Fundamentals of Grant Writing
Presented by:
Rebecca Talley, Graduate Intern, Vanderbilt University
Diane Berty, Vice President, TICUA
Patrick Meldrim, Vice President, TICUA
May 31, 2012
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Overview
•
Giving Trends
•
Success and the Changing
Environment
•
Grant Writing Basics
•
Checklist
•
Finding a Grant Maker
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Overall grant-making declined 14.2 percent in
2009
Number of grants decreased 6.6 percent
Education and health benefited from the
largest shares of grant dollars
Source: Foundation Giving Trends, 2011
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Source: Foundation Giving Trends, 2011
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Source: Foundation Giving Trends, 2011
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2011-2013 Diversity in Teaching Grant: $100,000 of an
available $375,784
2012 Improving Teacher Quality Grant: $73,291 of an available
$716,115
2012 STEM Professional Development Grant: $428,416 of an
available $4,604,607
Total amount awarded to TICUA member
institutions in last THEC grant cycle: $601,707
Total amount available: $5,696,506
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Additional Math Credit (total of 4)
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Algebra I, II, Geometry, and a fourth higher level math course
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Additional .5 credit in Physical Education and Wellness (total of 1.5)
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Total number of Science remains constant, but altered (total of 3)
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Total number of Elective Credits remains constant, but more specific
(total of 6)
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Biology, Chemistry or Physics, and a third lab course
Electives--Personal Finance: .5 Credits, Foreign Language: 2 Credits, Fine
Arts: 1 Credit, Elective Focus: 3 Credits
Capstone Experience
Source: TN Diploma Project
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The Common Core State Standards provide a
consistent, clear understanding of what
students are expected to learn, so teachers and
parents know what they need to do to help
them.
The standards are designed to be robust and
relevant to the real world, reflecting the
knowledge and skills that our young people
need for success in college and careers.
The standards are available at
http://tn.gov/education/curriculum.shtml
Source: http://www.tncore.org/
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The reader is stupid
Speak the funder’s language
Follow directions
Have a good elevator speech
Follow your logic model
Work ahead/ Don’t wait for the RFP to be issued
Have measureable outcomes
Establish alignment between the funder’s goals and
your program’s goals
Create continuity throughout each section of the
grant/ the No Section Left Behind Act
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Cover Page, Title Page and/or Abstract
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Section I: The Needs Statement
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Section II: Project Description
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Section III: Budget Request
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Letters of Support and Agreement/Commitment
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Appendix Materials
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Purpose statement
Goals and objectives which align with the
funder’s mission
Salient points of Needs Statement
Activities as correlated to expected outcomes
Statement of how to evaluate
Usually only 2 paragraphs or word count
provided by funder
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One succinct sentence that articulates the NEED
for your grant project
An excellent tool for focusing your thinking
because it states clearly what your project is all
about
Do not include the intervention
You want the potential funder to become aware of
the urgent need and ask, “What can we do?”
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Create an Elevator Speech with your group
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Gives the WHO and WHY
 WHO is being served and WHY do they need help?
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Makes a convincing case regarding the extent &
magnitude of the needs

Explains the effects of continued non-intervention
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Comprehensive but not BORING
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Use supportive evidence
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State the contributing factors
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Identify gaps
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Discuss “promising” programs or “best practices”
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Put a face to the problems or needs by using quotes
and anecdotes
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Show a thorough understanding
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Show a knowledge of other interventions
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Show an awareness of barriers
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Show an alignment of missions and goals
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Set the stage
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Relevance
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Currency
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Data and Statistics
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Authority
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Section 1: The Nature and Extent of the Needs
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Section 2: Factors Contributing to the Problem
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Section 3: Impact of the Needs
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Section 4: Promising Approaches
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Do not overdramatize the problem
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Avoid circular logic
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A “lack” does not imply a “need”
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Avoid jargon or undefined acronyms
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Refrain from mentioning your particular intervention

Trying to fit an existing program to a grant that doesn’t
match
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Create a Needs Statement with your group
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Provides the solution to the needs you have
established
Identifies the project’s goals and objectives. i.e.
implementation plan, timeline
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Generates excitement
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Justifies your approach
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1. Objectives (Intended Outcomes)
2. Program Activities
3. Staffing and Administration
4. Evaluation
5. Sustainability
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Program Goals = Ultimate Mission of Your
Project
Program Objectives = Measureable Outcomes
Outline the operating plan
 Demonstrate a match with funder
 Illustrate how you will measure the program’s success
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SMART
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Goals are broad; objectives are narrow
Goals are general intentions; objectives are
precise
Goals are intangible; objectives are tangible
Goals are abstract; objectives are concrete
Goals can't be validated as is; objectives can be
validated
Source: URL: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec540/objectives/Difference.html
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Process Objectives: focus on the activities to be
completed in a specific time period; enable
accountability by setting specific activities to be
completed by specific dates; explain what you
are doing and when you will do it
Outcome Objectives: express the intended
results or accomplishments of program or
intervention activities
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Outputs: the direct products of the program
activities
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Weekly workshops to model instrumentation
implementation software and content resources.
Outcomes: are the specific changes in program
participants’ behavior, knowledge, skills,
status, and level or functioning

