Writing Successful Proposals

1
WritingSuccessful Proposals

• Office of Information Communications
• Susan Gramling, MSLS
• GrantSource Librarian and
• Information Development Coordinator

2
GrantSource Library

• 307 Bynum Hall
• Cameron Avenue
• [phone]
• Monday-Friday 800 - 500
• http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/

3
Grant Source Library

• Susan Gramling
• 919-962-7766
• susan_gramling_at_unc.edu

4
http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/
5
Grant Source Library Services and Resources

• Print and electronic sources on fellowships and
  grants
• Grants awarded databases
• Assistance and instruction in funding searches
• Guidelines for proposal writing
• Assistance in locating application forms

6
Source Dr. Glenn H. Crumb, Presentation Grants
Puzzled About Finding Them?, Western Kentucky
University
7
Proposal Basics

• Talk to the program officer
• Write, revise, revise, revise
• Get feedback from colleagues

Resource for course Funding and Proposal
Writing for Social Science Faculty and Graduate
Student Research http//www2.irss.unc.edu/irss/
wigginshandouts/granthandout.pdf
8
Topics for today

• Planning
• Researching potential funders
• Proposal elements
• Budgeting
• Review process
• Preparing for the next time

9
Plan Before You Write

• Identify a project
• Assess project fit with overall personal goals or
  organizational purpose
• Think the plan through to the end
• Assess your expertise, resources strengths to
  approach the project
• Involve collaborators in planning

10
Identifying Other Sponsors

• Use Funding Opportunities website
• COS Funding Opportunities database
• Carolina Internal Funding database
• New York Foundation for the Arts database
• NC Giving Online
• Foundation Directory on CD-ROM
• Arts Funding Watch
• NEH Connect Newsletter

http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/funding_databa
ses.php
11
Research Potential Funders

• Contact program staff to discuss your ideas
  assess fit with their priorities
• Study guidelines review criteria carefully
• Read previous successful proposals

12
NCAC Folklife Division

• Contact first, then send written summary
• Wayne Martin
• 919-807-6505
• wayne.martin_at_ncmail.net
• Sally Peterson919-807-6507sally.peterson_at_ncmail.
  net

13
Folklife Programs

• Three programs
• Documentary Grants
• Public Programs
• Salary Assistance Grants

14
Research Previous Awards

• Know your competition
• What have sponsors funded in the past?
• North Carolina Arts Council http//www.ncarts.org
  /grants_search.cfm
• NC Nonprofit Database http//www.ncauditor.net/
  NonProfitSite/search.aspx
• National Endowment for the Arts
• http//arts.endow.gov/grants/recent/index.html

http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/awards_made.ph
p
15
Proposal Elements

• Summary
• Problem statement/needs assessment
• Goals and objectives
• Application narrative/project description
• Organizational profile
• Qualifications
• Evaluation
• Budget and budget justification

Online Guide http//www.learnerassociates.net/pro
posal/
16
Summary

• Summarize all key information from proposal
• Crucial first impression
• Used in review process
• Write it last
• Write in laymans terms
• Convey enthusiasm
• Keep it short

17
Problem or Need Statement

• Identify problem or need
• Indicate importance or significance
• Cite examples, statistics, etc.
• Relate to sponsors mission or goal
• Dont take for granted that the reader will know
  whats on your mind

18
Project Goals and Objectives

• Desired outcomes
• Address need or problem statement
• Brief, focused, to-the-point
• No more than two to five objectives
• Each should flow logically to the next

19
Organizational Profile

• Brief overview history
• General description of activities
• Sample of specific activities
• Board staff composition
• Size and general demographics of
  community/audience served
• Evidence of commitment to equity issues
• Explain any budget deficit or surplus

20
Project Description/Application Narrative

• Clear description of project
• activities to be undertaken
• artists
• consultants key personnel
• audience
• project time schedule
• Reasonable scope
• Support materials

