MYTHS OF GRANT WRITING

MYTH Number One: There is no money available.

Truth:  Great sums of money  Individuals, institutions, agencies as desperate to give as you are to receive

Truth:  Individuals  Small institutions  Small businesses, schools, hospitals  Small governments

Truth:  Philanthropic giving up 8%  Federal funding up 26% over 7 years  State funding doubled  Competition greater!

Myth Number Two: The money that is available goes to big, prestigious institutions and agencies; not to individuals, small institutions, and small agencies.

Mabee Foundation  2002 = $6 million/$10 million to small organizations and schools NSF  2002 = over 500 fellowships to individuals

Truth:  Local corporations and agencies favor proposals from local residents  Purposely seek out individuals and small institutions  Success (not size) begets success—focus on strengths

Truth:  It is a focus of almost all agencies to serve the underserved  Underserved = –Women in science and math –Minority groups (especially American Indians, African Americans, Hispanics) –Small colleges –Rural schools and communities –Isolated colleges –First generation college students –Poor

Truth:  Faith-based groups are respected for successes, strength of contributions and quality of participation

Myth Number Three: Successful grant writing requires connections, and I don’t have any.

Truth:  Friends in funding agency  Proposal reader for major funding agency  Follow guidelines and meet expectations  Rating form

Truth:  Friends in the legislature  Friends at the Regents  Collaborations and partnerships

Myth Number Four: I don’t have time to write grants.

Truth:  Everyone has same number of hours.  You have time for the things you value.  Make appointments for writing.  Write even if the deadline is too close—next cycle you will be ready, gain from reviews.

Truth:  Write about your passion and profound interests  Take all the time you need – willingly miss the deadline – and you will be read next time

Myth Number Five: Getting funded just requires preparing a grant proposal and luck does the rest.

Truth:  Quality is the most important  Your job is to convince the readers that your project will do a better job of meeting the funder’s goals than all the competitors  Follow the guidelines

Myth Number Six: Meeting the deadline is everything.

Truth:  Write about your passion and profound interests  Take all the time you need – quality is mandatory. Willingly miss the deadline – and you will be ready next time

Myth Number Seven: Collaboration will spread out the workload and reduce the time required to succeed.

Truth:  Collaboration takes more time.  Collaboration forces the writer to lose control.  Writing is distinctly individualistic, but collaborating takes time to share, plan, review, negotiate….. Add more time to a collaborative project!

Myth Number Eight: The grants are awarded to those applicants who have the greatest needs.

Truth:  Grants are awarded to the best use of the money to meet the funder’s goals.  Grants are awarded for strengths and skills.  Some agencies ignore need totally and focus only on quality.

Truth:  Grants are awarded to known providers.  Grants are awarded to successful applicants.  Corporations fund in their shadow.  Grants are awarded to friends and colleagues of colleagues.

Truth:  OneNet is the best connective technology of all 50 states. It will help disseminate results and enhance projects.

Myth Number Nine: Community Colleges are not research institutions, so they will not be funded.

Truth:  Projects, training, education reform, student services, community service  Collaborations with research institutions  Undergraduate research  Research improves teaching better than anything else

Myth Number Ten: Getting funded is where it’s at!

Truth:  Writing is valuable in and of itself  Develops knowledge  Research improves teaching better than anything else  Writing should be externally rewarded

RECAP OF MAJOR IDEAS  Money is always available  Goal – produce proposals that convince  Use connections—make connections— convince—rating form  Plenty of time is available  Passion + deadline + well written proposal

RECAP OF MAJOR IDEAS  Quality and strengths—convince  Collaboration takes more time  Best use of funder’s money  Research + programs, training, education reform, community service  Research and writing improves teaching better than anything!

Attitude is everything!  Internal locus of control  Belief in yourself  Grant writing is about POWER—we write grants because they empower us to do things we otherwise could not do.  Myths created by non-writers.

Attitude is everything! Cast away the myths that defeat many.