1. Untapped Resources: Finding and applying for grant funding
Presented by Stephanie Lezotte, Director
Office of Sponsored Programs at Rowan University

2. what is a grant? What is a grant?
Sum of money given by an organization used for a particular purpose. It does not have to be repaid but certain deliverables might be requested (i.e. a report).
Is a grant different than a philanthropic gift/donation?
A gift is similar to a grant, except the regulations for using/spending the funds are less specific. Fewer, if any, deliverables are required.
My school already gets grant funding. Why can’t I just use some of that?
Grant funding is fully allocated-a detailed budget is submitted with the grant application and must be followed. Therefore, if you would like to do a project that your school cannot fund, you might need external financial support.

3. Why would I apply for a grant?
To research a specific problem and find a potential solution(s).
Includes small-scale (class/school/district specific) and large-scale (state/national level with generalizable and replicable results).
To fund or expand a project you are currently working on in your school or community.
To fund an idea for a project you wish to implement.
To acquire materials, supplies, or equipment (i.e. accessible passenger van, JAWS screen reading software, customized playground equipment).
To continue a program for which your district has cut funding (art class, music camp, field trip).

4. Examples of Problems and Programs Are they fundable? (see article)
Is My Idea Fundable?
Examples of Problems and Programs Are they fundable? (see article)

5. 2012 Funding Trends and Outlook
Foundations awarded $52B, surpassing previous records totals are estimated to be $54.7B
Foundations awarded 22% of funds to Health, 22% to Education, and 16% to Human Services
Economically disadvantaged populations benefited from the largest share of foundation grant dollars (31%). Children and youth were second (20%)
The FY16 U.S. Dept of Ed budget request is $215.7B

6. Who can apply for grants?
Who is eligible to apply for grants? Depends on sponsor guidelines:
A school or university
A nonprofit group--registered 501(c)(3)
Industry
Individuals (scholarships, fellowships, awards)
Add’l opportunities may apply to: minorities, field minorities (i.e. women in physics or men in home ec) historically disadvantaged populations, disabled, religious and ethnic affiliations etc.
Rules and regulations vary by sponsor. Typically institutions have someone in their central administration office who must approve a grant application. You might even have a grants manager who can help you.
Never submit a grant application without checking with your institutional administrators first.

7. Where can I apply?
Government: Large-scale projects that involve multiple institutions, experienced investigators, polished programs and proven methods. Also fund prestigious fellowships and career development programs.
Top government funders of education projects:
Institute of Education Sciences (National Center for Special Education Research)
U.S. Department of Education
National Science Foundation
Could receive government funds as part of a larger project that another institution is heading or you could receive subaward funds from another institution’s proposal.

8. Where can I apply?
Foundations: Smaller or mid-sized projects that address a foundation’s priority areas (i.e. obesity, bullying, education, literacy).
Example of support: The Build-A-Bear Foundation supports literacy and educational programs in New Jersey.

9. Where can I apply?
Corporations: Smaller or mid-sized projects that could be local, regional, or national in scale. Remember corporations have their own funding motives: to train future employees, promote their products, promote public awareness, assisting employees. Grants could consist of cash, products, manpower, or in-kind matches (i.e. use of facilities, etc.)
Example of support: Crayola provides cash and donations to enhance education opportunities at all levels with a strong emphasis on special needs initiatives (cash donations limited to Lehigh Valley area, including Phillipsburg, NJ).

10. Where do I find grant opportunities?
Guidestar.org is a free resource that provides Foundation information, including their recently awarded grants.
Corporations and Foundation Websites: Look for links concerning Giving, Community, Philanthropy, Donations, etc. Often corporate websites provide these sections under the “About Us” menu.
All government grant announcements are found at
NJ posts their open competitions at:

11. Proactively seek funding
Review past RFP’s and awards:
1) Check sponsor’s webpage. Check 990s for recent awards.
2) Ask the awardee.
3) Utilize the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with federal funders and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) with NJ State funders.
Develop a relationship with the Program Officer. You might be directed toward a more relevant program or be discouraged from submitting a proposal.
Discover funding opportunities before they’re announced. Use your network to learn about programs that are in the pipeline and begin assembling your proposal early.

12. When would I apply? Consider your timeline:
Goal: Implement a series of activities for Black History Month.
Give the sponsor a 6-9 month review period (more or less if stated).
Give yourself 2 months to write the proposal.
In this case, aim to submit in the summer; begin writing your proposal in late spring. Some grant deadlines are only offered once/twice per year.
I never submitted a grant application before. Will that hurt my chances of receiving an award?
Not if you have a strong proposal and the credentials to back it up. Some sponsors even have “new investigator” programs and incentives.

13. How do I apply? After you find a funding opportunity:
Qualify your project. Know what you seek to fund, how much you are seeking and strength/viability of project getting funded. Know your competition/other similar projects. Seek funding for projects; DO NOT seek a project for available funding.
Review program guidelines to determine whether your project meets the following in order to justify time spent:
Eligibility restrictions
Time Frame
Appropriateness
Institutional Support
Funding level fit
Likelihood of Success
Can you feasibly do the work you propose? A grant award letter is a legal commitment that your institution must sign!

14. How do I create a strong proposal?
The proposal meets all guideline requirements-that is, you are eligible to apply and the proposal follows all instructions given by the funder for content, page count, format, word count and so on.
The proposal answers all the questions that the reviewer needs to make an informed and intelligent decision, and does this clearly and concisely.
The proposal shows the funder that by supporting this request, the funder can further its own purpose and interest as a grant-maker.
Must show a sincere interest in solving the problem. You must convey that you are doing the project for the right reasons. Also, be sure to demonstrate confidence that your organization/group can do the job.
Presentation is everything. Make the proposal easy to read. Complexity will not win you funding nor will use of buzzwords and jargon without substance. The power of your ideas and your organization’s qualifications to carry out the work will win the award. Be precise and concise. PROOFREAD and always have another person proof and critique your drafts.

15. Typical proposal structure
Project Title
Project Background/History
Current Need
Constituency Served
Project Goals/Objectives
Method to Accomplish Goals
Anticipated Outcomes/Deliverables
Evaluation
Budget and Budget Justification

16. What do Grant reviewers look for?
*Ask the Program Officer*
Completeness and thoroughness.
Ways to further funder’s own purpose and interest.
Organizational capabilities. If you can’t do it all, partner with someone who can help.
Sustainability.
Presentation.
The “Wow!” factor. What will the sponsor lose by NOT funding you?

17. Common Grant writing mistakes
Isn’t clear what differentiates the idea from previous projects.
Project is too ambitious.
Sent to the wrong program/not a priority topic.
Collaborations not used wisely.
Did not completely respond to the RFP.
Quality of writing is poor.
Giving up - Finding funding takes time. Ignore fear of rejection and don’t take it personally. Be prepared to revise and resubmit.

18. How Else can I get project funding?
Partner with an area community college and develop a college preparation program together.
Partner with area elementary/secondary/high schools schools to develop a program that better aligns district curriculum.
Join (or start!) a consortium.
Inquire if a university currently provides teacher development and is looking for future participants (Rowan has several programs: Math and Science Partnership; Articulation of Content, Expectations, and Standards in Math and Science; Improving Partnerships and Active Collaboration for Teaching; Garden State Partnership for Teach Quality).
Partner with an established researcher to do a portion of work that contributes to the overall project goals.

19. resources Searching for Funding Opportunities: www.guidestar.org
Grant Writing: