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The following overview for grant-seekers,
which includes helpful tips for nonprofits when developing a proposal for
support from a foundation or a company, was provided exclusively to The
Bureau for At-Risk Youth by Capitol Publications, Inc., Alexandria, VA.
Capitol is a leading publisher of newsletters, databases, and how-to books
for nonprofit organizations and other grantseekers.
For more information about their
products and services, please call their toll-free number: (800) 655-5597.
GRANTS DEVELOPMENT AN OVERVIEW
A successful grant, in terms of project funding and
implementation, is one that has the right project idea matched to the priority
of the right funder and is submitted in a well-written proposal. Here's
some general advice about putting all the pieces together.
The first step is to find out all you can about potential
funders. Contact a funder to get basic information about its grant programs,
including grant priorities, rules and procedures, requests for proposals,
application packets, lists of previous grantees - including abstracts of
their funding projects - and a sample of a successful grant proposal. Read
carefully all the materials and guidelines the funder provides. Make sure
you understand the funder's goals. To be successful, your grant application
must link your need to the funder's interests.
Approaching a foundation or corporation is somewhat
different from submitting a federal grant application. There are several
types of foundations, such as independent or family-owned, company, community
and operating. Know the differences prior to contacting them for a grant
request. Conduct prospect research, collecting and selecting information
on potential sources of funding from libraries, reference books, computer
databases, news clippings and by word of mouth. Review grant publications
and periodicals regularly. Request annual reports and funding guidelines
and focus on funding interests, requirements, restrictions, deadlines and
procedures.
Getting Personal Next, you should begin to cultivate
a personal relationship with the funder. Program officers at the funder
agencies are highly knowledgeable and are an enormous source of free help.
These individuals are critical to your success in getting funded, especially
in the case of federal grants. After reading the literature and learning
all you can about the funder's programs, call or visit the program officer
to discuss your proposed project idea and how it fits into the goals of
the grant program. Some foundations prefer an introductory letter to a
phone call, but many will offer guidance on their programs over the phone.
Follow program officers' advice and instructions
closely. If the program officer likes your idea, he or she may ask you
to submit a project abstract for further review. Write a two- or three-page
paper, with the following items included:
Name and address of your organization;
Name and phone number of the project director;
Brief introduction of your organization;
Description of local needs and national significance
of the proposed project;
Description of project goal and objectives;
Explanation of how the project's goal matches the
grant program's purpose;
A list of project staff and participants;
Intended project outcomes and continuation; and
Summary of the budget request.
After receiving a favorable response from the program
officer about your initial idea, you are ready to draft your proposal.
If possible, visit the program officer to review your draft proposal in
detail. Some program officers require you to submit a preliminary proposal
for review; others are prohibited from doing so. Either way, rely on the
program officer's guidance in preparing your proposal.
If it is not possible to travel frequently to search
for new funding sources and meet with funding officials, you still can
submit successful proposals just by using the telephone, computer and mail.
Your phone bills will go up, but the return on investment can be incredibly
high. If you can travel, plan your trips carefully. Talk to the program
officers over the phone first, know the grant programs thoroughly and come
prepared with written abstracts and preliminary proposals to review in
detail. You also can take administrators and staff members with you to
discuss their ideas with program officers and help them develop grants
expertise.
Beginning to Write
When you are ready to develop a formal grant proposal,
the project initiator and proposal writers will need the following information:
Documentation of need for the project;
Documentation of previous and current research, methodology
and national reports related to the project;
Information on the organization, such as history,
mission, location, clients serviced, etc;
Attempted solutions to the problem, if applicable;
Laws, regulations and legislative committee reports
regarding state or federal grant programs;
Lists of previous grantees, abstracts of projects
and samples of successful proposals; and
All current funder information.
The core of any proposal is the section in which
you explain your goal, objectives and activities, all of which should flow
naturally from the need statement in which you describe the problem you
are attempting to solve. They should be clearly distinguishable.