Increase the knowledge of 50% of middle schools
teachers’ use of electronic education aids by 35% by
June 30, 2012.
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Time frame
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Target group
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Number of program participants
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Expected measureable results or benefits
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Geographic location
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Action verbs
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Poor: One thousand youth between the ages of
12 and 16 will have participated in a 6-week
education program on violence prevention.
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This is actually an output
Revised: One thousand youth between the ages
of 12 and 16 will increase their knowledge by
40% in conflict resolution and anger
management by June 30, 2012.
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Create Measureable Objectives with your
group
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Implementation Plan
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Project narrative
Preparatory tasks
Specific program-related activities
Gantt Chart
List the major activities
 Estimate amount of time of each activity will take
 Determine how this activity is spread across a time
period
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Timeline
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Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
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Source: www.ProjectPlan.com
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Staff
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Administration
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Collaboration
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“Program Evaluation is the systematic
assessment of program results and, to the
extent feasible, systematic assessment of the
extent to which the program caused those
results.”
Source: Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (1994)
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Formative Evaluation: is a method of judging
the worth of a program while the program
activities are forming or happening. The focus
is on the process.
Summative Evaluation: is a method of judging
the worth of a program at the end of the
program activities. The focus is on the outcome.
Source: Bhola, H. S. 1990.Evaluating "Literacy for development" projects, programs and campaigns:
Evaluation planning, design and implementation, and utilization of evaluation results.
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Indicates the plan to continue the project
beyond the requested funding period
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Finite, or
Builds capacity, and/or
Attractive to future funders
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Create Evaluation and Sustainability Plan with
your group
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Action-oriented tool for program planning,
implementation, and evaluation
Systematic and visual way to present the
relationships among resources, planned
activities, and desired changes
Used throughout the life of the program
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Resources
/Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Outcomes
Impact
1
2
3
4
5
Your Planned Work
Your Intended Results
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
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Resources
/Inputs
•Holiday
flight
schedules
•Family
schedules
`
•Frequent
flyer holiday
options
Activities
Outputs
Outcomes
•Create family
schedule
•Tickets for all
family
members
•Family
members
enjoy vacation
•Get holiday
flight info
•Get tickets
Impact
•Continued
good family
relations
•Frequent flyer
miles used
•Money saved
•Arrange
ground
transportation
•Holiday
weather
1
2
Your Planned Work
3
4
5
Your Intended Results
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
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Itemizes expenditures
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Includes rationale
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Typically a line-item budget
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Divided into three categories
1. Personnel costs
2. Operating expenses
3. Support and Revenue
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Derived from Staffing & Administration
section
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Determine salaries
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Determine time required
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Determine benefits
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Source: US Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011
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Often measured in Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
Expressed as a decimal
1.00 FTE = total $ paid to a person working
full-time for 12 months
If part-time: # hrs worked/week
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Example: 10 hrs/week
40
X FTE
.25 FTE
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# hrs worked/week
40
median annual income
10 hrs/week
40
$58,210
.25
$58,210
$14,552.50
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29.5 is the magic number
Non-benefited employees: 7.65%
 Benefited employees: 28%-40%
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Calculated as percentage of total salary
Example: (13% + 15%)
28%
$14,552.50
$14,552.50
$4, 074.70
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Derived from the Project Description
Source: http://www.loopnet.com/Nashville_Tennessee_Market-Trends
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Source: US General Services Administration, 2012
Source: IRS Standard Mileage Rates, 2012
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Matching funds
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In-kind donations
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Participation fees charged
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Indirect Costs cover additional operating
expenses
10-15% of total budget
Budget Justification or Narrative is a detailed
description of each line of the budget
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Availability
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Accessibility
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Acceptability
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Appropriateness
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Adequacy
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Letters of Support reflect support for the
proposed project from program recipients,
community leaders, schools/universities,
religious organizations, etc.
Letters of Agreement are similar, but reflect a
higher degree of commitment, acting as a
pseudo-contract
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When speaking with those that you would like to
write either Letters of Support or Agreement
provide each with:
 brief synopsis of proposed program
 funding source
 specific instructions, i.e. letter addressee, mailing
address , deadline
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Letters of Support and Agreement should NOT be
written from a “template or boiler plate” –letters
should reflect the agencies’ and partners' own
perspectives
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Audited financial statement
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Insurance documentation
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Organizational charts
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I-990
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Other information required by the funder
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Cover Page, Title Page and/or Abstract
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The Needs Statement
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Project Description
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Objectives
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Program Activities
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Staffing and Administration

Evaluation

Sustainability
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Budget Request
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Letters of Support and Agreement/Commitment
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Appendix Materials
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Cover Page
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Program Objectives
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Needs Statement
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Project Description—Objectives, Project Narrative
Quality of Partnership
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Project Description—Evaluation
Budget Effectiveness
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Project Description—Staffing and Administration, Program Activities, Sustainability
Evaluation Plan
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Project Description—Collaboration
Program Plan
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Cover Page, Title Page and/or Abstract
Budget
Letters of Commitment
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Letters of Support and Agreement/Commitment
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Did we assume that the reader is stupid?
Did we speak the funder’s language?
Did we follow directions?
Do we have a good elevator speech?
Did we create and follow our logic model?
Did we work ahead/Do we have a previous RFP?
Do we have measureable outcomes?
Did we establish alignment between the funder’s
goals and our program’s goals?
Did we create continuity throughout each section
of the grant?
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Create an accurate and allowable budget
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Express continuity
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Be explicit
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Know your target population
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Be SMART
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Consider barriers
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Review credentials
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Proof read
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Waiting until RFP is issued: some grants issued
annually or bi-annually
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Missing material and technical issues
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Lack of alignment or beyond the scope
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Bad data
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Not adhering to page limits
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For a list of references, please see the Resource
Guide
PowerPoint presentations, Resource Guide,
and Primer can be found online at
www.ticua.org/meetings_resources/grants
Contact us:

Diane Berty
 berty@ticua.org

Patrick Meldrim
 meldrim@ticua.org

Rebecca Talley
 talley@ticua.org
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