1. Grant Writing Key Grant Elements Presenter: Savan Wilson, Ph.D.
Welcome! We have a record number of non-profits attending this year and many are here for the first time.
We thought it might be helpful to talk in general about grant writing as many of you may be about to write your first large grant. It can be very frustrating, but every grant has basically the same components.
These presentations are being taped and will be available within a week on our website. This presentation will also be available in slide form with my notes.
Presenter: Savan Wilson, Ph.D.
(Select View- Notes Page to see speaker notes)
2017 Nonprofit Grant Workshop

2. Key Grant Elements
Introduction – Showing credible organizational leadership
Problem Statement/Project Summary– Stating the purpose and need
Project Objectives – Goals and desired outcomes
Program Methods and Program Design – A plan of action
Evaluation – Program and Process Analysis
Budget – Provide a strong and accurate budget proposal
My goal today is to discuss the 6 key elements in writing a grant providing some tips along the way. Today, I want to emphasize two crucial elements: Leadership and the Grant Budget. These are the two areas that can cause the most problems for you and for the reviewers of your grant.
In a typical grant, You would follow the basic elements in this order. In an on-line grant, the questions may seem out of order as you are responding to listed questions. It is helpful to print questions out and maybe answer them out of order as you may change answers in earlier questions as you work through the grant. I usually write the summary question LAST.
Initially, do not limit your answers – get it all down and go from there.

3. Showing Credible Organizational Leadership
Establish credibility
Years in existence – demonstrate history of success
Current projects and activities
Establish adequate accounting practices and systems
Organization
Clear mission
Strengths/expertise of team members
Financial stability and adequate resources to manage grant
Leadership
Who will lead project?
Possible collaboration/partnerships
Staffing/ active Board of Directors
Inform major stakeholders and include them in process
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Leadership is an important area in our review of projects. Does this project fit the organization’s overall mission? Will it be a high priority?.
Reflect planning, research, and vision when writing the grant and after.
Organizationally, how does this project fit in with your current organizational goals or are you just wanting a grant of this size?
What staff or facilities do you have uniquely suited to this project?
A large grant can transform an organization. Are you ready for the next level? Can you implement what you are saying? Partnerships and collaborative projects can help implement a program that is larger than you can do alone.
Inform your board early on and get their input
If you are involving another organization or institution, be sure they know about it and have buy in....allow time for this
If your long-term director leaves, will the grant fall apart?
I know an organization that had a small grant $14, A new director came in, knew little about the grant and let it slide as it was not his priority....causing many problems with the funding. Are there any litigation issues or other issues that may impact your organization?

4. Problem Statement/Project Summary Stating the purpose and need
Why is this project necessary?
Compelling program or emerging need that exists and must be addressed
Realistic, important, and unique
Individual impact of project
Use local statistics – number of people receiving
What makes this problem relevant within your community?
Understand every aspect of the problem
A Summary usually touches on each proposal element in brief. Why is this project is important and what difference will it make. What is the lasting impact?
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Ideally, the summary must “sell” the credibility of the grant seeking organization -show your key strengths and communicate how a need can be accomplished and sustained. Communicate that the organization is financially secure, efficiently managed, and provides valuable services to its target groups
Avoid trying to address every single need or problem of the organization
Do not exaggerate – use statistics when possible Focus on the geographic area you are able to serve. Use national statistics only if you are comparing them to local ones
Do not try to accomplish the impossible
The summary in question #11 has 1800 characters and is a good bit of information and your summary can provide the problem statement as well as shorter restatements from other questions for emphasis.
Write your summary last. If you are estimating costs, take time to be sure you are realistic.....buildings, leases, cost of remodeling.

5. The Need Statement serves as the foundation for your entire proposal.
Why did you select this project?
TIP
State your Need
Our students need computers
Ask Why?
Restate the Need….
Our students need computers because they need to learn word processing.
Ask Why?
Restate the Need….
Our students need to be able to edit and revise their work.
Ask Why?
Restate the Need….
Our students need to be able to communicate clearly.
TIP – if there is a “thing” in your need statement or project need, you are going the wrong way. Computers are a thing…
Look for the WHY.
Prove you have a significant need or problem in your proposal.
Deliver an answer to the need or solution to the prolem, based on experience, ability. logic and imagination.
Who will benefit and how.? Number of people directly benefiting from the project is very important. Others may receive an indirect benefit. What is the impact of project on individual recepient?
Continue until you reach your fundamental need.

6. Project Objectives – Goals and desired outcomes
Your project should show a likelihood of implementation success.
The need establishes the problem you are trying to solve.
Goals describe the outcome of the project.
Just take the needs statement and rewrite into outcomes or objectives.
Objectives should be SMART
Specific
Measureable
Attainable and Realistic
Timely
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Setting clear goals and objectives legitimizes your project and provides you with a solid vision for what you seek to accomplish.
A goal is general and summarizes more speific objectives or an overall desired outcome for a projet. It is bigger in impact than an objective and has no clear time frame.
Objectives - not goals - are what you really measure to determine the direction and success of a project.
Project goals provide elaboration of the project goal by dividing it into a series of desired outcomes.
S.M.A.R.T.
May include other organization collaborating or partners…and relationship to common goals and desired outcomes.
The goals and objectives show how your organization can implement the plan.

