JoCarole : Hi everyone! Thanks for being here tonight for Grant Writing Basics - we're chatting with Cathryn Branch, President of Attentive Assistance htp://www.attentiveassistance.org. Cathryn received her bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Rutgers. She has experience in the corporate world, higher education and county government and has 10 years of experience in office administration with specific expertise in budget and grant management.
JoCarole : Tonight, you'll be learning about the basics of grant writing including: locating grants that are the right fit for your organization as well as the information you’ll need to create your proposal. Cathryn will also briefly discuss the sections of a grant proposal. After this presentation, you will be able to: Locate websites where request for proposals (RFPs) for grant writing can be found and identify the information that should be included in each section of your grant proposal.
JoCarole : Thanks for joining us tonight Cathryn!
cbranch : Thanks Jo-Carole for that fabulous introduction! Hello Everyone and thank you for taking time out of your day to participate in the Grant Writing Basics Chat.
cbranch : Grant money is highly sought after by many in all types of industries and it is a great skill to add to your practice. Grant Writing can seem like an intimidating skill to master but it should not be. It simply requires a lot of time, research and writing but we all do that anyway, right! Let’s get started. Here is the format that we will follow for our chat:
cbranch : Part I – Defining Terms
cbranch : Part II – Communication
cbranch : Part III – Show Me the Money
cbranch : Part IV – Pulling It All Together
cbranch : Before we dive into too much information let’s spend some time going over vocabulary that you will run across in the grant writing process.
cbranch : Part I – Defining Terms
cbranch : Grant – is a monetary award that is given by a funder.
cbranch : Grant Application – is an application that has to be completed by a due date and it has specific guidelines that you are required to follow. The key here is that the application is given to you by the funding source.
cbranch : Grant Proposal – is a document that you are creating that includes your ideas about your organization and the programs that you want to fund.
cbranch : Request For Proposal (RFP) – is the term given to an announcement/invitation for interested parties to submit a proposal based on the guidelines set forth by that agency.
cbranch : Deadline – is the date that the funder has set for the proposals to be received.
cbranch : Sponsor – is the agency/organization that funds your project or idea. Sponsors can be governmental agencies, companies and foundations to name a few.
cbranch : Deliverables – is a term used in project management to describe a good or service that will be supplied as a result of the funds that an organization receives. Basically, what you are suppose to do with the funds that you have received.
cbranch : This list is by no means exhaustive but it should familiarize you somewhat with terms that you will see frequently throughout the grant writing process.
cbranch : Are there any questions?
Action Jackson VA : Are these considered the main terms?
cbranch : Yes Andrea I would say so. Most of these terms will be found in all grant proposals/applications
cbranch : Part II -- Communication
cbranch : A very important part of grant writing is communication, spoken or written you have to be able to present your ideas clearly.
cbranch : If a new client contacts you and they are interested in your grant writing services it is important to spend some time initially with what I like to call “Getting to Know Your Client.” At the start of any business relationship you should be able to answer the following questions about your client.
cbranch : Who is your client? The more you know the better off you will be—know the history, present and future of your client (organization). This will prepare you to write as an insider and not simply someone who puts information down on paper about a program which you really know nothing about.
cbranch : What do they do? Ask about the services that their program will provide. Find out what may be different about their program or set them apart from another organization that does the same thing. What they do also involves discussing how they operate.
cbranch : What resources are available to them now that they are already in operation?
cbranch : When do they do it?
cbranch : Are the services they provide at certain period of time? Will their project be ongoing and if so for how long? You need to know what your clients plans are for the future.
cbranch : Where do they do it? Here we are focused more on finding out the demographics of the persons that your client’s organization serves.
cbranch : And last but certainly not least...
cbranch : Why do they do it? Your client should be able to provide a compelling argument about the importance of their program.
cbranch : These questions help you to better communicate with your client and will also serve as a starting point for building your grant proposal. You will find that they will be directly related to specific sections within your proposal. Funders will want to know this information about your client. What are you going to achieve with my money and why should I be confident that you can do it?
cbranch : Are there any questions?
Office Goddess : are non-profits better for getting grants?
cbranch : There are grants out there for everyone you just have to know where to find what you are looking for. Especially small businesses.
KatiW : where are some places to find them?
cbranch : check out sba.gov www.sba.gov and I will also provide some other resources in the 3rd part of the chat for non-profits.
JoCarole : Are there grants specifically for women owned businesses?
cbranch : yes there are http://www.business.gov/start/woman-owned/
cbranch : Part III – Show Me the Money
cbranch : So now that you know who your client is and what they are trying to achieve let’s review 3 sources that will assist you in finding request for proposals (RFPs).
cbranch : Where can I locate RFPs?
cbranch : The Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org) this is a pay to subscribe site but something that you may want to recommend your clients consider. This is an excellent resource where you can find everything you need from A to Z.
cbranch : www.grants.gov
cbranch : www.fundsnetservices.com
cbranch : Google is another resource that you can use to identify grants specific to the area you are interested in. It will direct you to sites that may have grants available for your purpose.
cbranch : Finally, you can locate grants through local, state and federal government sites. The grants that are offered through governmental agencies can be very tedious to complete but can also be very rewarding financially.
KatiW : what are some good google terms for grants (I always have a hard time with this)?
cbranch : Thanks KatiW it would depend on what you are looking for. Do you have any specific ideas?
