About Grant Great Truths About Grant WritingWriting
Great Truth # 1Great Truth # 1
Grant writing is NOT a Grant writing is NOT a stream-of-stream-of-
consciousness activity!consciousness activity!
Great Truths About Grant Great Truths About Grant WritingWriting
Great Truth # 2Great Truth # 2
Every proposal must Every proposal must be tailored to the be tailored to the
funder to whom you funder to whom you will submit itwill submit it..
Great Truth # 3Great Truth # 3
The secret to The secret to successful grant successful grant
writing is meticulous writing is meticulous attention to attention to everyevery
detail. detail.
Great Truth # 4Great Truth # 4
Like a treasure hunt, a Like a treasure hunt, a good proposal leads the good proposal leads the
reader through a reader through a carefully reasoned, well carefully reasoned, well articulated sequence of articulated sequence of
argumentsarguments. .
Great Truth # 5Great Truth # 5
A good proposal conveys A good proposal conveys the image of a great the image of a great
crew stuck in the crew stuck in the leakiest boat around but leakiest boat around but
with the ability and a with the ability and a plan to fix it. plan to fix it.
The Pre-Proposal The Pre-Proposal PhasePhase
1)1)Develop your idea…Develop your idea…
The Pre-Proposal The Pre-Proposal PhasePhase
2) 2) Assess your idea critically:Assess your idea critically:
• • Does it meet a critical Does it meet a critical need? need?
• • Is it feasible?Is it feasible?
• • Is it cost-effective?Is it cost-effective?
• • Do you have the capacity Do you have the capacity to pull it off?to pull it off?
• • If not, who could help you?If not, who could help you?
The Pre-Proposal The Pre-Proposal PhasePhase
• • Is there support for your idea? Is there support for your idea?
• • What’s different or unique What’s different or unique about your idea? about your idea?
• • What about the leaky boat What about the leaky boat test?test?
Can you convince a funder that Can you convince a funder that your boat is really leaky your boat is really leaky ANDAND that you have a great plan to that you have a great plan to fix it? fix it?
Pre-proposal Phase:Pre-proposal Phase:
At the very BEGINNING At the very BEGINNING of the grant-writing of the grant-writing
process, what do you process, what do you need to do?need to do?
Build and Document Build and Document Support for Your Idea:Support for Your Idea:
1)1) Building support–Building support–
Possible processes Possible processes and activities?and activities?
2)2) Documenting support–Documenting support– • • Letters of support?Letters of support?
• • Partners?Partners?• • Other ideas?Other ideas?
Building an argument for your Building an argument for your proposed project: Documenting the proposed project: Documenting the
NEEDNEED
1)1) A process for planning and A process for planning and
gathering input.gathering input.
2)2) A needs assessment?A needs assessment?
3)3) Research!!Research!!
4)4) Data and statistics can be Data and statistics can be
helpful.helpful.
Ideas for ResearchIdeas for Research
1) Look for similar projects.1) Look for similar projects.
2) What can you learn from them? 2) What can you learn from them?
3) Why will your project be different?3) Why will your project be different?
Don’t forget the Program Officer as a Don’t forget the Program Officer as a
source of information and advice!source of information and advice!
The Leakiest Boat The Leakiest Boat
NeedNeed
ANDAND
CapacityCapacity
Can you pull it off?Can you pull it off?
Assess your Capacity.Assess your Capacity.
Shore up your Shore up your weaknesses!weaknesses!
– – Advisory CommitteeAdvisory Committee
– – ConsultantsConsultants
Develop a Plan Early in Develop a Plan Early in the Process!the Process!
The plan willThe plan will focusfocus your your efforts.efforts.
It will give you a It will give you a realityreality checkcheck as you begin.as you begin.
It will help you gather It will help you gather the the helphelp you’ll need.you’ll need.
What Do You Plan to What Do You Plan to DODO??
Goals-Goals-Objectives-Objectives-
OutcomesOutcomes
In terms of In terms of studentstudent outcomes!outcomes!
What will the What will the studentsstudents know and be able to do as know and be able to do as
a result of this project?a result of this project?
The Pre-proposal Phase, The Pre-proposal Phase, Contd. Contd.
