Getting and Making
Money
With Grants and Grant
Writing
Linda Mason, Ed.D.
Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education
2006
Getting Money!
 Foundations
to support literature
 Federal agencies to support research and
development for colleges and universities
 State agencies to support programs
 Philanthropists
Foundations
 http://www.okhighered.org/grant-opps/
 Grant
Resources
 http://www.grantmakersofoklahoma.org/m
ain/index.cfm
 Foundation Directory – The Foundation
Center
 Nathan Cummings Foundation http://www.nathancummings.org/
….and more
Federal Agencies
Such as….
 National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.neh.gov/
 National Endowment for the Arts
http://www.nea.gov/grants/
 US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
State Agencies




Such as….
Oklahoma Humanities Council
http://www.okhumanitiescouncil.org/
Oklahoma Arts Council
http://www.ok.gov/~arts/
Oklahoma State Department of Education
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/home/defaultie.html
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
http://www.okhighered.org
Philanthropists
Sports Figures
Business Leaders
Rich Folks
Giving People
10 Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Read all instructions…FOLLOW THEM!
Create and use templates for proposals
Know the subject matter
Be honest!
Stick to the point
Predict outcomes accurately
Admit mistakes
Do not miss deadlines
Work hard on budgets
Neatness counts
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
1.
Read all instructions…FOLLOW THEM!

Formatting rules – font, margin,
attachments
Structure – Introduction, Goals, Need,
Management, Budget, Budget Narrative,
Evaluation Plan
Answer questions
Point system – rating system
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Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
2. Create and use templates for proposals
Many proposals have a similar format, so
start with “fill-in-the-blank” structure.
Adding, deleting, editing are much quicker
than creating.
Use the RFP for your guide.
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
3.
Know the subject matter
You cannot really know it, so ask questions.
Spend time with the principal figures in the
project. Take notes.
Library and online research
Research the funder
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
Be honest!
Do not exaggerate or create.
Use research-based data
Model best practices
4.
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
5.
Stick to the point

Follow guidelines
Clear goals
Plain Language
http://www.plainlanguage.gov/
“Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.”
“Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.”
“Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are
unnecessary.”
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Timelines

Work charts
A linguistics professor was lecturing to his
English class one day. "In English," he said, "A
double negative forms a positive. In some
languages, though, such as Russian, a double
negative is still a negative. However, there is no
language wherein a double positive can form a
negative."
A voice from the back of the room piped up,
"Yeah, right."
Objective: Teachers and students
will become more computer literate.
ACTIVITIES
BENCH
MARKS
TIMELINE
RESPONSIBLE
PARTY
Buying new
computers for
each classroom
Teacher
computer ratio –
4:1
Student
computer ratio –
6:1
November
2005
Head of Audio
Visual Services
Computer
classes for
teachers
50% teachers
technology
training
February
2006
Vice Principal
Teachers will
redesign
curriculum to
include
technology
All trained
teachers will
have 25%
lessons
incorporating
technology
April 2006
Classroom
Teachers
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
Predict outcomes accurately
Do not inflate promises to woo the funding
agency.
If you do not know the field and the
possibilities, find a consultant, read
granted proposals like the one you are
writing.
Read sample grant proposals.
6.
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
7.
Admit mistakes
Use previous problems as ways to explain
need and create better projects.
Do not dwell on bad history, but use it as a
building block.
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
Do not miss deadlines
Do not wait until the last minute. Plan to be
ready at least two weeks in advance
Deadlines are critical and final.
Electronic submission is time consuming
and has periods of undependability.
Partnerships are time consuming.
Time is valuable to everyone.
8.
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
9.
Work hard on budgets
You are begging for money. Ask for enough.
Ask for just enough.
Start with the budget.
Budget narrative must contain details and
explanations.
Use the budget narrative to tell part of the story.
Work with budget officer(s).
Tips for Writing
Good Grant Proposals
10.
Neatness counts
Spelling
Page numbering
Order
Nothing extra
Consistency
Easy to read
Easy to find

Q: How many professional writer types does it
take to change a light bulb?
A: 100. Ten to do it, and 90 to write document
number GC7500439-001, Multitasking
Incandescent Source System Facility, of which
10% of the pages state only "This page
intentionally left blank", and 20% of the
definitions are of the form "A ------ consists of
sequences of non-blank characters separated
by blanks".
Tips for Getting Hired
 Success
breeds success
 Network
 Chemistry
 Serve
on Grant Panels
 Consider full time work.
 Take 2 or 3 grant writing classes.
 Read at least 2 or 3 basic grantwriting
books.
Tips for Getting Hired
 Research
funding sources and
foundations.
 Join professional associations. NCURA,
AAGP, SRA, OWFI
 Teach grant-writing.
 Read journals and newsletters. The
Chronicle of Philanthropy, Grassroots
Funding Journal, Charity Channel
 Explore the web.
Tips for Success
 Chemistry
 Know
the goals
 Address the topic
 Give the time
 Read proposals from granted projects
 Read about the project, field, goal
 Interview key players
Bibliography
Interesting articles:
 “A Glossary of Terms in the Grant World (A…509(a)) - Griesmann
 “The Buck Starts Here” - Markin
 “Consulting vs. Full-Time Employment, Pros and Cons” – Abate
 “Hiring and Working With Grantwriters and Consultants: Know What
You Need and Let Them Do It!” – Hauser
 “Honing Your Professional Skills” – Wells
 “Is the Time Right for Adding Self-Funded Grant Positions?” Shawver
 “Know the Process, Improve Your Odds” – Cobb and Abate
 “Lessons in Evaluation: How Serving on Grant Panels Could Make
You a Better Writer” – Phelps
 “Lets Ask for One Million Dollars or Why Successful Grantsmanship
Isn’t Like Buckshot” – Felts
 “Tips for New Grant Writers” - Uva
 “Message to a New Would-Be Grantseeker” - Boess
 “Why I’m a Grant Writer” – Payne
Bibliography
Good books:
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GETTING GRANTS: A COMPLETE MANUAL OF
PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
- Black
GRANT WRITING FOR DUMMIES – Browning
GRANT WRITING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A STEPBY-STEP GUIDE – Henson
THE ONLY GRANT-WRITING BOOK YOU’LL EVER
NEED – Karsh and Fox
WRITING FOR A GOOD CAUSE: THE COMPLETE
GUIDE TO CRAFTING PROPOSALS AND OTHER
PERSUASIVE PIECES FOR NONPROFITS – Barbato
and Furlich
Bibliography
Web helps:
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Grant Opportunities http://www.okhighered.org/grant-opps/
The Art of Grantsmanship http://www.hfsp.org/how/ArtofGrants.htm
The EPA Grant Writing Tutorial http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/msieopen.
htm
The Foundation Center - http://fdncenter.org/
Writing Winning Proposals, the US Department of
Energy - http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/sample.pdf
Bibliography
Training tapes:
http://www.onenet.net/ops/streaming/brown_bag/br
own_bag_index.html
May 1 – Successful Partnerships With Community
Organizations
April 24 – Successful Partnerships with School
Systems
April 17 – Successful Partnerships with Industry:
OCAST
April 10 – Community College Grantsmanship
 Linda Mason, Ed.D.
Coordinator for Grant Writing
Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
lmason@osrhe.edu
www.okhighered.edu/grant-opps/
IP:164.58.250.178
405-225-9486