This document provides guidance on writing grant proposals. It discusses defining your organization's mission and impact, documenting your work, developing partnerships and collaborations, planning for sustainability, evaluating your program's effectiveness, and finding grant opportunities that match your goals. Key steps include clearly articulating what you do and who you serve, gathering information and keeping thorough records, networking with other organizations, and creating plans for ongoing evaluation and funding.

1. Show Me The Money… Getting Started Writing for the Future Gina Burgess

3. Are You Ready? I. What Do You Do? Gina Burgess

4. What Do You Do? Can you state what you do in 25 words or less? Without JARGON ACRONYMS Understanding Who You Are

5. What Do You Do? Can you state what you do in 25 words or less? Without JARGON ACRONYMS Understanding Who You Are Who do you serve? Their needs? Community Impact? Who What When Where How WHY?

6. What Do You Do? Can you state what you do in 25 words or less? Without JARGON ACRONYMS Understanding Who You Are Who do you serve? What are their needs? Who What When Where How WHY? What Sanctifies You?

8. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s Recent information Target population Community demographics Socioeconomic conditions Needs assessment

9. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s ALL about records! Recent information Target population Community demographics Needs assessment

10. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s ALL about records! Recent information Target population Community demographics Needs assessment

11. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s ALL about records? Financial Info… Is your program a good risk? budget is 50% of the grade Recent information Target population Community demographics Needs assessment Don’t forget-- Who What When Where How WHY?

12. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s ALL about records? Budget and Financial Info… Is your ministry a good risk? Capital Needs Are different from operating and program needs Recent information Target population Community demographics Needs assessment

13. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s ALL about records? Budget and Financial Info… Is your ministry a good risk? Capital Needs Are different from operating and program needs Separate And Prioritize All Needs of your program Recent information Target population Community demographics Needs assessment

14. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s Baseline Data… Performance Data Is a deciding factor with any funder. Again... Who What When Where How

15. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s Baseline Data… Performance Data Corrected Failures Can be advantages in FUTURE Performance

16. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s In a commencement speech to graduates he said… Never give up, Never give up, Never give up. Adopt the Winston Churchill Attitude…

17. Document…Document… The ABCs of Information Gathering A B C s Community Awareness Newspaper Articles Volunteers Clients

19. Collaborations-- N etworks have power surges Working Relationships: Network for Individual Problem solving Greatest Community Impact You + Others =

20. Collaborations-- N etworks have power surges Working Relationships A Network Individual’s Problems Community Coalitions Partnerships Economies of scale Greatest Community Impact You + Others=

21. Collaborations-- N etworks have power surges Working Relationships A Network Individual’s Problems Community Coalitions Partnerships Economies of scale Meeting Greater Needs of the people Greatest Community Impact You + Others

22. Collaborations-- N etworks have power surges Working Relationships A Network Individual’s Problems Community Coalitions Partnerships Economies of scale Meeting Greater Needs of the People Greater Credibility Wider Range Of Solutions Greatest Community Impact You + Others

23. Will You Thrive or Wither? I. Sustainability is Lifeblood A. Plan…Plan…Plan B. Evaluation is Key to Future Gina Burgess

24. Sustainability = Lifeblood A Grant Maker will NOT invest in your project Not having a plan for future funding is like Cajun fishing… Without that planning especially in the Budget you worked hard but nothing to show for it. Documenting financial decisions eliminates some risk factors and promotes breathing.

25. Plan…Plan…Plan… A Grant Maker is more likely to invest. Therefore… Document every aspect of your organization’s performance. It gives much greater credibility…

26. Evaluation -- Key to funding A Grant Maker is more likely to invest Effective Monitoring and Assessments

27. Evaluation is the key to future funding A Grant Maker is more likely to invest Measure Results Specific Aggressive Reachable Time Limited S.M.A.R.T. Your Outcome Statement should include what Long Term Results are Expected & the Impact to Beneficiaries Sandra Simmons, GrantsUSA trainer

28. How Do We Do That? How? Why? Where? Who? What? What Does Success Look Like? Answer the Question

29. Let’s Push the Buttons As Measured By When? By what date? Within what time period? Why 3 months? 6 months? Time Frame:

30. Let’s Push the Buttons As Measured By What? Work What intervention are you doing that will make what change? Who is target group? Time Frame

31. Let’s Push the Buttons As Measured How? Intervention Degree of impact The thing that is improving is measured by what indicators? Time Frame Direction

32. Let’s Push the Buttons As Measured By Which? Work Which direction of change? Getting larger, smaller …improvement how? Time Frame Direction

33. So Where Do We Go From Here? Show Me the Money $$$ Think outside The Box Social Networks The Internet Newsletters

34. The Internet is a Good Place to Start ↑ It is possible to be too specific.

35. Broaden the search a little…

36. Sign up for Newsletters!

37. They Come Right To Your Inbox!

38. A Wealth of Information $$$

39. So How Do I Find other Grants?

40. Remember this… Successful grants require real needs and logical project descriptions. Fluff and slight-of-hand have no place in a grant proposal, and if you don't know what you want to do and why you want to do it a funding source isn't going to be too interested in handing you money. Grants are PART of an overall funding strategy-a small part. Nationally, you can expect to see less than 15% of your total philanthropy coming from grants. Higher expectations lead to disappointment. Karen Hodge http://www.brokenlocket.com Follow Instructions Exactly! Gina Burgess

42. Presented by… Gina Burgess Picayune, Mississippi Contact me today and let’s get started on that grant proposal. www.GinaBurgess.viviti.com Glburgess at gmail dot com