Notes from the “Writing Better Grant Proposals” webinar

This webinar sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Comprehensive Center at Edvantia was held on December 14, 2009. Deborah Ward of Ward and Associates presented during the webinar. She is a “nationally recognized proposal writing consultant for education and nonprofit clients.” Below are highlights from her presentation. Many of the points are common sense but probably bear repeating.

• Start with an idea that closely aligns with what the funder wants to fund.
• Think about what you hope to accomplish. What is the scope and depth of the project?
• Is the project innovative? Make sure that the idea you have hasn’t been funded before. The grantor will be looking for something new and different.
• Does the project use best practices? You will need the most up-to-date information that you can get.
• It is easier to find funders with a concept in mind.
• Read the Request for Proposal very carefully, using a highlighter so that you don’t miss any important facts. What to look for:
  • Purpose of the grant funding
  • Eligibility requirements
  • Deadline
  • Proposal section instructions (critical piece)
  • Page limit, fonts, and margins
• Funders will toss out a proposal without looking at it if it doesn’t follow the instructions and use the correct font and margins and goes over the page limit.
• Your organization may serve as a partner with another organization. A memorandum of understanding is needed.
• Buzzwords and acronyms
  • Spell out the words for the acronyms
  • Define words if needed; don’t make assumptions (for instance, “at risk” might mean something else than what you want it to mean.)

Proposal Selection Instructions

Use the proposal section instructions with the scoring criteria if it is included in the Request for Proposal.
Common proposal sections:

1. Needs statement/problem statement
   1. Support with data, surveys, teacher input, etc.
   2. Do more than identify research: explain what you want to do.
2. Goals and Objectives
   1. You need to be realistic. The project should be doable within the grant period.
   2. Goals and objectives should be measurable.
3. Methodology
   1. Describe the what, where, when, and who for the project.
   2. If you are including professional development, be sure to describe it. Make sure it is current.
   3. Identify who will be doing the project and what the follow-up will be.
4. Personnel and staff
   1. Who is responsible for carrying out the project and their responsibilities and why they are the right staff to do this.
5. Evaluation
   1. Will you use an internal or external evaluator? Check the budget to see if there is money included to hire an evaluator.
   2. What evaluation tools will you use? Go back and look at your goals and objectives.
   3. Ask an evaluator to write this section of the proposal. They can better articulate the evaluation tools they will be using.
   4. Colleges and universities have internal evaluators. Also, contact prior grantees and ask them who they used.
   5. The American Evaluation Association website, http://www.eval.org, has a “Find an evaluator” section.
6. Budget
   1. What are the allowable costs?
   2. Make sure the numbers are real.
   3. Create a budget narrative and show calculations. Look for a budget narrative sample through an internet search to see how this is done.
   4. Spell out how much money is needed and why. Include every single line item and discuss this in the narrative.
   5. Don’t make numbers up.
   6. Recheck the addition!
   7. The funding is for the project only, not operational costs.
   8. If including technology in the budget, make sure to justify it in the narrative rather than creating a wish list. Explain why you are selecting specific technology to use in the project.
7. Appendix
   1. Can you include an appendix in the proposal?
   2. Do not put material in the appendix that should be in the narrative.
   3. Don’t overload this area. Most reviewers will only spend a few minutes looking at it.

More things to think about

• Sustainability — Think how you will sustain parts of the project after the funding period. Consider revenue generating options. Expand professional development.
• Partial vs. full funding — Negotiate if necessary. Be clear about what is going to be funded. A revised budget may be needed. A revision to the proposal may also be needed. Ask the funder for a good length of time to work out what it means to your project to have partial funding.
• Scoring before submission — Give the proposal draft to others, including the scoring criteria to identify possible weaknesses in the proposal.
• Look a funded proposals — Get at least one copy of a funded proposal to look at for content, scope and formatting. Look at prior grantees and ask to see how their projects were funded.

Writing a better proposal

• Use clear and precise language
• Make sure that the deadlines and budget information match throughout the proposal.
• Give a draft to a grant writing professional or have them write it. Be clear about their role in the process.
• Use the Request for Proposal guidance and scoring criteria and use the points as a guide also.