how to find grants and write winning proposals by research works

Getting Free MoneyHow to Receive Grants: An Introduction

Presented 4/1/2010 to Kentucky Networking Groupby

Mariam WilliamsWriting & Communications Consultant

Research Works

Getting Free Money• Why grants?• Looking for grant opportunities• I found an opportunity. Should I apply?• Writing a winning grant proposal• Fiscal responsibility

Why Grants?• Free money!

• Opportunities for businesses, non-profits and individuals

Why Grants?• Grant funds are awarded to support:

– Arts, humanities and cultural affairs– Business, commerce and economic development– Community development– Education– Employment


– Energy– Environment– Health– Housing– Law, justice and legal services


– Organizational Improvement– Science and technology– Targeted populations (by gender, race, age,

veteran status)– Transportation– And more!

Looking for grant opportunities

• Grants.gov• Grantstation.com• Local or state representatives’ websites

Should I apply?• Look at the request for proposals (RFP) or funding

opportunities announcement (FOA)– Eligibility - Do you meet eligibility criteria?– Required forms - Do you have all the required forms? Can

you get them by the deadline if you don’t?– Does the maximum amount you can request make sense

for your budget?– Deadline

Should I apply?

• The RFP or FOA: Federal Example

Please see link in blog post if viewing online.

Should I apply?

• The RFP or FOA:Individual Example

Please see link in blog post if viewing online.

Writing a Winning Proposal

• MEET THE REQUIREMENTS– Follow page setup guidelines

• See federal RFP example, page 14– Include all required documents

• See individual RFP example, pages 3-4– Don’t ask for more money than the maximum allowed!


• Be specific and concise– Page limit = no rambling!– Use charts and graphs if they tell the story better, or in

less space, than words– Use exact dollar amounts in your budget instead of

rounding


• State FACTS– Say it well, but back it up with numbers– Avoid generalizations and assumptions

• Assumption: American children eat too much and don’t exercise.• Acceptable: It is well-documented that obesity is at epidemic levels

among American children.• Generalization: There’s a liquor store on every corner in West Louisville.• Acceptable: There are 3 liquor stores per square kilometer in the 40210

zip code.

Writing a Winning Proposal• Make your organization stand out:

– Color• Include your logo where appropriate• Use your organization’s colors as budget headings

– Strong project title

• For individuals, use only your best work


• Correct all misspellings, grammatical errors and commonly confused words

• Make sure the numbers in the budget, budget narrative, abstract/summary/cover letter and proposal narrative MATCH


• Review what the narrative MUST include– Found in scoring matrix, priority considerations or

guidelines• See pages 11-12 (pages 9-10 printed) of federal RFP


LEAVE TIME TO REVIEW, REVISE AND REWRITE!!!

Writing a Winning Proposal:Should I hire a professional?

• Expense• Benefits:

– Saves you time– Provides knowledge and expertise you may lack

Writing a Winning Proposal: Should I hire a professional?

• Research Works offers several levels of consultation:– Evaluation

• Is my idea, company or organization strong enough to win this grant?


• Levels of consultation:– Research

• Where do I find facts that help me avoid generalizations?

• I found tons of information. How do I organize it? How do I know what’s important?


• Levels of consultation:– Writing

• I have the research organized and know what’s important. I need help turning these numbers into a convincing proposal.

• I say my ideas well, but they never come out the same way on paper.


• Levels of consultation:– Idea/Program/Curriculum Development

• I meet all the requirements for the grant, but my idea is vague. I need someone to develop the guidelines and/or specifications for a program that would fit this proposal.

BEWARE OF UNDERESTIMATING PROGRAM COSTS!


• Levels of consultation:– Reviewing, Editing, Revising, Rewriting &

Proofreading• I’m so proud of myself for writing the proposal on my

own! Now I need someone to:– Review the document against a scoring matrix– Make sure I matched all the RFP’s requirements


• Levels of consultation:– Reviewing, Editing, Revising, Rewriting &

Proofreading– Tell me where the wording just doesn’t make any sense

(and/or rewrite those passages)– Correct misspellings, improper punctuation, commonly

confused words and grammatical errors

Fiscal Responsibility(after you receive funding)

• Don’t lose your money or cheat yourself out of future funding opportunities!– Accountants are friends– Accurate record-keeping

• Plan for achieving non-monetary goals• Be able to show direct results of funding

Thank you for your attention!

www.LetResearchWork4You.net

http://www.letresearchwork4you.net/