GRANT WRITING Find the right grant and win the funding!!

Brainstorm resources that may fit your need  Be a part of organizations that keep you informed of opportunities  Discuss programs that have worked in other schools  Attend trade shows that interest you  Research foundations, corporations, professional, and trade associations  Spend the day at other schools  Consider opportunities to help give meaning to current standards

Do your ideas actually match the grant?  Is what you desire what they are asking for?  Can you “tweak” your original idea for the purpose of the grant?  “In language, clarity is everything…”- Confucius  The proposal should state clearly why your program matches the needs of the grant

Do your ideas actually match the grant?  Does the proposal address a well-formulated problem?  Is it an important problem, whose solution will have useful effects?  Is special funding necessary to solve the problem, or to solve it quickly enough, or could it be solved using the normal resources?  Does the proposal explain clearly what work will be done? Does it explain what results are expected and how they will be evaluated? How would it be possible to judge whether the work was successful?  Is there evidence that the proposers know about the work that others have done on the problem?  Jones (n.d.), (Criteria for a good grant proposal).

What may cause you to not win the grant?  It is not clear what the outcome of the research might be, or what would constitute success or failure. If the proposal lacks clarity, it will not be funded.  Clear problem  Great research  Innovative solution  Ways to compare pre-and post grant surveys/ polls  The question being addressed is ill-formed. The committee are looking for evidence of clear thinking both in the formulation of the problem and in the planned attack on it.  It is not clear why the question is worth addressing. The proposal must be well motivated.  The proposal is just a routine application of known techniques.  There is no evidence that the proposers will succeed where others have failed. It is easy enough to write a proposal with an exciting-sounding wish-list of hoped-for achievements, but you must substantiate your goals with solid evidence of why you have a good chance of achieving them. Jones (n.d.),(Criteria for a good grant proposal).

What may cause you to not win the grant?  Problem Statement is not well  defined, documented, or understandable  Objectives are too vague or not measurable  Objectives do not match problem statement(s)  Budget is not substantiated by the narrative items not explained and/or costs for budget items are inaccurate or inflated  Use of jargon, abbreviations, and/or buzzwords that readers may not know  Evaluation lacks details

What may cause you to not win the grant?  A new idea is claimed but insufficient technical details of the idea is given for the committee to be able to judge whether it looks promising.  The proposers seem to be attempting too much for the funding requested and time-scale envisaged.  The proposal is too expensive for the probable gain.  The proposers institution should be funding it. Jones (n.d.), (Criteria for a good grant proposal).

Answer the questions that they ask  What is the goal of the grant money to be awarded?  How does your goal match that of the committee?  Do you have a clear summary of the expected budget? (allow for increases in costs)  What are the content and learning objectives?  How is this solving a problem?  Provide data to prove that there is a need  Your program evaluation must include measureable outcomes. Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Have Creditability....  Use terminology to show that you are knowledgeable in you field  Cite sources for data  Include thorough details of budget  Demonstrate realistic ways to evaluate success  Show ways the program can continue after grant funding  How can others learn from what you have done

Activities and resources should match current pedagogy  Concretely demonstrates progress toward goals.  Creates an urgency for change.  Engages decision makers, in data-driven decision making.  Challenges existing policies, practices, attitudes and mindsets.  Describes problem related outcomes (not methods) of your program (to increase, reduce, etc.)  Measurable and demonstrates effectiveness “Who is doing what, when, how much, and it will be measured by…” Have data that demonstrates a need Demonstrate clearly how the grant will help fulfill goals

Activities and resources should match current pedagogy  Explicitly state your rationale.  Cite the appropriate literature thoroughly.  Include preliminary data.  Provide expected outcomes and interpretations.  You may include a Professional Development training plan.  Specific  Measurable  Attainable  Relevant  Time-bound Write SMART objectives! Demonstrate mastery of subject area Include Objectives

Funding should be realistic  The grant proposal should be persuasive- goals, data, needs, and funding should be aligned.  Contact thorough research of costs and all materials needed  Include all calculations (spreadsheet)  Include a timeline and other funding if appropriate.

Wording should demonstrate higher level thinking  The program will..  Teach to cognitive and affective domains  Cover multiple modalities  Increase intrinsic motivation for learning  Bloom’s Taxonomy of higher level thinking  Problem-based learning  Cross-curricular activities  STEM/ STEAM projects By the teacherFor the student

Have a mentor review your work  Discuss the grant opportunities with those who have a track record of successful funding  Choose a mentor who is committed to you & your career/ educational goals  They should provide constructive feedback  They “play the devil’s advocate”  Having more than one mentor is OK!

Contact a representative from the grant resource if applicable  Ask clarifying questions about the goals of the grant, previously funded projects, what they think of your preliminary ideas….  Make a connection with the person who is part of the grant funding team  The “Reverse Psychology of Likeability” If you do someone a favor, you tend to like that person more as a result.

Check out more resources……

BECHER, J. (2011). DO ME A FAVOR SO YOU'LL LIKE ME: THE REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY OF LIKEABILITY. RETRIEVED FROM HARRIS, T. (N.D.). GRANT WRITING MADE EASY. RETRIEVED FROM NGMADEEASY.PDF WRITING A GOOD GRANT PROPOSAL. RETRIEVED FROM US/UM/PEOPLE/SIMONPJ/PAPERS/PROPOSAL.HTML JONES, S. (N.D.). YOULL-LIKE-ME-THE-REVERSE-PSYCHOLOGY-OF-LIKEABILITY/ MONSTANTO FUND. (N.D). BEST PRACTICES IN GRANT WRITING. RETRIEVED FROM WEBINAR.PDF THE UTAH MODEL. (N.D.). THE USE OF DATA. RETRIEVED FROM ODEL_56_62.PDF References