Grant Writing 101 The Basics

The most important thing to do is . . .

Read the Instructions!

Anatomy of an Application Need Statement Plan of Operation Applicant Capability Budget Evaluation

(or, why do you want my money?) NEED STATEMENT (or, why do you want my money?)

NEED STATEMENT Questions to Answer What is the target population? What are the needs/problems of the target population? What are the causes of the identified needs/problems? What documentation is there to support the existence of the identified needs/problems?

Need Statement - Continued Statistical information to document the extent of the need/problem Only identify the need/problem you intend to address Describe the population affected by the need/problem

Read the Instructions!

(or, what will you do with my money?) PLAN OF OPERATION (or, what will you do with my money?)

PLAN OF OPERATION Questions to Answer What is your solution to the need/problem? How will you approach the solution? What is your plan of action to address the identified need/problem? What are the steps you will take? Who will do what? How long will it take?

Plan of Operation - Continued Explain the project goal and how it would meet the need or solve the problem identified. List specific, measurable objectives that will allow the project to meet its goal. State expected project outcomes and how they would benefit the target population.

Plan of Operation - Continued State the planned activities, methodology, and timetable for accomplishing the planned activities. Explain how the project will be managed. Always tie the objectives back to the identified need/problem.

Read the Instructions!

(or, why should I give you my money?) APPLICANT CAPABILITY (or, why should I give you my money?)

APPLICANT CAPABILITY Questions to Answer Who are you? What is your relationship to the target population? What are your qualifications? What other projects have you accomplished? Who are your partners? What are their qualifications?

Applicant Capability - Continued Describe the organization. Describe any similar projects undertaken. Describe the qualifications of individuals responsible to carry out the project activities. List any facilities, equipment, or resources available to the project and their sources.

Applicant Capability - Continued Describe any partnerships formed to carry out the project. Outline each partner’s contributions and responsibilities. Include Memorandums of Agreement or letters of commitment or letters of support in the appendix.

Applicant Capability - Continued A letter of commitment differs from a letter of support. A letter of commitment includes a commitment of resources to the project. It attaches a value to its commitment. This value is considered an in-kind resource; or, it may be a cash match to the project.

Read the Instructions!

(or, how much of my money do you want?) BUDGET (or, how much of my money do you want?)

BUDGET Questions to Answer What is the total project cost? How much can you commit from other sources? Are the costs reasonable? Are the costs necessary? Are the costs consistent?

Budget - Continued Include a budget narrative as well as a budget form. Itemize the expenses and justify each item. Explain the necessity of each item. Show how the amounts were calculated. Ensure all costs are allowable under the funder’s guidelines.

Read the Instructions!

EVALUATION (or, how will I know that you used my money for what you said you would?)

EVALUATION Questions to Answer What are the expected outcomes of the project? How will the project be evaluated? Who will perform the evaluation? What are their qualifications? How will the project be continued after the grant expires?

Evaluation - Continued The evaluation should measure accomplishment of the stated project goals and objectives. The measurements should be quantitative. Describe how the data used in the evaluation will be collected.

Read the Instructions!

Demographic Information http://www.census.gov/ http://www.schoolreportcard.org/ http://www.bls.gov/home.htm http://www.dataplace.org/ http://www.statehealthfactsonline.org/ http://www.kidscount.org

Partnerships Involve as many diverse groups as practical. You need to show that your proposed project has the support of those it affects. You need to show that you have considered the need/problem from many different angles. You need to show that you have considered all available resources.

Partnerships Local Government Business Groups Community Groups Education Agencies Faith-based Groups Clubs/Organizations Community Members

What You Can Do Now Solidify partnerships Gather demographic data Update resumes Write-up of Organization Identify available resources

Helpful Web Sites http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/index.html http://www.foundations.org/ http://forms.psc.gov/

Good Luck! And Good Writing!

Director, Grants & Compliance Presented By: Kim Kaniatobe Carroll Director, Grants & Compliance Career Services Cherokee Nation Kim-carroll@cherokee.org