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Need-to-Know Tips for Grant-Writing:
Writing a grant can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Breaking the process down into easy to understand chunks can help you start the process.This quick guide helps walk you through the basic steps of creating a grant proposal.
Step One- Know what your GOAL is before you begin.
Step Two- Make sure you review the guidelines for the grant you are applying for.
The 5 main components for your grant will most likely be:
- Your “Needs Assessment”
- The Needs Assessment is the reason that you applying for the grant. This section is where you will explain the conditions, problems, and students, school, and community needs. This analysis shows your specific need for the grant.
- Describe the problems created by the conditions.
- Describe what is needed to solve these problems. If something is not included in the Needs Assessment, do not include it in your budget.
- Make sure the problem is significant enough apply for funding and cite research pertaining to the stated needs. Gather evidence such as surveys including feedback from teachers, other faculty, students, parents, and the community.
- Goals and Objectives – “What do we want do accomplish with this grant?”
- The goals describe what “needs” will be like at the end of the grant. They are broad and long-range.
- Objectives indicate what you want to achieve in concrete ways. They are specific, focused and subject to direct measurement (be able to link them back to Needs Assessment).
- Make sure you limit the number of goals and objectives to what is actually possible. Grant proposals probably won’t be selected if the reviewers don’t think it is possible to accomplish.
- Strategies and Activities/Project
- These should come directly from your Goals and Objectives. The strategies and activities clearly indicate the steps you will follow to achieve your objectives.
- This section should be as detailed as possible and include what resources you will use during the activities.
- You should include a detailed timeline for all activities.
- Evaluation Plan – “Have the Goals and Objectives been me?”
- This section describes how the grant will be monitored and evaluated. It should flow out of your strategies/activities section and link in with your goals and objectives.
- Develop evaluation measures and questions
- Determine when data will be collected and how
- Budget – “How will we use the money we receive from the grant?”
- Be detailed and cost-specific when creating your budget.
- List multiple suppliers and list multiple quotes for large grant amounts.
- Check your math!
