Grant Writing Basics and Budgeting for Public Safety

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• Grant Writing Basics and Budgeting for Public
  Safety
• Presented by
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety
• Programs Division

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Grant Writing Starters and Best Practices

• Tips and Resources

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Why Write a Grant Application?

• There is a documented need to solve a
  problem/address an issue that is the same as that
  expressed in the grant solicitation.
• Your agency/department is willing to demonstrate
  innovative ideas, document the ideas, and commit
  resources for implementation.
• You are willing to share results with others.

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Planning Phase

• Research the funders grant making philosophy,
  program interests, and criteria.  
• Be aware of the funders application process and
  timetable.
• Acquire community buy-in support from
  partners/organizations that you collaborate with
  on this project.
• Identify and communicate with staff/volunteers
  needed to develop grant application and implement
  project discuss timelines.
• Future plan for sustaining this effort and
  strategy for building your funding base.

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Grant Writing Starters

• Read application and follow instructions
• Due date?
• of copies needed?
• Where to send?
• Who is grantor agency contact?
• Assign tasks and get support
• Who will write application? Prepare budget? Get
  letter(s) of support?
• Who will review?
• Who will submit required reports once funding is
  received?

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Blueprints for Violence Prevention

• Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
• University of Colorado
• 900 28th Street, Suite 107
• Boulder, CO 80309-0442
• 303-492-8465
• http//www.colorado.edu/cspv
• 11 Programs Proven to Reduce Youth Violence, Drug
  Abuse/Use, Delinquency

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Reducing Juvenile Crime, What Works and What
Doesnt

• American Youth Policy Forum
• 1836 Jefferson Place, NW
• Washington, DC 20036
• 202-775-9731
• www.aypf.org
• Best Practices in Treatment and Prevention

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Preventing Crime What Works, What Doesnt,
Whats Promising?

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service
• Box 600
• Rockville, MD 20849-6000
• http//www.ncjrs.org/works/index.htm
• Email askncjrs_at_ncjrs.org
• Effectiveness of Local Crime Prevention Practices

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SAMHSA Model Programs

• Effective Substance Abuse and Mental Health
  Programs
• Science-based Programs
• Consistently positive outcomes
• Strongly implemented and evaluated
• http//modelprograms.samhsa.gov/

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OJJDP Model Programs Guide

• Database of evidence-based programs covers the
  entire continuum of youth services from
  prevention through sanctions to reentry
• www.dsgonline.com/mpg_non_flash/mpg_index.htm

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General Application Components

• Preparing Your Application

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Common Grant Application Components

• Cover Page
• Program Description/Executive Summary
• Problem Statement/Needs Assessment
• Goals Objectives
• Implementation Plan
• Timeline
• Activities Staffing
• Evaluation Plan
• Budget Budget Narrative
• Certifications Assurances

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Cover Page

• Name of Applicant (state agency, unit of local
  government)
• Name of Implementing Agency (private non-profit,
  police dept., school dept., etc.)
• Program Fiscal Contact information
• Amount requested Match contribution
• Project Title and Purpose Area (if applicable)
• Name of Authorized Signatory Signature/Date

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Program Description/Executive Summary

• Purpose Provides a short narrative description
  of the proposed project by providing basic facts
  from other sections of proposal.
• Include
• Background of agency ID partners (i.e., law
  enforcement, education)
• Description of activities to be carried out
  period
• Number type of clients the project will serve
• Geographic location project will serve/take place
• Number and type of staff to be supported in
  project (i.e., 4 FT counselors)
• Intent to evaluate program

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Needs/Problem Statement

• What problem is your program or the program you
  plan on implementing going to address?
• State the Facts What? Who? Where? When? (trends)
  Why?
• Describe how the program intends to address the
  problem
• Causes of the problem
• Approaches that have demonstrated success
• Research supporting the program as a possible
  solution

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Needs/Problem Statement

• Note
• Needs/problem statement must directly relate to
  your overall goals and objectives.
• Describe what may happen if grant funds are not
  received.
• Use graphics to show impact.
• Describe why this is an unmet need.