KatiW : I've looked for arts grants and disaster relief, for example - and i usually end up spending hours finding mostly junk
cbranch : KatiW see what would you come up with when using this one http://www.grants.gov/search/search....undActivity=AR
Office Goddess : we have been lookihg for non-profits, green jobs, etc
cbranch : http://www.greengrants.org/
cbranch : http://www.grants.gov/search/search....undActivity=EN
cbranch : Part 4 - What does an RFP look like?
cbranch : Take a look at this request for proposal for Pets in the Classroom grant www.fundsnetservices.com/news_desc.php?id=995. You will see that it includes what they sponsor is interested in funding, the dollar amounts to be offered, the requirements for spending funds and the deadline for submissions. The second link is the actual application that needs to be completed. Take a quick look www.petcaretrust.org/i4a/forms/form.cfm?id=4
cbranch : Part IV – Pulling It All Together
cbranch : Next let’s define the parts of the grant proposal:
cbranch : Summary – clearly and concisely summarizes the request
cbranch : Introduction – describes the agency’s qualifications or “credibility”
cbranch : Problem Statement or Needs Assessment – documents the needs to be met or problems to be solved by the proposed funding
cbranch : Objectives – establishes the benefits of funding in measurable terms
cbranch : Methods – describes the activities to be employed to achieve the desired results
cbranch : Evaluation – presents a plan for determining the degree to which objectives are met and methods are followed
cbranch : Future or Other Necessary Funding – describes a plan for continuation beyond the grant period and/or the availability of other resources necessary to implement the grant
cbranch : Budget –clearly delineates costs to be met by the funding source and those to be provided by the applicant or other parties
cbranch : Every component of the proposal you will need to work closely with your client to create but remember to be aware of this information in the beginning when you are asking your clients initial questions and it will alleviate a lot of back and forth.
cbranch : Now on to: Resources for you research:
cbranch : The internet --Google is a great resource to use when looking for research that supports the methods that your client uses in their program.
cbranch : You’ll find that there are many programs out there that are doing the same thing that your client’s organization is doing. They just choose to implement it differently or they perhaps could be identical. The importance here is that there is some research out there that supports what you do and to find it and include it in your proposal. 99.9% of the time you will be required to include research in your proposal to support your claim.
cbranch : Now it is important for me to mention at this point that the internet is an excellent resource but you must also verify your sources.
cbranch : That brings us to our third resource books, periodicals and the like. If you found the information cited somewhere on the web it’s important to follow up and go to the original source. The internet is a reliable resource but it too can be unreliable.
cbranch : Expanding Your Reach
cbranch : Your client may have specific idea or program that they may want to fund within their organization. But remember that as their expert you should know that there may be opportunities for them that they may have not previously considered.
cbranch : For example: Your client may want to fund their reading tutoring program.
cbranch : However, in your research to find grants to fund their cause you come across a RFP that is looking to fund after school educational technology programs.
cbranch : This is where you have the opportunity to assist your client in expanding their program.
cbranch : You now can create your proposal to center around increasing the reading skills of students through reading software.
cbranch : Never just look for one specific idea to funding opportunity. While doing your research look for opportunities where new ideas can be implemented in your clients’ organization and can bring about growth. Also it would be wise to work on multiple RFP’s at once so that you maximize your client’s chances of getting funded.
cbranch : Believe me when I tell you, that you are not the only person out there applying for this grant and chances are you may not be funded on your first try. But keep at it….grant writing is an acquired skill and practice makes perfect.
cbranch : Now, are there any final questions that I may answer for you?
AJ326 : How long does it normally take to write a grant for a client from start to finish?
cbranch : That's a loaded question Angela. It depends on the complexity of the grant
cbranch : Let me give you an example
cbranch : I prefer to focus my grant writing in the area of education so the grants that I write for my clients are normally issued by governmental agencies and let's just say the require ALOT of information. The grant took me about 50 hours from start to finish - that includes research
KatiW : don't you have to be registered with the gov to apply for grants, too? (for gov grants)
cbranch : Alot of government grants require that you have a 501 3 C which is a distinction for non-profits
KatiW : my last org, we were riquired to have a GSA number i believe
cbranch : Not every grant requires a GSA number when you are in a for profit sector
Action Jackson VA : Very informative, there is a lot that goes into grant writing I see. Would you say that research is a huge part in the process?
cbranch : Research is a big part of the grant writing process Andrea
The Office Virtuoso : Cathryn, is it true that you may be disqualified if your grant writer takes a % of the grant instead of being paid up front? Have you heard of this before?
cbranch : The are stipulations on how grant monies can be spent in most application...so yes Office virtuoso
cbranch : Remember that there are many different requirements depending on the funding sources. When you review the RFP it should be specific on how the grant monies should be used
JoCarole : How long does it take before you are notified if you received the grant?
cbranch : In some cases it can take from 2 weeks to as long as 6 months
cbranch : Here is information on how to use www.grants.gov http://www07.grants.gov/assets/OrgRegUserGuide.pdf
Office Goddess : So we need to research and narrow down what we are looking for first, right?
cbranch : Yes Goddess that is correct it
cbranch : Here is a check list that you can follow as well http://www07.grants.gov/assets/Organ...gistration.pdf
cbranch : I also recommend to potential clients that they review the application the year before the apply for the grant. Alot government agencies require that you show that you have a track record
Grant Writing Basics - archived VAF chat with Cathryn Branch
Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
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