Grants and Proposal Writing Michelle Eberle Consumer Health Information Coordinator NN/LM NER May 2009

Agenda Common Mistakes The Lingo Types of grants and funding opportunities Basic elements of the proposal The Budget Proposals for foundation funding Q & A

Why?

Common Mistakes

Poor writing Inaccurate costs Typos Budget ≠ Narrative Vague objectives Last minute writing Assuming reviewers are experts in field Buzzwords Ignoring instructions Idea ≠ Grant purpose

The “Lingo” RFP: request for proposals RFA: request for applications PA: program announcement Application Letter of intent Call for participation Principal investigator

Types of Grants and Funding NN/LM Funding – –Government Grants –Grants.gov –Institute of Museum and Library Services –National Library of Medicine Other Organizations –Library Grants blog: –Foundation Center:

Grant Publications Grants for Libraries Grants for Libraries and Information Services National Guide to Funding for Libraries & Information Services Fundraising for Libraries: 25 Proven Ways to Get More Money for Your Library

NN/LM New England Region Health Information Outreach Subcontracts

NNLM-NER Health Information Outreach Subcontracts Formal Proposal months Up to $25,000

NNLM-NER Subcontracts RFP annually in Fall Contact Associate Director with intent Develop relationships with collaborators Research and write proposal Get letters of support Submit proposal

Technical evaluation criteria Scoring Identification of need, geographic area, description of target group (35 points) Methodology/ technical approach (35 point) Experience and facilities of the respondent and supporting documentation (30 points)

Review of subcontracts Review by Outreach Review Committee Review by National Network Office Funding is determined

Yale/New Haven Public Library Consumer Health Information Center

University of Vermont Vermont Cooperative Consumer Health Information Project

Tufts University Health Sciences Library Selected Patient Information Resources in Asian Languages (SPIRAL)

Rhode Island Multitype Library Outreach for Health Information

Massachusetts General Hospital Access to Resources for Consumer Health (ARCH)

JSI Center for Environmental Health Studies: Informed Communities Environmental Health Initiative

Franklin Community Health Network Medical Library Outreach Project

Northern New Hampshire Health Information Outreach Project Littleton Regional Hospital

NN/LM New England Region Outreach and Community Engagement

NNLM-NER Express Outreach Outreach Community Engagement Smaller in scope than subcontract Short term (12 months or less) Maximum funding: $10,000

NN/LM NER Express Outreach Outreach Community Engagement Application requirements –Brief proposal with detailed budget –Must include goals, objectives, description of collaborators, intended outcomes and evaluation plan

Holyoke Consumer Health Library

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Kids to College

Healthy Choices (Stamford Hospital, CT)

NNLM-NER Express Outreach Course Development Proposal instructions: Cover sheet, brief proposal with description of intended audience and need for the course; statement describing each module; goals; outline of plans; CVs of personnel; detailed budget with narrative justification Allowable expenses: Personnel; supplies; material production (video, workbooks, handouts); communications; facility rental; equipment or software needed to develop / teach the course Maximum funding: $10,000

World Education Health literacy tutorial

NNLM-NER Express Outreach Exhibits and Promotion of Health Information Services Proposal instructions: Cover sheet; name and description of venue; dates, location and estimated attendance; rationale for selecting the group; CVs of exhibit staff; budget and narrative justification Allowable expenses: Registration, travel, publicity, booth rental, shipping, electricity and phone lines; equipment rental Maximum award: $2,000

Exhibit Award Lowell General Hospital (Lowell, MA) for the Massachusetts Health Sciences Library Network (MAHSLIN) Public Service Announcement to Promote Medical Libraries World Education (Boston, MA) Exhibit at the National Conference on Family Literacy

NN/LM Technology Awareness Program Award Proposal instructions: Goals and objectives; rationale for plan; detailed outline; audience and geographic area; numbers of participants; date and event; promotional plan; evaluation plan; personnel; facility/resources Allowable expenses: Honoraria and travel, publicity, equipment rental, videotaping of the program; communication; phone lines for demos; facility rental; electricity Maximum funding: $10,000

Technology Awareness Award Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) for the Massachusetts Health Sciences Library Network (MAHSLIN) MASHLIN Technology Day Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) for the Massachusetts Health Sciences Library Network (MAHSLIN) New Models of Medicine in the Electronic Age: From Practice to Publishing North Country Health Consortium and New Hampshire AHEC Telehealth New Hampshire (June 14-15, 2004) University of Connecticut Health Sciences Library (Farmington, CT) Consumer Health Conference, Networking & Technology

Other NER awards Electronic Document Delivery Internet Connectivity Visiting library

The Proposal

Getting Started Start early Be clear about your reasons Have a plan: don’t “chase the money” Form a working group Review the RFP written guidelines Submit a Letter of Intent –Letter is not binding –Provide: Name, Institution, Date Pay attention to any deadlines Contact us if you need any assistance