Goals express the overall intent and outcome of the
proposed project and should relate directly to the funder's purposes and
priorities.
Objectives specify a result or outcome that moves
the project toward the goal. They can include quantitative measures of
accomplishments and qualitative descriptions of progress. Each objective
should explain what will be done, by whom, to whom, when, how and to what
level of performance. Objectives must be specific and measurable because
you also will have to develop evaluation methods to judge your success.
Activities explain what the project actually will
do, including time frames, personnel responsible for carrying out each
activity and the client population that will participate.
From your goals, objectives and activities flow your
project's procedures, timeline, staffing plan, evaluation, dissemination
methods and budget.
You should devote the most time to developing this
core. When you have a first draft, you might want to ask colleagues, experts,
collaborators, administrators and/or evaluators to review it and offer
comments. You also may be able to ask the funders to review a first draft,
either in writing or verbally, so you will know if you are heading in the
right direction.
Pacing Yourself
A competitive grant proposal takes several months to
plan, develop and submit to a potential funding source. A good proposal
cannot be put together quickly. Careful planning, documentation, district
review, state review if required, external support and cultivation of a
funder take time.
The process actually should start long before a grant
competition opens officially. By the time a competition announcement appears,
savvy grant seekers nearly have completed their proposals.
Finishing the Job
Most funders will give you guidelines and materials
for preparing your proposal, possibly including forms, an outline and detailed
instructions. If the funder doesn't offer information, ask what format
it prefers.
Prepare the grant narrative according to the funder's
instructions. Present your case in an orderly, logical manner. Use headings
and subheadings to help guide the readers through your proposal. When writing
a federal grant proposal, use the selection criteria as headings to help
reviewers pick them out easily.
Adhere to the funder agency instructions completely
in the preparation and submission of your proposal. Instructions will include
typing guidelines, limits on the number of pages, forms, signatures and
assurances required, appendices and number of copies to be submitted. Proofread
the entire grant two or three times for completeness, accuracy and typographical
errors. Include a postcard to be returned to you by the funder with its
application number entered on it, to be used in further correspondence.
Read the mailing instructions carefully.
Almost all federal grants must be postmarked by the
deadline date, so mail it certified, return receipt requested, on or before
that date. That way, you'll have the certified number as proof of your
mailing and you can use it to trace a lost grant package. Even if the U.S.
Postal Service loses your grant, your certified receipt and number can
be used as proof of mailing, which will satisfy the federal agency if done
in accordance with its written guidelines.
If your proposal must be received by the funder by
the deadline date, which is the case with many privately funded grant programs,
you may mail it one or two days before the deadline using an overnight
delivery carrier. Seldom are grant deadlines extended. Proposals received
after the deadline often will be returned to you without review.
In addition to adhering to the proposal submission
guidelines of the funder, you should be sure to follow your own organization's
internal rules and procedures. Usually, the finance or budget office reviews
your project budget, the grants office reviews the entire proposal, and
the chief administrator signs it as the organization's official representative.
You may also need to secure approval from your board of governors for permission
to submit the proposal. A state clearinghouse also may be required to review
and comment on your federal proposals. Check with the federal funder to
see if this is necessary for the grant program to which you are applying.
The project initiator should review the draft proposal with this or her
immediate supervisor and any site administrators and other personnel affected
by the project.
You may include with your proposal letters of support
and commitment from individuals you have included in the grant as participates
or consultants.
In preparing your proposal, remember these main points:
Follow the funder's instructions to the letter;
Develop concrete and measurable project objectives;
Make sure your project evaluation plan relates to
your project objectives;
Develop a budget that is reasonable for what you
want to accomplish, with detailed rationale (never submit a 'fat' budget);
Always relate budget requests to project objectives;
Make direct contact with the program personnel, seek
their assistance and submit a preliminary proposal whenever allowed by
the funder;
Write a clear, well-constructed narrative;
Relate your project idea to what others are doing
in the field;
Review your proposal against the funder's selection
criteria; and
It's most important to know the funder's funding
goals and priorities and concretely link your project to them.
