1. What is a grant?
Ask audience what a grant is or means to them, how many have applied to grants (successful or not?), CBT grant? others? What do they want to learn today?

2. Life Cycle of a Grant  Advertisement/Outreach – 3 months
With exception of grants designated as rolling
 Online Grant Application Process with firm deadline
 Review by Technical Committee
Outside experts
 Awards announced (~2 months after deadline)
 Signed award letter and contingencies trigger the check (large grants phased, but most $ up front)
Other contingencies? Status Reports? (Often tied to status reports/funding
Eligible for funding for work completed after award letter is signed
 Final Report
Timeline varies; 2-3 years after award for restoration projects

3. Getting Started: Key Questions
 Who
Nonprofit, Government Agency, School, Home Owner Association, etc.
 Where
Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, County Specific, City Specific
 When
Rolling, deadlines, pre-approved meetings or site visits
 Funding Timeline
 Level of Funding
 Funding Restrictions
No fundraising, mitigation, lobbying/political advocacy, reimbursements, promotional items

4. Consider the Reviewers
Reviewers are:
Informed strangers
Make their job easier:
Well organized, clearly written application
Avoid things that confuse reviewers:
Not following instructions
exceeding the page limits, putting information in the wrong section, spelling, grammar, and math errors, etc.
Unclear goal
Missing pieces
Confusing budget

5. Winning Factors
What are the factors that contribute to winning proposals?
Alignment with funder priorities
Clear focus
Community buy-in and support
Sufficient justification of methodology
Qualified and appropriate partners
Reasonable and accurate budget
Project idea that meets high evaluation standards
Sustainability / transferability

6. “There is no amount of grantmanship that will turn a bad idea into a good one, but there are many ways to disguise a good idea.” -Dr. William Raub

7. Let’s review a grant Activity #1
Provide the premise for the grant program and the RFP proposal narrative questions. Then distribute ½ of the audience with the “better proposal” proposal narrative that was approved and completed (the audience will see the proposed and final budget after activity 2 (develop a proposal budget)) and distribute ½ of the audience with the “room for improvement” proposal narrative. Give the audience 8 min to review. This is about how much time a reviewer spends to review that piece of the application. In the following slides after this activity, there are examples of the additional parts of the application package.

8. Application Sections Applicant Information Grant Information Abstract
 Grantee Organization
Executive Officer – Financially Liable
Project Leader – Point of Contact
Grant Information
Amount Requested – $s for project
Project Start & End Date
County, City, Watershed
Abstract
Simple, Brief (max 100 words) with type, location & main objectives
Timeline
Tasks and timelines
Deliverables
Participants and restoration outcomes
Volunteers, Partnerships, Uploads, Budget
Our grants mostly fund projects within MD, but depending on funding source we also fund D.C., as well as the other Bay States.

9. Application Sections Most Important Sections Narrative Budget
 Uploaded Word Document
 Questions in RFP
 Be Clear!
Budget
Uploaded Excel Spreadsheet
On Website & Application
Be Detailed!
Submittal
Double-Check!
Our grants mostly fund projects within MD, but depending on funding source we also fund D.C., as well as the other Bay States.

10. Application Sections Partnerships Deliverables – measurable outcomes
 Shows broad commitment that endorses the project
 Increases Access to Resources ($$$, expertise, supplies, equipment)
 Can expand size, scope and impact of project.
 Increases likelihood of sustainability
Deliverables – measurable outcomes
Activity
Indicator(s) (what you will measure)
Project goal (achieved value at end of project)
Tree Planting for expanded buffer
# trees
Area planted
# of volunteers
# of students
600
60,000 sq. ft.
75 volunteers
40 students
Teacher training
# teachers attending
# workshops/pres 50 3
Our grants mostly fund projects within MD, but depending on funding source we also fund D.C., as well as the other Bay States.

11. Required Attachment Examples
Design/Implementation
Letter of permission
Letters of support
Maintenance plan
Site design
Site photos
Native plant list
Permit status
Citizen Engagement
Draft agenda
Other – Permit Status
Overall: Can the project happen, be successful, and does it have support

17. Where to Apply?

18. Start an Application

21. Developing a Budget List out your tasks
List out the costs related to each task
Consider match
Consider in-kind
Justify, justify, justify

22. Let’s develop a budget Activity #2
Project Idea:
We have a project idea to engage the community by holding a workshop to assess stormwater issues in the area. We need to hire a trained facilitator, find meeting space, and schedule at least two workshops. We also want to develop a conceptual plan for the area that identifies potential solutions, e.g., stormwater practices to implement, best practices for land management, and other solutions. Finally, we want to hire an engineering firm that will do the conceptual plan and take the top two stormwater management practices to 30% design.
We need to find cost estimates to develop the budget.
Ask the group the following questions and develop a budget using the CBT proposal budget form:
What we need to accomplish our proposed project goals? How do we get these partners? How do we get cost estimates for the work?
Mock call various “organizations” aka group members to ask for services and quotes for the work.
Develop the budget together.
The next slides show the actual proposed and final report budget for the good grant that the group just reviewed.

25. Grant Management
If a grant is obtained, what are the essential factors to effective grant management?
Read your entire award letter – every single word
Add status and final report due dates to your calendar
Make sure your accounting system captures revenues and expenses for your grant
Establish a system to record your time and maintain relevant receipts
Keep in touch with your funder - involve them when possible
Report on time – offer to give a presentation on your work

26. CBT E-News
Sign up to receive Trust electronic notifications on program openings and events
Top right hand corner of our main web page
Follow us on social media as well

27. Questions? Is my goal clear? www.cbtrust.org Sadie Drescher
Chesapeake Bay Trust
60 West Street, Suite 405
Annapolis, MD
Phone: xt 103