Grant Writing

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Grant Writing
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Workshop Goals

• Familiarize applicants with the vision, mission,
  and strategies of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Inform potential applicants about funding
  opportunities
• Help applicants develop a successful application
• Encourage networking with other breast health
  professionals

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• Vision
• A World Without Breast Cancer
• Promise
• The Susan G. Komen for the Cure promise is to
  save lives and end breast cancer forever by
  empowering people, ensuring quality care for all
  and energizing science to find the cures.

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Funding Priorities

• Target underserved women
• 10 of families fall below the poverty line
• 31 of women are uninsured
• 40 of women over forty did not get an annual
  mammogram

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Funding Priorities Continued

• Focus funding in six counties
• Gray, Hansford, Potter, Randall, Dallam, and
  Carson.
• These counties are home to 67 of the Panhandles
  population while also representing high incidence
  and counties with service providers.
• The counties are also adjacent to counties
  without service providers so the affiliate can
  investigate rural versus urban obstacles to
  service.

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Funding Priorities Continued

• Encourage partnerships
• The expected success of the WISE Woman Project
  and the coordination of services created by the
  project highlight the potential for additional
  partnerships.
• Increased partnership and coordination with the
  BCCCP will stretch funding dollars and ensure
  more women have access to screening and
  diagnosis.

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Funding Priorities Continued

• Address cultural and ethnic obstacles to
  education, screening, and diagnosis
• Although Caucasian women are more than half of
  the
• population, the minority groups of the Panhandle
  are expected to grow faster than the
  Caucasian group during the upcoming census.
• Caucasian women have traditionally had better
  access to healthcare, so emphasis on minority
  groups will provide data for future programs and
  grant opportunities.

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Community Profile

• Demographics and breast cancer statistics
• Programs and resources
• Interviews with survivors, grantees, and other
  front-line providers.

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Important Dates

• Grant writing Workshop October 22, 2009
• Application Deadline January 21, 2010
• Award Notification mid March 2010
• Award Period April 1, 2010-March 31, 2011

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Eligibility

• Non-profit organization
• Project must be specific to breast health and/or
  breast cancer
• All past and current Komen-funded grants and
  awards are up to date and in compliance with
  Komen requirements
• Be located in or providing services in one of
  more of the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle

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Submission Process

• Submit 10 copies
• 1 original
• 9 duplicates
• Required Information
• Summary Information
• Program Description
• Budget
• Supporting Documentation

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Program Description

• Background
• Goals and Objectives
• Evidence-based Strategies/Promising Practices
• Evaluation Plan
• Organizational Capacity
• Sustainability

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Budget

• Consultant fees
• Meeting Costs
• Supplies
• Travel
• Other direct program expenses
• Indirect costs, not to exceed 20 percent of
  direct costs

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Funds may not be used for the following purposes

• Medical or scientific research (costs associated
  with program evaluation are allowed)
• Media projects (film, radio, web sites, public
  service announcements, etc.)
• Scholarships or fellowships
• Construction or renovation of facilities
• Political campaigns or lobbying

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Supporting Documentation

• References
• Budget Justification
• Curriculum Vitae
• No other materials will be accepted.

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Selection Criteria

• Impact
• Feasibility
• Capacity
• Collaboration
• Sustainability

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Grant writing Tutorial

• Developing a Proposal
• Writing an Abstract
• Developing Objectives
• Program Evaluation
• Budgeting
• Helpful Hints

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Planning the Proposal

• Read everything!
• Consider the funding priorities carefully.
• Discuss ideas with decision-makers in your
  organization.
• Explore opportunities for collaboration.
• Prepare proposal together.

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Proposal Abstract

• First impressions are important.
• Brief statement of your case and a summary of
  your proposal.
• Be concise!
• Do not exceed 1200 characters (about 200 words).

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Components of a Case for Support

• Mission/Vision/Values Statements
•  History
•  Goals
•  Objectives
•  Programs and Services
•  Community Outreach/Partnerships
•  Facilities and Service Delivery
•  

• Stories/statistics of Impact
• Finances (Budget, graphs, pie charts,
  narratives)
•  Planning and Evaluation
•  Governance
•  Staffing
•  Fundraising
•  Gifts and Benefits
•  Conclusion

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Abstract

• Purpose of the program
• Description of key activities
• Summary of evaluation methods
• Likely impact of the program.

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• Planning a Proposal
• Create a Project Profile
• 1. What is the function of the project you are
  proposing?
• 2. Is your project unique?
• 3. In what field is your project?
• 4. Whom will benefit from your project?
• What are the geographic parameters of your
  project?
• What type of grant are you likely to be seeking?

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• Assessing Your Capability
• Should you write this proposal?
• Proposals for purposes that do not tie to
  mission are better left unwritten.
• .

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• Do you have the proper legal status to receive
  funds?
• Is the purpose of the proposal consistent with
  the mission of your agency?
• Does your organization have a strategic plan that
  positions you to achieve excellence?
• Does your organization have a good governing
  structure or board?
• Do you understand and can you explain the
  competitive advantage of your agency for this
  particular proposal?