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Goals Objectives

• Purpose Identifies what you hope the program
  will accomplish, and how the program will
  accomplish it
• Clarifies what the program hopes to achieve
• Basis for monitoring program activities
• Method to document what the program intends to do
  and what it is actually doing

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Program Goal

• A broad statement of what the program is intended
  to accomplish the long-term outcome of the
  program.
• Example
• There is an increasing trend in the rate of
  juveniles re-offending in your state.
• Goal To reduce the number of juveniles
  re-offending by helping them understand the
  impact of their behavior on victims their
  families.

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Program Objectives

• The intermediate effects to be achieved by the
  program in pursuing goals. Steps that need to be
  taken to reach a goal.
• Objectives should be SMART
• Specific
• Measurable
• Action-oriented verbs (increase, reduce, etc.)
• Realistic
• Time-specific

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Program Objectives

• Example
• The program goal is to reduce the number of
  juveniles re-offending by helping them understand
  the impact of their behavior on victims and their
  families.
• Objective Within six months, increase by 15 the
  number of juvenile offenders participating in
  victim mediation services and hold them
  accountable to their victims and families.

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Program Activities

• Purpose Highlights the specific steps through
  which objectives are achieved and programs are
  carried out. Activities are action-oriented
  operations.
• What will your program be doing?
• Multiple activities required to accomplish a
  single objective.
• Examples
• Develop standard eligibility requirements for
  juvenile offenders to participate in victim
  mediation services

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Implementation Plan Timeline

• Purpose Clarifies proposed projects purpose by
  identifying how and when proposed goals
  objectives will be accomplished. Who will do what
  for whom, and when?
• Include
• Starting ending dates of key activities
• Staffing pattern, or who is responsible for each
  activity

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Certifications Assurances

• Certifications regarding Lobbying, Debarment, and
  Drug-free Workplace
• Northern Ireland Notice Certification
• Certification of Compliance with Regulations
  regarding Civil Rights/EEOP
• Contractor Authorized Signature Verification Form

• A-133 Audit Report or Single Audit findings (Most
  recent copy)
• Preliminary MOUs if subgranting all or part of
  the requested federal funds to an implementing
  agency or independent contractor
• Copies of the negotiated fringe rate and indirect
  rate agreements if federal or matching funds are
  designated for these cost categories

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Final Tips

• Read instructions follow directions, adhere to
  page limit, meet deadline format requirements,
  respond to RFR
• Present an organized document
• Check for spelling mistakes, incorrect grammar
  usage, typographical errors, and addition errors
  in your budget
• Obtain all applicable signatures
• Have someone else review
• Complete checklist

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Funding and Fiscal Resources

• EOPS Funding Opportunities
• www.mass.gov/eopsfunding
• National Criminal Justice Reference Services
• http//www.ncjrs.org/fedgrant.html (Federal
  grants funding)
• Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide
• http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/FinGuide/
• Office of Management and Budget Circulars
• http//www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index-ffm.
  html

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Other Resources

• Office of Justice Programs
• http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ (BJA, OJJDP, etc.)
• National Criminal Justice Association
• http//www.ncja.org/ (Funding Information,
  Technology Resources Financial Workshops)
• Institute for Intergovernmental Research
• http//www.iir.com/ (Law Enforcement, JJ, Public
  Safety Training/Technical Assistance)

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Developing and Implementing a Personalized
Evaluation Plan

• Program Evaluation and Performance Measures

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Conceiving of Research for Program Design

• Who is your target population?
• Substance abusers
• What data/research speaks to their needs?
• CALDATA 1997 study shows that economic benefit of
  treatment outweighs its costs
• What research speaks to positive outcomes for
  them?
• Treatment costs were 209 million
• Savings resulted from treatment 1.49 billion
  resulting from reductions in ER admissions,
  hospitalization, and crime reduction.

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Why Evaluate?

• Evaluation can help managers monitor the extent
  to which progress is being made toward a program
  achieving its goals.
• Evaluation can help managers
• Modify programs based on actual data and
  information
• Better allocate resources
• Demonstrate success (and failure)
• Improve accountability

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Evaluations generally address the following two
questions

• Is the program being implemented as designed?
• Does the program work and is it achieving its
  goals?

