Writing A Grant—From Start To Finish Workshop 2: Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Educational Resource Development & LCC Foundation March 27, 2018

Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Using a SWOT Analysis Not included in this presentation--add to the next presentation Strengths Put into quadrant table (internal) Weaknesses Opportunities (external) Threats

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Last week we discussed: Educational Resource Development and LCC Foundation overview What grants are (and aren’t) Types of grant funders Researching potential funders Project planning Other resources LCC’s Educational Resource Development (ERD) and LCC Foundation LCC and LCC Foundation application process Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea This week we’ll explore The how’s and why’s of developing a grant-ready project: Developing your project idea Preparing the case for support Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Successful grant proposals Address a significant issue for both the applicant and the funder (defines the project’s goal) Show an innovative and well supported approach to addressing that issue Describe reasonable and measureable objectives, and a detailed work plan to achieve them Include a plan to evaluate the project’s success Include a clear and accurate budget & budget narrative Assure the funder that the applicant is capable of success Demonstrate that you are working in partnership with other organizations that have similar programs. Don’t compete with them. So how do you get started? Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Generate a project idea Brainstorm ideas questions Use mind maps Freewrite Conduct research Generate lists Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Using Mind Maps Mind maps can be a very effective fist step in developing a project idea. Through individual or group brainstorming, mind maps can help you generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea More on generating project ideas Mind map templates https://www.pinterest.com/explore/mind-map- Template Quick Tips: Brainstorming Techniques https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bNvs_qElIw More Brainstorming techniques http://dudye.com/5-effective-brainstorming-exercises Brainstorming with questions https://www.fastcodesign.com/3060573/how-brainstorming- questions-not-ideas-sparks-creativity Freewriting http://www.lirvin.net/WGuides/freew.htm Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Innovate by Adapting A project idea can be generated from— and should be supported by: A tested idea adapted for your project A theoretical or research construct that needs testing Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Once you’ve identified your project idea (1) Identify project goals Project goal(s): Concretely describe the project’s long-term impact and effects Are not measurable The project will contribute to… The project will achieve… The project will enable… Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Once you’ve identified your project goals (2) Identify project objectives Can also be used as project outcomes Project objectives: State the project’s desired end results to achieve its goal(s) Are S.M.A.R.T. -- (s)pecific, (m)easurable, (a)ttainable, (r)ealistic, and (t)ime-bound The project will expand LCC’s food pantry to provide food, toiletries, and job interview clothing to at least 200 students per year Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Once you’ve identified your project objectives (3) Begin to list project activities Activities are the specific actions taken to achieve project objectives Can be used to create the project timeline Receive college approval to expand food pantry (by ..) Work with physical plant to design the expanded pantry (by ..) Survey students to identify high priority needs (by ..) Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Cultivate Buy-In and Commitment To fully develop a project idea, you need buy-in and commitment from LCC (to proceed) and potential internal and/or external partners (to participate) Buy-in is accepting an idea and being willing to explore it Commitment is more emotional; both head and heart want to support or join something Both are needed for a project to succeed Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Writing the Case for Support (case statement) Writing a Case for Support is a strategic next step in developing a project idea that will clearly meet the defined needs of project participants and the organization It will also provide baseline information for writing a grant proposal Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Case for Support basics Use a Case for Support template to build on your project idea, using: Baseline planning: Project need Background information Supporting documentation Other relevant information, including evaluation Project partners Project budget (expenses and income) Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Starting the Case for Support What ideas/information do you already have from your project idea What do you need to collect? (Create a list) How will you collect it? If working in a small group or partnership, who will collect what information? If working on your own, how will you gather information? Create a timeline and set a date for completion Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea How might you use a Case for Support? A complete and current Case for Support can be quickly adapted to meet a specific funder’s interests and requirements It can also be used for Departmental planning, in outreach materials, on your website, and by LCC marketing A completed Case for Support should be reviewed and updated regularly Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

To develop a strong Case for Support Helpful tip: To develop a strong Case for Support Stay grounded in reality Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea This week’s to-do’s Continue to develop your project idea If you have an idea in place, consider goals, objectives, activities Note questions that surface Coming up next week: More on case statements Planning tools Pulling it all together Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea

Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea Contact ERD and the LCC Foundation: ERD Jeanne Donado, Grant Development Coordinator ext. 1307 Vivian Keeney, Grant System Coordinator ext. 1581 LCC Foundation Dan McKean, Executive Director, ext. 1987 Retta Parsons, Scholarship and Operations Coordinator, ext. 1989 Developing Your Grant Proposal Idea