This document is a summary of a webinar on winning grants. It provides information on finding and applying for grants, including preparing by focusing on community needs, researching potential funders, writing proposals with clear goals and evaluation plans, and following up after applying. Tips are given on justifying technology needs, finding the right size grants, and keeping materials organized. Common components of proposals and reasons for not getting funded are also discussed.

1. talks!
Winning Grants
June 23, 2011
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Winning Grants
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Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

4. talks!
Winning Grants
Presenter: Stephanie Gerding Sponsored by

5. We are working toward a time when every nonprofit and social
benefit organization on the planet has the technology resources
and knowledge they need to operate at their full potential.
Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

6. Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

7. Today’s Speaker
Stephanie Gerding
TechSoup for Libraries
Independent Library
Consultant
Assisting with chat and tech support:
Sarah Washburn & Kevin Lo, TechSoup
Global
Twitter hashtag: #techsoup
Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

8. What are you hoping to get out of
today’s discussion?

9. Handouts

10. Post to Chat:
Have you written a grant
proposal?

11. New to grant work?
You have experience:
• finding information,
• answering questions,
• serving the community, and
• building relationships.

12. It’s all about the people…
not the money, not the “stuff.”

13. Prepare
Implement,
Focus on
Evaluate
Priorities
Continue
Grant
Cycle
Write the Develop the
Proposal Project
Research
Funders &
Grants

14. Dream BIG

15. Optimism and Realism
 Put it in Writing
 Grant Team (coordinator, community, volunteers)
 Know Your Capacity

16. Potential Partnerships
 Friendraising
 Appreciation
 Relationships

17. Prepare
Focus on
Implement, Priorities
Evaluate Continue
Grant
Cycle
Write the Proposal Develop the Project
Research Funders
& Grants

18. Meet Community Needs
(improve their life)

19. The fastest way to success is by planning.
Prioritize needs & write it all down.

20. Prepare
Implement,
Focus on Priorities
Evaluate Continue
Grant
Cycle Designing
Write the Proposal Winning
Grants
Research Funders
& Grants

21. Designing Winning Grants
Strategic
Community Creative
Plans - Needs
Involvement Brainstorming
Assessments

22. Designing Winning Grants
Strategic
Community Creative
Plans - Needs
Involvement Brainstorming
Assessments
Project Planning
Goals,
Objectives, Evaluation
Timeline Budget
Activities, Plan
Outcomes

23. What Makes a Good Grant Project?

24. Good Projects:
 Solution to real community needs
 Offer something new, innovative, or creative
 Create a model that can be replicated
 Maximize resources
 Have tangible outcomes or products
 Have a reasonable budgets and realistic timelines
 Include community partners and community involvement
 Have goals and SMART objectives
 Have an evaluation plan that measures progress
 Cause a change in behavior, attitude, skill, life condition or
knowledge in PEOPLE
 Indicate sustainability

25. Success
Stories

26. Outcome Based Evaluation
 Outcome = Impact on end user
 Behavior
 Attitude
 Skills
 Knowledge
 Condition/state
 Know where you started.
 Are you spending resources on projects and
programs that are making a difference?

28. Post to Chat:
What target population did your
grant project(s) serve?

29. Justifying Technology Needs
• Tie to your mission, goals and the people served
– A new model of community communication
– Empowers and engages customers
– Saves staff time - efficiency and productivity
• Solves universal problems/issues
– Provides disability access
– Allows job training assistance
– Extends reach into the community
– Closes the digital divide
– Organizes volunteer opportunities and information
• Specific technology functions
– Enables data collection and measurement
• Share stories of how tech helps!

30. Prepare
Implement,
Focus on Priorities
Evaluate Continue
Grant
Write the Proposal
Cycle Develop the
Project
Research
Funders
& Grants

31. Funders Aren’t ATMs…

32. Find out about Funders
 Use the language of the resources and funders
 Learn about prospective funders - find a good match!
 Visit prospective funder websites;
 search on 990s
 Record what you find; Keep your research organized

33. Categories of Grants

34. Categories of Grants

35. Just my Size!

36. Federal Grant Sources
 Institute of Museum & Library Services
http://www.imls.gov
 US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps
 National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/grants.html
 National Endowment for the Arts http://www.nea.gov/
 National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.neh.gov/grants/index.html
 National Institute for Literacy
lincs.ed.gov/cgi-
bin/lincs/search/gsearch/dbsearch.cgi?action=Show%20Results

37. State and
Local Government Sources
 State Humanities Council
www.neh.gov/whoweare/statecouncils.html
 State Council on the Arts www.nasaa-
arts.org/About/State-Arts-Agency-Directory.php
 State Department of Education
wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?categ
ory_ID=SEA
 State Library: www.publiclibraries.com/state_library.htm
 City, County Gov (Arts, Business, Community
Development, Environmental, Historical Preservation,
Education, Youth, Technology, Archival)

38. Private Funding Sources
 Foundations
 Corporations
 Clubs and Organizations
 Professional Associations

39. Resources for Finding Grants

40. Federal Gov Grant Resources
 Grants.gov
 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov
 Federal Agency websites
 Federal Register www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
 Primary Source www.imls.gov/news/source.shtm
 TGCI Federal Register Grant Announcements
www.tgci.com

41. Community Foundations
cof.org/whoweserve/community/resources (Scroll to bottom of page)

42. Federal Gov Grant Resources
 Grants.gov
 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov
 Federal Agency websites
 Federal Register www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
 Primary Source www.imls.gov/news/source.shtm
 TGCI Federal Register Grant Announcements
www.tgci.com

43. http://foundationcenter.org
Cooperating
Collections:
Electronic & print
resources!!

