A “Proper” Proposal

First, some things we all know…

READ program announcements thoroughly,
highlighting important points.
Pay close attention to formatting guidelines (margins,
font size, software compatibility).
BUDGET LIMITS. One dollar over and you could be
out—at least at the federal level.
Program announcements and RFPs can be repetitive
(this is so with federal funding).
Time is of the essence. When an agency says 4 p.m.,
they don’t mean 4:01. Also, be mindful of time zones,
as your agency may be located in the Central zone
and the grantor may be located in the Eastern zone.
Try never to submit a proposal on the day it’s due
(glitches can happen at any time).
And a few more things we all know
• Gather all materials you will need BEFORE the due date
(resumes, support letters, etc.)
• The newest information is the best in many cases.
• More than one set of eyes is necessary when editing.
• Whatever requires a signature, please provide a signature.
• If you have contacts within an agency, seek their help
BEFORE submission.
• Ask questions.
• Make sure that all blanks are signed, all appendices are
attached, all slots are filled upon submission.
Where to start?
Grants begin with an
honest assessment of
needs:
1. Educational
2. Economic
3. Health-related
4. Capacity-building
5. Start-up
6. Raising awareness
7. Provision of services
Consider the needs of your area/target
population/agency.
What is lacking? (Ex. Junior high and high school
students lack proficiency in math; residents lack awareness
of AIDS and STDs; a rural town lacks access to basic
medical care)

What resources/services are currently available? (Ex.

Agency A provides after-school tutoring only once a week;
Agency B is able to offer only pre-natal and not post-natal
care)

How will funds help these situations? (Ex. Agency A

will offer tutoring 5 days a week, instead of one; Agency B
will be able to provide post-natal care in addition to pre-
natal)
Things come together
Goals and objectives can be determined once you have
assessed your needs.
 A goal is that which you ultimately plan to accomplish.
 An objective is one of the means by which you will achieve a
goal.
EXAMPLE
Goal 1: To provide underserved elementary students in grades 3 through 6 in the
Fort Valley area with after-school math tutoring five days per week. (How will
this be done?)
Objective 1: Hire 5 tutors to work part-time at the Cathedral of Praise Firstborn
Church and Community Center.
Objective 2: Purchase MatLab Simulink software to enhance computer-based
learning for students.
Which funding agency is right for you?
 Federal—Government entities are long on funds
AND rules. Higher page limits for proposals
allow applicants to say all they need to say. Some
agencies have multiple submission periods within
the same year (National Science Foundation,
National Institutes of Health).
 Private—Often these are foundations started
and/or run by wealthy family namesakes
(Rockefeller, Ford, Hearst, DuPont, Kellogg,
MacArthur). Some may also be corporate. Many
private foundations have stricter eligibility rules
and serve only the needs of certain regions,
populations, or endeavors. Proposals must be
tightly focused, as page limits are short
(sometimes, only a letter is allowed). Some
private foundations even have a preliminary
process for determining eligibility.
 Corporate—These are sometimes the separate
charitable arms of large companies (HP,
Microsoft, AT&T, ExxonMobil, Entergy, Lilly,
Verizon). Their submission protocols and
Some examples
Ford Foundation (Private)—requires web-based inquiry form to determine
eligibility
Cellular South Foundation (Corporate)—Requires an Adobe .pdf submission form that
must be sent to agency (6 pages minimized to fit).
 National Endowment for the Humanities (Federal)—Submission must go electronically
to [Link] once documents have been uploaded to .pdf form provided by [Link].
Know thyself!
• Capabilities
What can your organization do? A Eligibility
small organization may not receive
Eligibility can hinge on many
tens of millions in federal funding
factors such as geographic
—but it could possibly get
location, population demographics,
hundreds of thousands or several
the scope of your work, the type of
million. For example, small agency seeking funding, prior
universities often do not have the involvement, and the availability
same research capacities as larger of certain resources. These things
institutions, which may receive can either be assets or stumbling
millions from government and blocks. Agencies seeking funds
corporate funders. Such institutions must determine how well their
often have long-standing ties with profile fits with that of the
scientific, pharmaceutical, and organization providing the funds.
military interests.
 Working together works.
Partnering with a larger
agency can be mutually
beneficial.
Most federal and corporate funders
encourage partnerships among
universities, businesses, school districts
and other entities. It can increase
accountability and maximize the
abilities of the individuals to get the
most out of the money provided. It can
also reduce the need for certain costs,
such as equipment, space and human
resources. In many federal agencies,
another partner can receive a subaward
through the organization which
received the funds.
It bears repeating, working together works.
 Establish a grant-writing team
to help your agency
accomplish more and increase
the chances you will be funded.
 Delegate responsibilities,
which can be especially helpful
for long, involved projects.
 Prepare a timeline of when
duties should be completed.
 Maintain communication with
the team.
 Remain flexible (be ready to
assume another’s duties).
 Meet at regular intervals to
check progress.
An economy of words…

T hough this is subjective, grants typically call for some

degree of restraint. Depending on the agency, you will
have to budget your words. Novelist Elmore Leonard
said it best: “Kill your darlings.” On the other hand,
westeps
 Try these need DETAILS.
to know how much is too much and what’s not enough.
 Use statistics sparingly, as too many numbers may become confusing.
 Know when to be repetitive. If a fact appears on nearly every page, it’s been
overused. If you can’t remember the last time you saw it, reiterate.
 Charts can make short work of long lists (see following slide).
 If a proposal reads like a novel, details may be too many.
 If a proposal doesn’t paint a compelling picture, you need more details.
 Certain things are already quite clear. Some regions are known for certain ills like
illiteracy, obesity and unemployment. Don’t make a big production of describing
these problems point by point.
Charted Territory
When space is at a premium, certain facts and figures can be condensed into
a handy chart. This and other graphics can break up the monotony of the
black ink and white page. The following example came from a submission
dealing with African-American males and fatherhood.