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Performance Measures

• Performance measures are the actual data items or
  pieces of information that will be tracked.
• Inputs How do you spend money?
• staff, dollars, materials, equipment
• Outputs What do you do?
• treatment, trainings, assessments, outreach
• Outcomes What you are working toward?
• awareness, preparedness, behavior, safety

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Performance Measures

• Performance measures should be linked to goals
  and objectives.

Perf measure
Goal 1
Perf measure
Goal 2
Perf measure
Perf measure
Goal 3
Perf measure
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Evaluation Resources

• United Way Outcome Measures Project
• http//national.unitedway.org/outcomes/initiatives
  /npsector.cfm
• BJA Center for Program Evaluation
• www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/evaluation/index.html
• Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center
• www.jrsa.org/jjec/resources/internet-resources.htm
  l

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Types of Data Sources

• Primary data sources Newly collected
  information for the specific purpose of
  evaluating that program.
• Secondary data sources Existing data that is
  collected for other purposes but could be used
  for evaluation.

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Data Collection Methods

• Surveys telephone, in person, mail back
• One-on-one interviews
• Focus groups
• Case files
• Existing computer systems

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Selected National Data Sources

• Violence Against Women Online Resources
• http//www.vaw.umn.edu/
• Bureau of Justice Statistics
• www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/
• Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
• www.albany.edu/sourcebook/
• FBI Crime in the United States
• www.fbi.gov/publications.htm

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Selected National Data Sources

• SAMHSA Drug Use and Treatment
• http//oas.samhsa.gov/
• Youth Risk Behavior Survey
• www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/index.htm
• Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women,
  1993-2004
• http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/vawprog/vaw_portfolio
  .
• pdf

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Selected Massachusetts Data Sources

• Crime statistics from State Police Crime
  Reporting Unit
• www.mass.gov/msp
• Corrections statistics from Department of
  Correction
• http//www.mass.gov/doc/research/index.html
• Health statistics from Community Health
  Information Profile (MassCHIP)
• http//masschip.state.ma.us/

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Selected Massachusetts Data Sources

• Substance abuse statistics from Bureau of
  Substance Abuse Services at DPH
• http//www.mass.gov/dph/bsas/data/stats.htm
• Injury statistics from Injury Surveillance
  Program at the Department of Public Health
• http//www.mass.gov/dph/bhsre/isp/isp.htm
• Juvenile Justice Data and Information Book (EOPS)
• www.mass.gov/eops

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Application Evaluation Plan

• The evaluation plan in an application should
  describe
• What questions will be addressed?
• What performance measures will be included?
• What information sources will be used?
• Who will collect the information?
• Who will analyze the information?
• When will it be done and how will it be reported?

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Preparing a Clear Accurate Budget Budget
Narrative

• Building a Budget that Makes Sense

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Goals of Budgeting

• Purpose Provide a clear and detailed
  explanation, by budget category, of how grant
  funds will be spent.
• Budget Should
• Support the goals and objectives listed in the
  proposal
• Correspond with the eligible award amount and
• Be accurately totaled and realistic.

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Cost Categories

• Personnel
• Fringe Benefits
• Indirect Costs
• Contracts/Consultants
• Travel
• Equipment
• Supplies
• Other

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PersonnelDefinition and Detail

• Definition A full-time or part-time staff member
  of the agency/organization receiving the grant.
• Details Each employee funded out of the grant
  should be listed by name, annual salary,
  percentage of salary charged to program, a brief
  description of their function relating to the
  program, and the total cost of their salary
  anticipated to be funded from the program.

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Personnel Example

• Put Narrative here as to how program manager
  relates to actual program.

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Fringe BenefitsDefinition and Detail

• Definition Employers contributions for employee
  benefits, such as health insurance, pension and
  terminal leave costs, Medicare, Unemployment
  compensation, Workmans compensation, etc.
• Detail Fringe benefits should be based on actual
  known costs or an established formula approved by
  your federal cognizant agency. Fringe costs are
  for employees listed in the personnel section and
  only for the percentage of time spent on the
  program. Fringe benefits on overtime are limited
  to FICA, Workmans compensation and Unemployment
  compensation.

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Fringe Example
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Indirect CostsDefinition and Detail

• Definition costs for an organization that are
  not readily assignable to a particular project,
  but are necessary to the operation of the
  organization and the performance of the project.
  The cost of operating and maintaining facilities,
  depreciation, and administrative salaries are
  examples of the types of costs that are usually
  treated as indirect.

