Building your Case: How to
Design Compelling Grant
Projects
Presented by Angela Richardson,
Trainer at The Grantsmanship Center
angelad.richardson@gmail.com
What will we cover?
• What makes a project compelling for the OGP
grant program? Which Project should I chose?
• What are the guidelines really asking me? How
do I know?
• Program budgets vs Organizational budget?
• Goal: For participants to leave with a OGP
narrative skeleton
Approaching the Guidelines
• How can this grant award be used to leverage
your organization? the program?
• Choose the category that best fits
• Look at the criteria
Approaching the Guidelines
OGP REVIEW CRITERIA
REVIEW CRITERIA
POINTS
CRITERION #1: Artistic Quality
CRITERION #2:
Organizational Readiness (1)
Management Capacity (2)
Managerial Excellence/Fiscal Responsibility
(3,4)
CRITERION #3: Quality of Project Plan
CRITERION #4: Quality of Project Evaluation
CRITERION #5:
Awareness of, and Response to, Community
Needs (1)
Relationship with Audience/Community (2)
Defined and Addressed Community Need
(3, 4)
TOTAL
40
15
20
5
20
100
The higher the score, the higher your grant award
Goal: To get
maximum amount
of points
per section!
OGP Narrative
• Understand the question and Answer all
the questions with appropriate information
➡9. Organizational Information
➡10. Project Information
➡11. Project Budget
Question 9:
ORGANIZATIONAL (not Project!)
INFORMATION
➡This section is where you Introduce your
organization and describe organizational
readiness/capacity/excellence and establish
credibility
• What is your mission?
• Briefly describe RELEVANT history and overview
of core program & services. Note significant
changes
ORGANIZATIONAL (not project!)
INFORMATION
• Planning and Leadership
➡ This question provides the reviewers with an
understanding of how this two-year grant invests in a
future vision for your organization. Leverage!
➡ Discuss the relevant decisions/plans about where
your organization intends to be in the next two
years? Artistically. Administratively. Financially.
➡ How will this grant award help with achieving these
goals? How is this related to larger Org. Plan?
ORGANIZATIONAL (not project!)
INFORMATION
• Planning and Leadership (cont’d)
➡ How have board and staff contributed to the overall
planning?
• Community/Core Audience: Who is your target
audience? Use DATA! American Fact Finder
provides great information
• Artistic Policy: This is an Artistic quality question and
ask for a description of how your organization
supports artists.
Exercise:
Organizational Information
• What kind of relevant information can
your organization provide in the
Organizational Information Section to
demonstrate credibility?
• What are some goals your organization
would like to achieve in the next 2
years?
Question 10:
Project Information
• Describe the Project
• Explain the category choice
• Details! Details! Details!
• Answer all the questions, as appropriate.
Reference criteria.
• Evaluate - how will you know if the project is a
success?
Project Information (cont’d)
A. PROJECT OVERVIEW - Describe Major
activities of the Project
• How and Why is this timely for your organization
right now?
• GOALS and Objectives – What is the
difference?
• Demonstrate how the proposed project aligns
with OGP project category goals
Goals vs Objectives –
What’s the difference?
 GOAL: Describes the result or outcome your
organization intends to achieve by the END of
the grant period. Example: To increase the
number of attendees ages 20-25 at the annual
summer music festival
 OBJECTIVE: Describes the steps to achieve
your goal. Example: To produce 3 (fall, winter
and spring) Friday night “Music in the Courtyard”
events with artists targeting young adult
audience.
Project Information (cont’d)
B. PROJECT DETAILS:
• When?
• Where?
• Who? Participants and Who will implement the
project
• How?: Selection criteria for artists
 Marketing strategy?
 New staff?
Project Information (cont’d)
C. PROJECT EVALUATION
• How will you know whether your project is a
success?
• Qualitative vs Quantitative data
• Demonstrate how the project aligns with project
category goals (outcomes) and objectives
(process)
• Is this relevant if your organization is hiring a
new staff person?
Exercise:
Project Information
•
In 1-2 sentences give an overview
of the proposed project
• Describe 1 Goal of the proposed
project
• Identify 1 Objective to achieve this
goal
Question 11:
Project Budget
• This is a two-year
project request
• Check and double
check your funding
request calculation
• Tip: Plan the budget
when as you plan the
project to avoid
mistakes and omitting
important details.
Program vs Organization budget
Organizational Budget
•
Provides information from all
program areas of the
organization
•
Sometimes called the Annual
budget
•
Includes program and operating
expenses
Project Budget
•
Direct Expenses related to the
Project’s Activities ONLY
INCOME
• Cash Match
• Income
‣ Earned Income: ex: Ticket sales, Sales,
rental income
‣ Contributed Income: Other grants,
Individual donations
• OGP Grant request
• Income Explanations
Income - Example
INCOME
OGP Year I/OGP
request
Cash Match
A. Earned Income
Admissions
Ticket Sales
5000
Sponsorship Income
7500
B. Contributed Income
Foundation grant
10,000
Board Contribution
Government (county request)
2,500
25,000
EXPENSES
• Project Expenses
‣ Salaries and Fringe benefits: Staff members
who are directly involved with project activities
‣ Operating Expenses: other project expenses
• Expense Explanation
Expenses - Example
EXPENSES
OGP Request
Cash Match
14000
6,000
A. Salaries and Fringes
Artist and Performers
Program-All Other Salaries
7,500
General Administrative Salaries
B. Operating Expenses
Accounting
Catering/Hospitality
2500
Equipment rental
1000
500
Production/Exhibition Costs
10,000
8500
Exercise:
Project Budget
• Brainstorm a list of the
things that will cost money
for the proposed project.
Tips and Reminders
• Review appropriate criteria
• Establish Organizational credibility
• Answer all the questions
• Provide information about how intended project fits
into organization’s longer term plan and the
appropriate project category
• Make sure narrative and budget match
• Take time and care to present EXCELLENT work
samples
QUESTIONS???
Thank you!!