Handout sample time and tasks chart
21
Qualifications

• Demonstrate to the reader that you are capable of
  doing what you propose
• Describe project directors qualifications
  expertise
• Other available resources, including key
  personnel technical resources
• Describe organization, its purpose, goals
  programs project administration
• Offer statistics endorsements

22
Evaluation

• How will you know if the project is successful?
• Define evaluation criteria
• Identify a plan
• Types of evaluation- Process- Product

23
General Budgetary Issues

• Itemize account for costs
• Budget should flow from your project plan
• Justify budget items
• Dont overestimate resource needs
• Dont underestimate resource needs either

Handouts Sample Budget Format
24
NCAC Budget Issues

• Salary assistance public programs require 1/1
  match maximum 10K 20K for salary assistance
• Documentary requires no match
• Looking carefully for fair equitable pay or
  other kinds of compensation for artists
• Awards differ from year to year

25
Trends at NCAC

• Long-term impact very important
• Involvement of communities of artists themselves
• No history of funding very expensive equipment
• Infrastructure of presenter not as important as
  grassroots impact, outreach, and diversity

26
Make It Shine!

• Well organized well written proposal
• Not a lot of jargon
• Good collaborations
• Originality
• Validating grassroots culture of artists
  communities

27
Common Weaknesses (NCAC)

• Lack of collaboration with consultant, artist, or
  community served
• Oral history or other projects documenting past
  interested in folks arts that have a vital,
  contemporary form

28
Is This Fundable?

• Depends on the competition
• Judged by criteria and relationship with
  competitors

29
The Review Process

• Process varies by sponsor
• Remember - reviewers may not have expertise in
  your field, may not share your interest and
  enthusiasm for the project, may be overworked and
  underpaid
• Key point Make your proposal easy for the
  reviewer to read

30
NCAC Review Process

• Reviewed by program officer
• POs written summary applications sent to
  panelists
• Panel convenes discusses, with presentations
  from PO
• Panelists vote, not PO
• Applications assigned ratings, with highest funded

31
Reviewers look for

• A doable project (resources, approach)
• A project worth doing
• Systematic, logical development of ideas
• An easily-read, accessible proposal

32
Writing Style

• Be clear, concise and direct
• Write in a positive manner
• Use the active voice, rather than passive
• Avoid jargon - someone outside your field should
  be able to read
• Use headings, bullets, formatting and white space
  to increase readability
• Proofread for grammar, spelling and typographical
  errors

Handout Grant Writing
33
This means you

• Read carefully and follow scrupulously the
  guidelines provided by the sponsor
• This includes points to be addressed
• Also includes spacing, margins, font size,
  number of copies, page limitations
• If no guidelines, double-space, use generous
  margins and 12-point type

34
Common Reasons for Rejection

• Mechanical Reasons
• - Submission deadline not met
• - Guidelines not followed exactly
• - Incomplete or unclear descriptions of one or
  more elements
• - Highly partisan positions on issues
• - Poor writing quality
• - Carelessness and inattention to detail

35
Reasons for Rejection continued

• Methodological Reasons
• - Lack of originality
• - Methodology unsuited to purpose
• Personnel Reasons
• - Unfamiliarity with field
• - Unqualified to perform work
• Cost-Benefit Reasons
• - Not agency priority for this year
• - Unrealistic budget
• - Costs out of proportion to potential benefits

36
Preparing for the next time

• If not funded, dont give up!
• Ask sponsor for reviewers written comments, if
  available
• Ask if it would be worth submitting another
  proposal in the future
• When revising, be responsive to reviewer comments

37
Proposal Writing Assistance

• Help at UNC
• Successful fellowship proposals
• Online proposal writing guides
• FC Proposal Writing Short Course
• IMLS Tutorial

http//research.unc.edu/grantsource/proposal_writi
ng.php
38
Summary

• Project planning is key
• Project should fit overall goals or plan
• Choose potential funders with a good fit
• Write with reviewers in mind
• Budget should fit your project plan
• Get feedback if proposal is not funded

39
Thank You!

• Please take a moment to tell us how we did.
• Handout GrantSource Library
• Presentation Evaluation