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Indirect CostsDefinition and Detail (Cont.)

• Detail Indirect Costs are only allowable if the
  applicant organization has a federally negotiated
  and approved rate. The rate should be provided
  with the application. The pool of costs the rate
  is assessed against should be specified along
  with the approved rate to establish the itemized
  cost.

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Indirect Example

• The indirect rate was approved by DOJ, our
  cognizant federal agency, on XX/XX/XXXX.
  Attached is a copy.

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Contracts/ConsultantsDefinition and Detail

• Contracts Definition Legal agreements entered
  into with vendors to provide services to the
  grant (photocopier leases, fax leases, etc)
• Consultants Definition Legal agreements with an
  outside entity/individual to provide technical or
  programmatic services you cannot provide directly
  with agency staff.

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Consultants/ContractsDefinition and Detail
(Cont.)

• Consultants Detail For each consultant,
  name/company, if known, service to be provided,
  hourly or daily fee (8 hour day) and estimated
  time on project. Consultant fees in excess of
  450/day require additional justification and
  prior approval from awarding agency.
• Contracts Detail For each contract a description
  of the product or services to be procured by
  applicant and an estimate of the cost should be
  provided.

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Consultants/ContractsProcurement Method

• Always indicate the procurement method followed
  (state, federal or local). If the method is
  local, a copy of the procurement method should be
  submitted to EOPS.
• Procurements should follow a competitive process.
  Sole Source contracts are not allowed.

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Consultant Example

• Jane Doe provides specialized service X to
  population Y at a very agreeable rate.

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Travel Definition and Detail

• Definition Travel related expenditures
  pertaining to the program or necessary to
  complete the program.
• Detail Provide location, type of cost (hotel,
  registration, etc.), cost, and a brief
  description.

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Travel Example

• Program financial staff is traveling to D.C., in
  July, to ensure compliance with guidelines for
  expenditures of funds. Local policies were
  adhered to in conjunction with the Federal
  allowable lodging rates.

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EquipmentDefinition and Detail

• Definition Non-expendable items required for
  success and completion of the program.
• Detail List the type of item, per unit cost,
  quantity, and explain how the equipment is
  necessary for the success of the project.

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Equipment Example

• The Computer will be used to analyze youth lockup
  data by site.

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SuppliesDefinition and Detail

• Definition Any materials that are expendable or
  consumed during the course of the project (office
  supplies, copying paper, books, hand held tape
  recorders, etc.).
• Detail List items by type, quantity, per unit
  cost, and a brief description of the intended use
  and how it fits into the program.

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Supplies Example

• Office supplies are needed by program staff for
  general operation.

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OtherDefinition and Detail

• Definition Costs that would normally be covered
  in an indirect cost plan, but are not, because
  the sub-grantee does not have a federally
  negotiated and approved agreement (rent,
  telephone, janitorial services).
• Detail List the item, and basis for computation.
  For example, provide the square footage and the
  cost per square foot for rent, and provide a
  monthly rental cost and number of months.

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Other Example
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Matching FundsAs defined by DOJ, OJP
Comptrollers Financial Guide pg. 40

• Hard Match (Cash)
• includes cash spent for project-related costs.
  Allowable cash match must include those costs
  which are allowable with Federal funds with the
  exception of the acquisition of land, when
  applicable.

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Matching FundsAs defined by DOJ, OJP
Comptrollers Financial Guide pg. 40

• Soft Match (In-Kind)
• includes, but is not limited to, the valuation of
  in-kind services. In-kind is the value of
  something received or provided that does not have
  a cost associated with it. For example, if
  in-kind match is permitted by law (other than
  cash payments), then the value of donated
  services could be used to comply with the match
  requirement. Also, third-party in-kind
  contributions may count toward satisfying match
  requirements provided the grantee receiving the
  contributions expends them as allowable costs
  (see 28 CFR Part 66.24, Grants Management Common
  Rule for State and Local Units of Governments).

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Contact Information

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety
• Programs Division
• Ten Park Plaza, Suite 3720
• Boston, MA 02116
• http//www.mass.gov/eops
• 617-725-3301
• Fax [phone]