The Basics

 Not a gift
 Not free money
 Not easy to find (most of the time)
 Not easy to get

 Grants can make the difference between
having an idea and making that idea a reality!
 Countless startup companies and
organizations have used grants to create an
enterprise, make an existing business better,
and to improve the lives of the people they
serve.
 It could be just what you need!!

Identifying the Right Ones for You

 Don’t limit yourself to one or two sources
 Look for a match between your project and
the goals of the funder
 Make direct contact with the funder
 Request proposal guidelines
 Look at previously funded projects by that
funding source
 Check out the funding floor and ceiling
 Pinpoint specific funding priorities

 Community Foundations
 State Government
 Federal Government
 Corporations and LLC’s
 Non-profits
 Special Interest Groups

 Acquire the proposal guidelines
 Know the submission deadline
 Determine personnel/partnership needs
 Acquire permission to include others in the
proposal
 Gather an informal review panel
 Contact the funder if possible

What to say and how to say it!!

 Be direct and concise. More is not always
better.
 Be thoughtful and critical about each
sentence.
 Put your feelings out there. Be human!!
 Don’t get sidetracked. Keep bringing the
reader back to your “core mission”.
 Be honest about the amount of money you
need to accomplish your goal. Don’t be
excessive or extravagant with your budget.

 Cover Letter
 Problem Statement or Needs Statement
 Purpose of the grant
 Methodology and Strategies (Timeline)
 Evaluation & Critique
 Sustainability
 Organizational Info/ Credentials
 Budget
 Budget Narrative
 Letters of Support

 This is your “front porch”
 Don’t build the porch before you build the
house. Write this last!!
Your Cover Letter Should Contain Your HOOK.
Sometimes this is all a reviewer will read to
make a decision. Make them want to turn the
page!

 Who you (your organization) are
 What you do (be brief)
 What your idea is
 How will it make things better and for whom?
 Align with the Funder’s purpose
 Limited to one page
 Should mention the amount you are asking
for

 This is where you need to move the reader
 Be honest and direct
 The problem should be easily identified to the
reader in one or two sentences
 Give some background and historical
perspective
 Has a solution been attempted before

 Need to be addressed: Explain the extent to
which the project meets the specific purpose
of the source of funds.
 How the needs were determined: Describe
how you determined the needs you propose
to address.
In other words: How do you know this is what’s
needed???

 The “meat and potatoes”
 How will the money be used to address the
need
 Express that without the funding, the project
will not be possible
 The positive impacts of the project (don’t
forget to align with the funder’s purpose and
goals)

 If you get stuck try this: write one long,
rambling sentence that starts with
“The purpose of this grant is to __________
Write down everything you can think of that
this money will accomplish. Then work on
forming this into paragraphs with supporting
statements. Here is where you need to give
details!!

 Who’s going to do what?
 Step-by-step and can even be bulleted
 Be realistic about how much time things will
take
 This is your “road map” to your goal
 Clearly know your goals and objectives
 Needs to make sense when compared to your
budget
 A timeline can be included in an Appenix

 Do the methods derive logically from the need
statement and your goals and objectives?
 Have you accurately presented the activities you
will be undertaking?
 Did you explain why you chose these methods or
activities?
 Is there a timeline that makes sense?
 Have you made it clear who will perform specific
activities?
 Given the resources you expect to have, are these
activities feasible?

 How will you assess your project’s success or
failure?
 Board of Directors
 Consumer/ Participant Surveys
 Refer to your timeline
 Re-evaluate your budget
 Revisit your goals
 Run your project like a “business”—be honest
with yourself!

 Some funders may expect or request a
Results Report
 Be honest and direct
 What went right and wrong
 Where will you go from here
 Be able to provide an accounting of funds
 Keep accurate records!!

 Be prepared to discuss briefly what happens
when the money runs out.
 Can your project sustain itself or will it need
continued support
 How can you make it sustainable?
 This can be added as a paragraph in your
methodology section

 Who/ what is your organization?
 How long have you been established?
 What successes have you had so far?
 What is your core mission?
 Who are the key players?
 What are their qualifications?
◦ Include resumes or curriculum vitae where
appropriate

 Blueprint for spending project funds
 Will become your financial plan if the project
is funded
 Should be COMPLETE and REASONABLE
 Remember reviewers are often familiar with
many types of project costs such as
computers, travel, postage, phones, etc.
 In most cases you don’t need to attach price
quotes

 Two Kinds of Budgets
◦ Cost Reimbursement- actual expenditures are
reimbursed. Only approved expenditures will be
funded. No expenditures permitted that were not
included in the budget.
◦ Fixed Price-A fixed sum of money is given to
support the project. If expenditures exceed the
allocated funds, there is no obligation by the funder
to add additional money

 Direct Costs- directly allocated to the
individual project such as personnel,
supplies, travel, equipment, telephones,
postage
 Indirect Costs- cannot be allocated to a
specific project. These include any shared
costs such as building depreciation, shared
custodial services. Most usually you can
figure 10% of your total for indirect costs.

 Paragraph form explanation of your projected
expenses.
 Don’t feel the need to explain every item, just
give rationale for main expenditures or
anything that may seem “cloudy”.
 Elaborate on travel, personnel, general
supplies, advertising, etc.
 Keep it to one page if possible

 Only include letters from people who will be
directly involved in the project
 Give them a framework or template
 Make sure they know their role
 Make sure they include their contact
information
 Give a deadline to get the letters to YOU
 Proofread the letters carefully and give
yourself time for corrections

 Project falls outside the funder’s mission
 Amount requested is out of proportion to the
need
 No other funding sources listed
 No evidence of sustainability
 Did not follow the format
 Poorly written/ difficult to understand
 Credibility issue
 Not sure of the impact
 Out of the funder’s geographic area

 Be prepared for multiple submissions
 Don’t get discouraged
 Have an outside person proof read and give
you feedback
 “The first draft of anything is crap.”
◦ ~ Ernest Hemingway