Grant Writing

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Grant Writing

• Dr. Linda Mason
• Coordinator for Grant Writing
• And External Funding Assistance
• Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
• lmason_at_osrhe.edu
• 405-225-9486
• www.okhighered.org/grant-opps/

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The idea

• Imagining something may be the first step in
  making it happen, but it takes the real time and
  real efforts of real people to learn things, to
  make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions
  into inventions.
• Fred Mister Rogers in The World According to
  Mister Rogers Important things to Remember

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What are your ideas?

• Money is no object!!

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In grants

• You are writing to persuade people who have
  money to spend their money on your idea
• You must sell your idea to the people who have
  the money
• Know what they want, what they expect, what they
  want
• How can your project make the funders agenda
  look good?

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Writing (holds people back)

• If you can think, you can write
• Whatever you can imagine, you can create
• If you cant write it, it hasnt been thought out
  well yet
• Strunk and Whites Elements of Style
• Websites available on writing, on writing grants
  in particular

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System level projects

• Link your project to a work plan
• Your idea must make sense within our agencys or
  systems priorities
• Dont go for money simply because its
  therethere are repercussions!
• Item on work plan about percentage for
  Communications support
• Staff support

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Leveraging our assets

• Existing programs or services where are the
  gaps?
• Do your research look around you
• Look at us from the outside, see what others are
  doing
• What do we need to do that were not doing?
• Example Services to adult learners

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Consider the entire institutions role

• When you receive a grant, many will be involved
  purchasing, human resources, fiscal, system
  research, as well as the unit under which you
  operate your program
• Indirect costs are designed to cover the majority
  of these however..
• If you are unsure --- ask! If you are sure ask!

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The Big PictureFederal Discretionary Grant
ProgramsFoundations Corporate Grants

• What is out there?
• How do we find it?
• How do we compete for funding?

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Federal Agencies (26)

• U.S. Department of Education (ed.gov)
• National Science Foundation (nsf.gov)
• U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  (os.dhhs.gov)
• National Institutes of Health (nih.gov)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (usda.gov)
• U.S. Department of Energy (energy.gov)

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General tips for federal programs

• Read the authorizing legislation to understand
  congressional intent for any program
  (thomas.loc.gov)
• Read any regulations established by negotiated
  rulemaking (Federal register, or)
• Find out what the Government Performance and
  Results Act (GPRA) program goals are for any
  program you apply to align your goals with
  their program goals
• Use their own language back at them in your
  proposal (but dont be obvious about it)

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Important websites

• Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education -
  www.okhighered.org/grant-opps/
• Training Videos - http//www.onenet.net/ops/strea
  ming/brown_bag/brown_bag_index.html
• The Art of Grantsmanship - http//www.hfsp.org/how
  /ArtofGrants.htm
• The EPA Grant Writing Tutorial -
• http//www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/msieopen.ht
  m
• The Foundation Center - http//fdncenter.org/
• Writing Winning Proposals, the US Department of
  Energy - http//www.leeric.lsu.edu/sample.pdf
• Association of Fundraising Professionals -
  http//www.afpnet.org/

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Helpful books

• Joseph Barbato and Danielle S. Furlich, Writing
  for a Good Cause The Complete Guide to Crafting
  Proposals and Other Persuasive Pieces for
  Nonprofits, Simon and Shuster, 2000.
• David Bauer, The How To Grants Manual
  Successful Grantseeking Techniques for Obtaining
  Public and Private Grants, 3rd, Oryx Press,
  Phoenix, AR, 1995.
• Alexis Carter Black, Getting Grants The Complete
  Manual of Proposal Development and
  Administration, Self-Counsel Press, Bellingham,
  WA, 2006.
• Bev Browning, Grant Writing for Dummies, 2nd.,
  Wiley Publishing, Hoboken, NJ, 2005.
• Mim Carlson, Winning Grants Step by Step,
  Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, 1995.
• Arlen Sue Fox and Ellen Karsh, The Only
  Grant-Writing Book Youll Ever Need, Publishers
  Group West, 2006.
• Kenneth Henson, Grant Writing in Higher
  Education A Step-by-Step Guide, Prentice Hall,
  2003.

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Background and SignificanceorNeed Statement

• Your first impression on funders

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Data, data, data

• In your initial background (or need section,
  you MUST make your initial case to funders
• In todays environment, this means a compelling
  case for funding backed by good data
• Use our website use your campus research and
  information office use national sources
  (National Center for Education Statistics
  Postsecondary Education Opportunity, etc.)

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Data, data, data

• 1 - 2 - 3
• 1 Use statistical data from national or state
  resource
• 2 Use an experts statement
• 3 Use an anecdote

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What makes Oklahoma Unique in a Funders Eyes

• Some examples
• Native American population both in K-12 and in
  higher education
• Rural, underserved
• Strong higher education system governance with
  relationship to private colleges
• Historical data system with student unit record
  level data going back to the 70s
• Very strong preparation system
• Brain Gain EDGE OneNet

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Significance

• Why your idea is worth funding above all others
• Why your project can inform others in the nation
• Is there a successful project like yours
  somewhere else?
• Do you have preliminary results?
• Is your project replicable?
• Look into the future what would it mean for the
  people of this state if your project succeeds

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Proposed Project Plan

• What is your broad goal? (one sentence)

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Proposed Project Plan

• What are your objectives?
• measurable

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Proposed Project Plan

• What results do you expect?
• benchmarks

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Proposed Project Plan

• Who will do what?

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Proposed Project Plan

• Use charts to make the plan clear

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Evaluation and Sustainability

• Evaluation should tie directly to your measurable
  goal(s) and objectives
• You should be able to measure every one
  formatively and summatively
• Align your programs goals with the funders
  goals and measure accordingly
• e.g. GEAR UP

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Formative Evaluation

• How will you check on your progress during the
  project?
• How will you know to make changes for improvement?

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Summative Evaluation

• How will you report the final results?
• To whom will you disseminate the information?
• What is the impact?
• How did you measure from the inside? How did you
  measure from the outside?
• What recommendations do you have for the next
  step?

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Sustainability

• Your final persuasive section not all funders
  require this, but the majority do
• You have to make some reasonable promise to the
  funders that this agency will be able to sustain
  the activities after the end of the project
  period
• Sometimes easy, sometimes hard
• Flexibility your institution takes it on, your
  institution takes it on gradually, another agency
  supports it in the future

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Dissemination PlanHow will you share the results?

• State and national conferences
• Publications, i.e. journal articles, newsletters
• Web Sites
• Pod casts, Wikipedia, Blogs, Webinars
• Interactive Television Videoconferences (OneNet)
• Commercial Television Ads or Public Service
  Announcements
• News Releases, Newspaper Ads
• Community Organization Meetings
• School Classes
• Speakers Bureau

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• Need help?
• Call or contact
• Dr. Linda Mason
• lmason_at_osrhe.edu
• 405-225-9486
• Website http//www.okhighered.org/grant-opps