Writing a Winning Grant Proposal

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Writing a Winning Grant Proposal

• Grant Writing
• Support
• For CDCUs
• June 2004

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Writing a Winning Grant Proposal

• ABCs of Grant Writing
• Role of a Grant Writer
• How the Federation Can Help

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A-B-Cs of Grant Writing

• Problem
• define it!
• Plan
• design it!
• Proposal
• write it!

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Before you begin

• Ask What if we win?
• Meet your commitments
• Win tomorrows money by impressing todays donors
  
• No Surprises
• Involve responsible staff early and often
• Teamwork
• Use project design to build a sense of team
• Communication
• Solicit feedback on drafts and outlines

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A. Problem

• What problem are we trying to address?
• Who is most affected?
• What evidence do we have?
• What are our key assumptions about the cause of
  this problem? (take note of your assumptions even
  if they are not all stated in your proposal)

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B. Plan

• What will we do?
• How does our plan address the problem?
• Why do we know we can succeed?
• Why we are the right ones to do this
• Organizational and individual experience
• Capacity to address new challenges
• How will we measure success?
• Long-Term Goal What difference in 5 10 years?
• Short-Term Goal 1 year? 3 years?

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C. Proposal

• Executive Summary
• Problem Statement
• Project Plan
• Budget
• Organizational Information
• Conclusion
• Attachments

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Federal Grant Writing

• Rapidly changing with increased use of on-line
  applications
• Improved access to application materials
• Increased need for technological infrastructure
• Tighter restrictions on proposal content
• Increased use of numerical measures for
  evaluating applications
• More difficult to describe quality of program in
  terms of results that cannot easily be counted

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Role of Grant Writer

• Bridge builder
• Understand the business goals of applicant
  donor
• Translator
• Turn complex business into common sense
• Story Teller
• Remember audience
• Connect project to compelling concerns
• Solve problems and answer questions
• Team Member
• Constant connection with responsible staff

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Cost CompetenceChoosing a Grant Writer

• CDCU Managers, Staff Volunteers
• Need to balance with operational responsibilities
• Fiscal Agent or Community Partner
• Often an effective collaboration
• Community College or University
• Low cost
• May have steep learning curve
• Consultants
• CDCU Network
• Community Development contacts

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Federation Fundraising Help

• Direct Investment through Capitalization Program
• Technical Assistance for CDFI Applications
• Brian Gately (bgately_at_cdcu.coop)
• Grant Writing Assistance
• Terry Ratigan (tratigan_at_cdcu.coop)

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Federation Help with Other Funding Opportunities

• Member Alerts
• Collaborative, Umbrella Funding Proposals
• Individual Assistance

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What You Can Do

• Have a plan
• Identify sources of funding
• Learn from wins and losses
• Learn from others
• Look for partners
• Protect your plan
• Dont be donor-driven or you may get lost only
  you know how to get to where youre going

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Good luck!