Town Total Pop. as % Afr. 4-year Af.-Am. male Unemployed Marriage licenses
of 2009 American HS Dropout Rate (countywide) issued (2007-2010)
countywide
Black White

Brooksville 1,105 80.4 36.4% (Noxubee 22.0 105 57

County Schools)
Macon 2,678 67.3 22.0
Crawford 632 93.1 38.8% (Lowndes 12.8 *159 341
(Lowndes County Schools)
County)
Sources: [Link]; MS Dept. of Employment Security; MS Dept. of Education; Noxubee County Circuit Clerk;
MS State Dept. of Health; *indicates 2007-2008 information from MSDH, ‘non-white’ likely includes licenses issued
for races other than African Americans
Keeping you informed
Having the right data makes a big
difference.
Mark good web sources as favorites in your
browser.
Clip and save pertinent news articles. They
may soon come in handy.
Good info may come from the oddest places.
Academic and other “go-to” sites are good, but
looking beyond them can be fruitful.
If your agency puts out an annual report
(colleges often do), make use of it.
Maintain good relations with persons who
can provide information.
Your individual state’s web site can provide
more locally-centered information on
population, health issues, school districts and
commerce.
Mining the Web for reputable data
The following is a short list of Websites that provide current
information on issues of health, education, population, justice,
and commerce.
[Link] National [Link] Bureau of [Link] Internal
Center for Education Labor Statistics Revenue Service
Statistics [Link] National [Link]
[Link] Southern Science Foundation g
Regional Education Board [Link] Centers for [Link].c
[Link] Education Disease Control om
Week magazine (some [Link] National [Link]
articles require login) Institutes of Health [Link]
[Link] [Link] [Link]
Chronicle of Higher
[Link] Annie E. [Link]
Education
Casey Foundation
[Link] Pew
Research Center [Link]
Advocates for Youth
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] .org
[Link] U.S. United Health
Census Bureau Foundation
Mind the money
Create a reasonable budget—Though most agencies offer a
maximum of funds for which you can apply, you don’t always
have to go for top dollar. If you receive an award, you may
have to negotiate to a lower figure. In any case, funds should
be tailored to needs. Angling for top dollar can seem greedy.
Involve budget personnel from the start—Provide that
person or division a copy of the program announcement and
gather from them any documents or information that will be
vital to your proposal.
Sketch out what you may need—Whether your project will
require equipment, supplies, personnel, construction or space,
be sure to point this out to your budget person(s). The
announcement will tell you what you are allowed to request.
Minding the money still
Know the numbers—Most universities have: 1. a Fringe
Benefit rate, as decided by the university; 2. an Indirect
Cost Rate provided to them by a federal agency; 3. a
Consultant Fringe rate
Create a budget narrative—This is simply a verbal
explanation of your listed costs. Depending on the
agency, you may or may not need a budget narrative.
For federal concerns—Check the OMB circulars for
what can and cannot be done with federal money
Know matching funds requirements—If the agency to
which you are applying demands matching funds, know if
this must be cash or in-kind (personnel, space, equipment)
Share the love
If it’s possible for others to
benefit, make it known in
your budget and proposal
narrative.
In the case of education grants,
many times, the library or
another department may be able
to benefit from the purchase of
books and other teaching
materials.
Broke, busted, and disgusted
 When grant funds end, your work must continue
(if you wish). We’re talking sustainability (not the
environmental kind). How will you keep the
project going?
See the following example:
Sustainability for the program will come in part from
fundraising projects. Future costs will be able to be absorbed by
the grantee, even as other funding opportunities are sought
through private and federal agencies. Also, by eliciting input
from the wider business and social community through
scholarships, sponsorships and donations, the program has the
use of facilities without charge through existing partnerships
and these in-kind contributions will be used as leverage to
obtain other sustainable funding. Issues currently faced include
the need for additional facilities, transportation for participants,
and equipment for program purposes. As the program grows and
gains prominence in the community, it will be able to increase
its network of partners and provide more services to greater
numbers of people.
Does this thing work?
Evaluation is required to determine the success of your
project. More and more agencies are demanding hard
numbers to see how many are being served, how many are
passing or failing, and how much is being spent. In any case,
you should always be prepared to take corrective action if
necessary.
Examples:
 An agency uses sign-in sheets to keep track of students coming in for
tutoring.
 A project uses pre-tests and post-tests to determine the effectiveness of
certain teaching materials on students’ math grades.
 A program uses surveys to better gauge what participants need.
 Increased funding for a clinic allowed more nurse practitioners to be
hired to provide medical care to greater numbers of remotely located
Tell ‘em about it—Dissemination
Publicizing the results and
benefits of your project is
required by many agencies.
Information about your program
can be shared through
newsletters, quarterly meetings
and conferences. This also allows
pertinent stakeholders to
contribute ideas that will improve
the program.