44. Corporate Grant Resources
 Visit web sites of corporations in your community
for priorities, grant guidelines, and deadlines.
 Grantsmanship Center Corporate Giving
(banks, grocery stores, utilities, stores, etc.)
http://www.tgci.com/funding
 National Directory of Corporate Giving
Print directory by The Foundation Center.

45. Professional Associations &
Local Grants!
Research local community directories
http://fdncenter.org/getstarted/topical/sl_dir.html
Michigan State University’s service clubs & civic
organizations funding list
http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/servicec.htm
Ask local government contacts, use the yellow
pages, talk to friends and staff to discover clubs
and organizations that provide funding

46. Library Grants Blog
http://librarygrants.blogspot.com

47. 5 Easy Grants for Beginners
 Target Store Grants
 Libri Foundation Books for Children
 Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Minigrants
 Dollar General Grants
 Dreyer's Foundation Grants & Product Donations

48. What grant sources and resources
do you recommend?

49. Prepare
Implement,
Focus on
Evaluate
Priorities
Continue
Grant
Cycle
Write the Develop the
Proposal Project
Research Funders
& Grants

50. Write the Winning Grant Proposal
1. Tell the Story. (PASSION! Facts!)
2. Keep the Audience in Mind
3. Seek Feedback
4. Ask for Everything you Need
5. Stay Positive!

51. Common Grant Components
 Cover Letter, Title Sheet, Table of Contents
 Abstract/Summary
 Organizational Overview
 Statement of Needs/Justification
 Project Description
 Timeline/Activities/Methods
 Budget
 Evaluation Process
 Appendix

52. Prepare
Implement,
Evaluate
Focus on Priorities
Continue
Grant
Cycle
Research Funders Develop the
& Grants Project
Write the Proposal

53. Writing an Evaluation Plan
1. What is the purpose?
2. Who is the audience?
3. What do you need to measure progress?
4. What sources of information are needed and how
will you collect?
5. When do you need the information?

54. Getting Funded
CELEBRATE!
Then:
• thank the funder!
• tell appropriate officials/staff
• send out a press release
• begin preliminary activities

55. Not funded?
Don’t give up!
Ask for reviewers’ comments
Strategize a new approach
 Revise and edit
 Try another source

56. Common Reasons Not Funded
 Grant project didn’t match funder’s purpose
 Guidelines not followed
 Proposal was poorly written
 The budget was inaccurate or unclear
 The necessity for your project and its potential
impact were not apparent
 Needed partners or collaborators
 Evaluation planning weak
 Project not sustainable

57. Fundraising Software Through TechSoup
• GrantStation
• NOZA
• eTapestry
• Telosa
• GiftWorks
• DonorPerfect
Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

58. Keep Up-to-Date
 Library Grants Blog librarygrants.blogspot.com
 RFP Bulletin from the Foundation Center http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/
 NEH Connect! The National Endowment for the Humanities' electronic
newsletter http://www.neh.gov/news/nehconnect.html
 Grants.gov Grant Opportunity http://www.grants.gov/Find#receive
 Charity Channel Forum Online Discussion Groups
http://charitychannel.com/subscribe/
 Association of Fundraising Professionals
http://www.afpnet.org/country.cfm?cntry=USA&folder_id=932
 The Grantsmanship Center
http://www.tgci.com/training/tprogram.asp
 Chronicle of Philanthropy http://www.philanthropy.com
http://broadband.wiki.techsoup.org/

59. Special Offer on Winning Grants from Neal-Schuman Publishers!
10% off with code: GERD11 http://neal-schuman.com/wg
Stephanie Gerding
http://stephaniegerding.com
stephaniegerding@gmail.com

60. “I have tried raising money by asking for it,
and by not asking for it.
I always got more by asking for it.”
-Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity

61. Continue discussing & learning…
• Additional questions can be answered by
posting in in our Community Forum:
– http://bit.ly/tsgrant
Upcoming webinars:
• The Biggest Green IT Opportunities for Nonprofits
and Libraries
• Evaluating Digital Literacy Programs
– http://techsoupforlibraries.org/events
Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

62. Thank you to our Webinar Sponsor!
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Winning Grants
Conference Call: 866-740-1260 Access Code: 6339392

63. talks!
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