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• Do you know how the reputation of your
  organization will affect this proposal?
• Do you know who else in the community or field is
  doing similar work and can you articulate what
  makes your work distinct from theirs?
• Do you have collaborative relationships with
  other entities doing similar work where those
  make sense?
• Do you have or can you get (in time) the right
  staff for this project?
• Do you have the appropriate infrastructure to
  support the project and ensure that you can spend
  the funds within the required timeframe?
• Have you thought through the impact of your
  project on your infrastructure?

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• Developing the Idea
• 1. Assessing the Need
• External Considerations
• Internal Considerations
• Project Considerations
• Defining the Approach
• Documenting the Need
• Building Support and Involvement

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• Selecting a Funding Source Finding Common
  Ground
• Shared Vision
• Shared Constituency
• Shared Culture
• Shared Image
• Shared Market

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• Writing the Proposal
• Identified a need or problem that is really
  important.
• Done your homework to show how your work differs
  from others.
• Understood and can demonstrate its relevance to
  the funder(s).
• Planned an effective and feasible approach that
  will result in useful outcomes.
• Justified the requested resources.
• Shown, in compelling terms, that your
  organization and staff have the skills and
  experience to succeed.

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• Statement of Need
• What is the problem?
• Who is affected by it?
• What is the impact?
• What are the implications to the community?
• Why does this situation exist (root causes)?
• What has been your organizations experience with
  it?
• What does external research reveal?
• Who else is working on it?
• What models of research have been tired
  elsewhere?

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• Pitfalls to Avoid
• Dont paint a picture so bleak that the grantor
  feels the problem is insurmountable.
• Dont present a lack of your solution as the
  problem.
• Dont attribute the need to the applicant
  organization

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• Procedures
• (Methods, Approach, Plan of Action)
• Common Problems to Avoid
• Procedures do not match outcomes.
• Proposal does not include a plan of action or
  procedures.
• Procedures do not match the objectives and needs.
• Only a tenuous connection is made between the
  need and procedures.
• Procedures have no sound rationale.
• Procedures are not demonstrated to be feasible.
• Procedures focus on an internal benefit.

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Writing Objectives

• Specific
• Tangible
• Concrete
• Measurable
• Achievable within the grant period
• Define success
• Form basis for evaluation

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Writing Objectives

• If you have more than five objectives, consider
  breaking them up under two or three general
  goals.
• Be realistic.
• Who, What, By when, How much???

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Process Evaluation

• What happened
• How it happened
• How much
• Where
• To whom

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Impact Evaluation

• Changes in
• Behavior
• Knowledge
• Attitudes
• Beliefs
• Change among
• Individuals
• Providers
• Organizations
• Communities

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Evaluation There is no single best way to do
evaluation. Defined as consistent, ongoing
collection and analysis of information for use in
decision making. W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Evaluation Handbook www.wkkf.org Free Management
Library www.managementhelp.org
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Budget Expenses

• Projects become reality because the central idea
  is sold, not because the proposal is cheap!
• Be realistic! Ask for what you need.
• Justify expenses. Do your costs follow with
  narrative program description?

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• Budget
• As much care should be given to the budget as
  the development of the rest of the application.
• Identify total costs.
• Arrange budget items.
• 3. Transfer your data to funders format if
  required.

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• The Seven Deadly Sins of Proposal Writing
• The application does not have a clear focus.
• Presentation is sloppy.
• Proposal is unsound.
• The proposal has an internal rather than an
  external focus.
• Budget problems.
• Instructions were not followed.
• Deadline was missed.

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Helpful Hints

• Read the RFP carefully follow ALL directions.
• Be innovative, realistic, specific.
• Write clearly, use active rather than passive
  voice.
• Avoid jargon or acronyms.
• Allow plenty of time.

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• Typical Funder Review
• Proposal Screening
• Internal Staff Review
• External/Expert Review
• Telephone Interview
• Site Visit
• Informal Check with Colleagues
• Decision
• Approval, Approval with Changes, Decline, Tabled

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You Are Successful! What Next? Grant
Agreement Performance Reporting Build positive
relationships through the entire process. Your
relationship with the funder does not end with
getting the check!
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Resources Getting Funded The Complete Guide to
Writing Grant Proposals 4th Edition By Mary
Hall, Ph.D. Susan Howlett Susan G. Komen
for the Cure www.komenamarillo.org
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Need Help?

• Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Greater Amarillo
• Lisa Hoff Davis
• Executive Director
• 806.354-9706
• lisa_at_komenamarillo.org
• Brandi Ruiz
• Mission Coordinator
• 806.354-9706
• brandi_at_komenamarillo.org

• Nonprofit Service Center
• A program of the Amarillo Area Foundation
• Katharyn Wiegand
• Director
• 806.376-4521
• katharyn_at_aaf-hf.org
• Patricia Ward, CFRE
• Senior Project Manager
• 806.376.4521
• patricia_at_aaf-hf.org