1)1) Develop goals, objectives, outcomes. Develop goals, objectives, outcomes. ((WhereWhere are you going?) are you going?)
2)2) Design the evaluation/assessment Design the evaluation/assessment planplan..((WhatWhat will it look like when you will it look like when you get there?)get there?)
3)3) Design the project activities. (Design the project activities. (HowHow will you get there?will you get there?
4)4) Select the project personnel. Select the project personnel.
((Who Who will help you get there?)will help you get there?)
The Pre-proposal The Pre-proposal Phase, Contd. Phase, Contd.
5) Work out the time line for 5) Work out the time line for the project.the project.
(What will happen (What will happen whenwhen?)?)
6) Work out the budget for the 6) Work out the budget for the project.project.
(What will it (What will it costcost?) ?)
Backward Design:Backward Design:
Begin with the end in Begin with the end in mind!mind!
The Management PlanThe Management Plan
1)1) Activities (Methods)Activities (Methods)
2)2) Project PersonnelProject Personnel
3)3) TimelineTimeline
Management Plans––Management Plans––
• • There are LOTS of ways of There are LOTS of ways of explaining to the funder what you explaining to the funder what you plan to do.plan to do.
It’s the FUNDER who decides It’s the FUNDER who decides how you will present your case!how you will present your case!
• • Nevertheless, the planning and the Nevertheless, the planning and the components remain the same.components remain the same.
Designing a Management Designing a Management PlanPlan
Beginning with your goals and Beginning with your goals and objectives:objectives:
1)1) What is going to happen to What is going to happen to get you there?get you there?
2)2) Who will be responsible for it Who will be responsible for it happening?happening?
3)3) Who will support that person?Who will support that person?
Designing a Management Designing a Management PlanPlan
4)4) When When will each activity will each activity beginbegin??
5) 5) When When will each activity will each activity endend??
6) How will you know that you 6) How will you know that you have been successful? have been successful? ((evaluationevaluation))
Building a BudgetBuilding a Budget
There are There are generallygenerally two pieces to two pieces to a budget:a budget:
1)1) The formal budget. The formal budget.
2)2) The budget narrative. The budget narrative.
This always depends on the funder This always depends on the funder soso
don’t hesitate to ask questions!don’t hesitate to ask questions!
Funders expect you to do so.Funders expect you to do so.
Building a BudgetBuilding a Budget
Notice that we are still Notice that we are still
in the Pre-proposal phase.in the Pre-proposal phase.
Why would we build a Why would we build a preliminary budget preliminary budget beforebefore
writing the proposal? writing the proposal?
Budget HintsBudget Hints
1)1) Be realistic.Be realistic.
2) 2) Justify any item that seems too Justify any item that seems too high or too low. high or too low.
3) 3) Build in expected cost increases Build in expected cost increases (pay, benefits, materials, etc,)(pay, benefits, materials, etc,)
4) 4) Don’t forget fringe benefits!Don’t forget fringe benefits!
5) 5) Check with the funder if you Check with the funder if you have any questions.have any questions.
Finally! Writing the Finally! Writing the Proposal!Proposal!
The cardinal rules:The cardinal rules:
1) Read the 1) Read the directionsdirections..
2) Make 2) Make check lists check lists for yourself.for yourself.
3) Follow every single, itty bitty, 3) Follow every single, itty bitty, stupid, stupid,
nit picky nit picky guidelineguideline. .
Other Critical HintsOther Critical Hints
1)1) Be clear, be concise, be clean! Be clear, be concise, be clean!
2)2) Eliminate all mistakes, no matter Eliminate all mistakes, no matter how small. (grammar, spelling, how small. (grammar, spelling, punctuation)punctuation)
3)3) Recruit “naïve readers” to read Recruit “naïve readers” to read your proposal critically.your proposal critically.
4)4) Get ready to write, rewrite, then Get ready to write, rewrite, then rewrite your proposal. rewrite your proposal.
Questions?Questions?
PresentersPresenters
Betsy HartBetsy Hart
National Foreign Language National Foreign Language CenterCenter
Ann TollefsonAnn Tollefson
World-Language ConsultantWorld-Language Consultant