Grantwriters

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• Grantwriters
• Training Workshop
• June 29-Alexandria
• July 1-Baton Rouge

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Sponsors

• Louisiana Association of Science Leaders
• Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics
• Louisiana Council of Supervisors of Mathematics
• Louisiana Science Teachers Association
• The Gordon A. Cain Center-LSU

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OBJECTIVES

• Provide a basic overview and review of the
  grant-writing process
• Develop a cadre of mentors that can and will
  provide assistance to other educators
• Increase the number and quality of teacher
  applications for grants

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Everything You Didnt Know To Ask About Writing a
Grant(and then some)

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Your Job?

• ?To convince a group of strangers (sight-unseen)
  to give you their money to carry out a program
  that you believe is important!

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Remember.

• How successful you are depends upon your ability
  to communicate the need for and the quality of
  your program

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Terminology

• Grant funds to support a specific project
• Award a recognition may have a grant-like
  component
• Proposal a written document (a request)
  submitted to an agency to obtain a grant

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The RFP

• The official notice that describes the
  guidelines for a grant and (should) contains
  everything you need to know!

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Getting Started(planning is the key)

• Identify your problem
• Identify an activity, program or materials needed
  to solve the problem
• Prepare the proposal

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Abstract(the short version of my story)

• May be called the executive summary
• A short, concise summary of your proposal,
  usually near the front but the last thing you
  write
• May be used for publicity purposes
• THIS IS THE HOOK-UM part

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Statement of Need(what is the problem)

• This section should contain the most forceful
  language of the proposal
• Use hard-hitting language with an emotional
  appeal (bring tears to the eyes of the reader but
  dont make them throw up!)
• Use documentation to verify the need charts,
  graphs, survey results,
• anecdotal information, etc.

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Plan of Operation(this is how Ill do it)

• gt This is the part designed to convince the
  reader that you can carry out the project, ie you
  have the capacity

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Plan of Operation

• gtTimelines may be required be careful not to box
  yourself in to a specific date
• gtProvide an overview of the activities and
  strategies that will be a part of the project(Org
  chart might work well here)
• gtInclude key personnel, and commitment from any
  partners

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Goals and Objectives

• Goal a broad, clear statement that describes
  where you want to be at the end of the project
  (often the goal is not met!)

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Goals and Objectives

• Objective a measurable result more narrowly
  defined than a goal. The good things you want
  to see happen as a result of the project
• Should be specific, measurable, and attainable
  during the time frame of the grant

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Pop Quiz!

• To establish a re-cycling program at our
  school for aluminum cans
• or
• To reduce the number of cans on the school
  campus by 90 by the end of the year

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Pop Quiz!

• To raise the achievement scores of identified
  students by 1 percentile
• or
• To provide an after-school reading program

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Commitments(May I have that in writing?)

• ? Key partners should provide a letter of
  commitment on letter head, specifically stating
  what they will contribute
• ? this is a wonderful project or you are the
  greatest type letters are usually not of any
  real value for a grant (but may be appropriate
  for an award)

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Vita(Im so fine!)

• Check for page limit in the RFP
• Only include information relative to the project
  dont get bogged down in trivia
• Arrange in a readable format
• Dont go back too far in time
• ALWAYS BE HONEST!

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Evaluation Plan(did it work......did I do what I
said I would do?)

• ? Did it work the way you hoped it would?
• ?Were there any unexpected results that would
  help in the future?
• ?What elements were successful and which were
  not?

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Evaluation Plan

• Process (formative) Provide feedback along the
  way so changes can be made usually qualitative.
• Product (summative) At the end Were objectives
  met? Was new knowledge gained? Was it cost
  effective? Usually quantitative.

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Budget(show me the money)

• ?Regardless of the amount of funding requested,
  you need a detailed budget and sometimes a budget
  narrative.

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Budget

• Dont be too thrifty and jeopardize your project.
  Its a balancing act!
• Pad your budget
• Dont pad your budget
• Be realistic and justify every expense!
• Check figures over and over!

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Budget Narrative(why I need the money!)

• ?A category by category justification of costs

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Appendixes Attachments

• ?This section is normally at the end
• ?Contains letters of support, vita and other
  documentation
• ?May or may not have a page limit so always check
  RFP to be sure

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Writing for the Reader(what they see is what you
get)

• Make it as easy as possible for the reader to
  follow what you are saying
• Dont get bogged down in local terminology (does
  someone in Denver know what LaSIP, LINCS, and
  LATM represent?)

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The Actual Writing Process(time to cut bait or
fish)

• ? Establish a game plan and timeline for
  completion,even if it breaks down.
• Allow time for someone away from the project to
  read and comment.
• Decide how you will deliver the proposal. Get a
  receipt!

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Lagniappe(things I have learned)

• gt Repeat certain key words and phrases
• gt Use the hook the WOW
• gt Watch for the politically incorrect term
• gt Know the priorities of the funder
• gt Write in the first person for awards for
  grants use the project director or the
  applicant

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Common Mistakes(why I did not get the grant)

• Not following directions! (hard to believe, but
  true!)
• Missing the application date
• Not providing all required information

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Teacher Award Projects

• Teacher of the Year
• Presidential Award for Excellence
• NSTA Awards
• NCTM Awards
• Tandy Scholars