Grant proposals are stronger when they include sources
of matching funds. Funders often require applicants to match their awards
and may specify the type of percentage of match required. There are two
types of matching funds: cash and in-kind contributions. Cash funds are
actual dollars available from the applicant organization or another funding
source to add to the proposed grant project. In-kind contributions are
services or resources already available from the organization to supplement
the project.
Waiting for Word
Funders often will call to tell you your grant has been
funded. At this point, the program officer will negotiate any necessary
budget changes. A written award notice will come in the mail soon after.
(Applicants whose proposals are not funded usually receive notification
by mail only.) The award notice will give you the basic information on
your grant, including:
Award amount;
Start and end dates of the project;
Program and fiscal officers; and
Grant conditions.
Only when you receive written notification of your
grant can you begin to spend the money. Do not rely on a verbal grant approval.
Remember to send a letter of appreciation to the program officer.
Work with your organization's finance or budget office
to deposit or draw down your grant funds and set up an internal budget.
Grant budgets are governed by an organization's policies and regulations
regarding expenditures, purchasing and personnel. Your organization's rules
always apply regardless of funding source.
The funder may wish to prepare a press release to
announce your grant, and in the case of a federal grant, may wish to let
your congressman make the announcement. Check with the program officer
to see what local publicity efforts you may make.
Accepting the Award
When you accept a grant, you take on responsibility
and strict accountability for the use of the funder's money. A grantee
must be fully capable of administering funds and taking full legal responsibility
for them. That requires sound management and fiscal policies and procedures
for coordinating grants administration with the organization's business
or fiscal office.
The grants office must coordinate with other offices
the functions necessary to submit proposals and receive external funding,
including the following activities: review and submission of applications,
grant negotiations, purchasing, subcontracting, establishing indirect cost
rates, compensation schedules, maintaining records and accounts, submission
of program and final reports, and other conditions required by the funder.
Close coordination among the project director, chief executive, business
office, personnel office and legal counsel is necessary. The business office
will be responsible for audits, receipt of payments and fiscal record-keeping
and reporting. Be sure to follow the funder's requirements for preparing
and submitting program and final reports.
The funder will assign a program officer to help
you administer your project and usually another individual to help you
with the budgetary concerns, such as adjustments and financial reports.
Establish relationships with both individuals and learn what each expects
of you. Know when your program and financial reports are due, how they
are to be prepared, signed and submitted, and the types of program changes
you can make without prior funder approval. Do all of this accurately and
exactly according to instructions. Future grants may depend on proper administration
of your current grant.
Good grants management is built into grants development.
If your proposal includes a solid management plan, clear objectives, appropriate
personnel, a strong evaluation plan, an adequate budget and sufficient
resources, you should be able to achieve your project goal and successfully
implement the program.
Dealing with Rejection
If your proposal is not funded, the funder will notify
you by mail. Immediately write to the program officer and request the readers'
comments on your proposal, giving your grant application number. State
and federal agencies will give you anonymous reviewers' comments and sometimes
an additional written and/or verbal critique from the program officer.
You will seldom get readers' comments from private funders, but may receive
a verbal review of the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal instead.
Review all criticisms of your proposal. It could
have many strengths and need only minor revision. Do not take the "rejection"
personally. You can learn from the criticisms of the readers, revise your
proposal and resubmit it. This is especially true when you are dealing
with funders or new grant programs for the first time. * * *
Grant seeking is a complex, confusing and painstaking
process. It takes organization, dedication and perseverance to create a
successful grants development operation. But the good news is that there
is a wealth of programs with funds available for organizations like yours.
By making the commitment to pursue grants, your organization can "for a
relatively small personnel and resource investment" improve its services,
raise staff morale, enhance its public image and undertake many projects
it may never have thought possible.
The Bureau For At-Risk Youth | 