7. Program Methods and Program Design - A plan of action
Proposed methods/activities to bring about desired results.
Restatement of problems and objectives.
Include a time-line of when activities will be done.
Define the roles that other organizations and individuals will play.
Make sure your methods are realistic.
Who, What, When, and Why
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This area is where you detail the specific activities that will take place during the course of the project period.
Describe in a rational, direct chronological description the steps that will accomplish your objectives, who will do it, impact of your proposed activities, and a time frame for each.
Why are you doing these activities…
What
Who
When
Why

8. Evaluation – Program and Process Analysis
Did you meet your objectives?
Information and indicators. Did you achieve your objectives? Track information and continually collect results.
Many grants require a final report.
How and when will you collect information that you can use to show results.
Will indicate if you should continue, scale back, change, expand, or whatever.
Evaluations are not about passing or failing but what you can learn about them.
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Did your program work as well as you thought?
Were there things you would change- successes you did not expect? Failures? Problems?
What information will you need to know in a final report?
- you need to track objectives and collect information throughout the project.
The evaluation will indicate how to continue the program, expand it, share it with others, scale it back, even drop it for another direction.
Evaluations should be shared with any stakeholders and your Board and clients.
Evaluation is not about passing or failing – it is about learning what works and what is a problem.

9. Budget – Provide a strong and accurate budget proposal
Two Basic Approaches
Design your program to match what one grant source has available. Starting with the amount available.
Design your program for an ideal world and go after all that you need from multiple grant sources. Phases
A budget is a financial plan.
Design a specific and accurate project budget.
Match your budget closely with program needs and objectives.
Follow budget directions or the template exactly.
Identify all costs that are appropriate and reasonable.
Establish adequate accounting systems.
Document every expenditure.
Almost all grants require financial progress reports.
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Sometimes, you may hear about a grant and then try to develop a program that matches the grant amount. This can be difficult if you have not done your homework on the needs of your organization and are just writing for the “grants” sake….
Many organizations have a mission, have a long track record of success in providing services of some sort, or are a new non-profit meeting a community need. Both are constantly planning for the future needs to expand services and when a grant comes available that matches their requirements, they are ready to write a solid grant.
The budget is one of the most important elements in your grant.
Does the budget clearly and accurately detail the use of funds?
If your budget calls for additional funding – is there a reasonable plan for acquiring them?
Is the project budget reasonable and appropriate?
When awarded - call a meeting of staff and others and review the grant to be sure everyone has a common understanding of what must be done.

10. Check your math – twice. All estimates/quotes up-to-date.
When possible, show financial support from organization either in in-kind dollars or funding from other organizations.
If other funding sources are required to finish the project is there a reasonable plan for acquiring them?
Do the audit reports and organizational balance sheet show the organization is financially sound and sustainable?
Check your math – twice. All estimates/quotes up-to-date.
Your budget must match your narrative. List nothing in the budget that is not described and justified in the narrative.
The proposed budget shows the funder how your organization’s money and the funder’s money will be used together to fund the project.
Your financial information will give the funder needed insight into the overall expenses of your organization.
After getting the grant, it is a good idea to keep the grant funds separate by coding differently. Support every expenditure with adequate documentation.
Story….check for a tourism project....had to show the cancelled check used to pay for printing an item for distribution. Found the bill had been paid from another organization account. Required explanation.

11. Budget Bloopers Ensure project budget adds up correctly
Can an organization that doesn’t submit a balanced budget proposal manage the grant amount?
Ensure narrative and budget match
Is an item not mentioned in both?
Due diligence in developing a realistic budget
Are budget items priced much lower or higher without supporting documentation?
Remember to include your in-kind resources
Are there any donated services and products that will support the project and stretch the grant dollars?
Reviewers look for reasonable costs needed to complete the work described.
Significant over or under estimating suggests you may not understand the scope of the project.
The project budget is not specific or accurate.

12. Deborah will explain the budget in more detail
Deborah will explain the budget in more detail. I am going to talk about this type of online budget.
We are looking for exact, realistic information on your budget. If our funding happens to take you the ”last mile” of the project or provides one piece of a larger project, we will want to know our portion amount and how it will be used in the total impact of the grant.
Does the narration and the budget match?
an example that I am making up - You may have asked for 4 freezers for a Soup Kitchen in the area, but only put 2 freezers in your budget.
Be sure every word in your proposal is reflected in your budget….and also in your goals and objectives and activities.
Show current quotes or costs of items. These can change when purchased, but should be in the ball park. Justify expenditures.

13. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.
Helen Keller
Thank you for your time today and best of luck in your future grant writing.