Before the Proposal Gather background information on the need to be addressed Identify project needs – Staffing – Equipment – Supplies Sketch a rough draft of the budget Determine who will write the proposal

Tips on Writing Make a cohesive argument Always remember your plan Avoid excessive jargon Think of the reviewer – No unnecessary information Revise Have someone else read the proposal Edit Show your enthusiasm, belief in the project

Sections of the Proposal Plan Need Evaluate Method Summary Budget

Summary Statement Starts with a summary of the proposal. Answer: who, what, how, how much Why is there a need? What are you going to do to solve this need? Also known as an executive summary

Population/Geographic Area Identify target group Identify geographic area Use background data (examples, statistics) Be as specific as possible: –Demographics –Socioeconomic data –Census information- Populations Statement of need – We are so needy/poor that…

Identification of Need How do you know there is a need? Research your/other organizations’ efforts –What is being done currently? Did it work? –What has been done in the past? How will your project be different? How will the project address that need?

Goal and Objectives What do you want to accomplish? List goal and objectives to reach goal –Goal: Increase teenagers’ use of MedlinePlus –Objectives: Publicize MedlinePlus in Winston High School newspaper Conduct MedlinePlus presentations at Winston High School Conduct MedlinePlus training classes at Paco Public Library targeting teenagers Use action words: increase, reduce, expand

Methodology / Approach Provide rationale for the stated objectives and plan of work for achieving them Include any experience with methodology, areas of anticipated difficulties or unusual circumstances Schedule/ timeline: Provide an activity based timeline corresponding to objectives

Publicity / Promotion What is your plan for publicity? Publications, flyers, newspaper, radio? Web site? Exhibiting? Tagging on to existing programming?

Personnel Identify all project personnel Include a narrative summary of qualifications as they relate to the statement of work and project responsibilities Evidence of the project prinicipal’s ability to handle a project of similar scope

Establish Baseline Data How will you determine “starting point”? Baseline data allows you to determine success or failure of the project Does not need to be completed prior to submission of proposal Baseline questionnaire –e.g. "What websites do you use to find health information?”

Facilities/Institutional Support Describe the organization/institution What makes your organization unique? Describe services or facilities Detail any support provided by partner organizations, library, university etc. Any other source of funding Letters of support

Evaluation Must be measurable and quantifiable Use baseline data Evaluate each goal and objective Outreach and Evaluation Research Center (OERC) –Measuring the Difference –Planning and Evaluating Health Information Outreach Projects

Continuation of Activities Will the project be continued after period of funding ends? –Indicates recipient’s belief in the project What will be done with the information gathered during the project? Important to foundations, non-profit organizations, private funders

The Budget

Step 1 Contact Grants or Accounting office in your institution for Indirect Cost Rate (IDC) Indirect Cost: Costs not readily identifiable with a particular cost objective, but necessary to the operation of the institution to conduct the activities it performs Not all awards will permit Indirect Costs

The Budget (cont.) Step 2 Highlight each item in the narrative that will appear in the budget –Tip: Conversely, every item that appears in the budget must be described in the narrative Break down each item into parts; be intuitive Equipment$1000 Equipment Dell computer Model #$900 Remote Mouse$100  

The Budget (cont.) Step 3 Ensure that the RFP allows for funding of the items included in your narrative –Tip: If you include items not listed in the budget section of the RFP, contact the funding institution to discuss! They want to hear from you!

The Budget (cont.) Step 4 In – kind contributions or waived fees must be stated or discussed in the proposal –Tip: Be as explicit as possible in all descriptions in the narrative. Reviewers are not as familiar with your concepts or environment as you are.

The Budget (cont.) Step 5 Specifications Quotes Hourly Rates Salary breakdowns Travel –Miles per gallon –Per diem

The Budget (cont.) Step 6 Is your budget realistic? –Tip: Consider the period of performance of the project, in relation to the amount of recurring expenditures, e.g. reproduction, supplies, communication, travel Don’t cut yourself short

The Budget (cont.) Step 7 Ensure that your figures add up correctly Ensure that your proposed budget does not surpass the total funding amount –Indirect Costs + Direct Costs = Total

Putting it Together: Title: Make it descriptive, not clever Include a table of contents Do not bind the proposal Appendices: – Charts, graphs – Evaluation form – CV from every staff member – Any letters of support

Exercise: Program Planning

Private Grants Proposals should be only 5-7 pages in length Proposal: – Cover letter – Executive Summary – Statement of Need – Project Description – Budget – Organization Information – Conclusion Letter of application may be required

Final Thoughts Plan, Plan, Plan Apply Early –Applications make take 9 months to go through the process Follow directions!! Learn from rejection Resubmit

Remember: It all Starts with an Idea

QUESTIONS? Michelle Eberle Consumer Health Information Coordinator National Network of Libraries of Medicine New England Region