1. Successful Grant Writing Tips and Tactics Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD Nutrition Education & Training Program Coordinator Massachusetts Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs

2. Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD bruhs@doe.mass.edu 2/1/00 Why am I doing this training? Why should anyone apply for a grant? Introductions

3. Program Need - Brief History of Nutrition Education 1995 USDA and Congress pass The School Meals Initiative for Healthy School Meals (Public Law 103-448) – –Nutrition Education & Training Program (NET) Funding Problems – –Competitive Grant Funding created (TNT) – –1996 Massachusetts receives TNT Grant – –1997 No Grant for MA, minimal NET Funds – –Nutrition Education Programs at risk Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

4. Purpose of this Workshop To school foodservice and health education personnel to write successful grant applications. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

5. Tools for Schools Healthy Choices: A Guide for Designing School-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs Massachusetts Department of Public Health Contact: Julie Robarts, MPH, MS, RD (617) 624 - 5492 E-mail: Julie.robarts@state.ma.us Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

6. Dream about what you want… Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

7. First things First... This is the wrong place to start Shift GEARS… Put yourself in the funders shoes… Think about how things are NOW, how things OUGHT TO BE, in the funders view, and how YOU can FILL THE GAP Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

8. Things to Consider Identify a Need Who is your Target Audience? How will you accomplish your goals? How will you evaluate? Benchmarks? Sustainability and Reproducibility Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

9. Objectives for Today… Identifying GOALS and setting OBJECTIVES Building TEAMS & Identifying Resources Strategies and Tactics to complete The Standard Grant Application Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

10. Team Nutrition & Training Program Grants Purpose: To provide comprehensive nutrition education & training programs that support and enhance the implementation of the Healthy School Meals Initiative (SMI). www.fns.usda.gov/tn/ Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

11. Goals of Team Nutrition To improve the health and education of children by creating innovative public and private partnerships that promote food choices for a healthful diet through the media, schools, families, and the community. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

12. Setting Goals and Objectives Goals of Team Nutrition - Personalize – –What do you hope to accomplish? – –Identify (Using Section A and B) Objectives state precisely what you will DO to accomplish specific goals – –Objectives are statements of end results, measurable statements of clients benefits from your work. – –How will you know if you accomplished what you set out to accomplish? Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

13. Goals & Objectives - Contd Goals are general and offer the evaluator an understanding of the thrust of your program. Objectives are specific, measurable outcomes. They should be realistic and attainable. Objectives help solve the problem or address the issue. If your objectives make reference to a number - - make sure it is do-able. Do not confuse objectives with methods. Be realistic. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

14. For Example Goal: To make cafeteria - classroom connections to support nutrition education (Section A #4). Objective: Increase fruit and vegetable consumption in high school students. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

15. Activity #1: Choosing/Writing Objectives Review Sections A and B from Grant RFP Choose one component from each section (A and B) - phrase this as your goal Write one objective for each component** * Reference: Healthy Choices Manual Page 24 ** Fund Code 720 requires 2 from each Section A, B Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

16. Goals & Objectives Resources Centers For Disease Control Guidelines for School Health Programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating (Section A, # 7) – –www.cdc.gov Massachusetts School Nutrition Task Force - Position Statement of Nutrition Programs & Services in Schools (Section A # 5) – –www.doe.mass.edu/cnp Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

17. Setting Yourself Apart Be Original - show a connection between whats been tried before and your idea. Problem Solving - fresh solutions to the same old problems. Outreach - Ideas that affect large numbers of people. Timeliness - current events influence perceptions of problems or issues (national standards, budget cuts) Maximizing Resources - creating partnerships that are mutually beneficial. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

18. Building TEAMS Why is this a requirement to receive funding? Partners help you to achieve your goals! Provide different perspectives Enhance sustainability Utilize the resources available to you Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

19. Grant Requirement - Team Nutrition Must establish a school nutrition team consisting of a Team Nutrition school leader, teachers, students, foodservice personnel and the community. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

20. Activity #2: Building the Team & Identifying Resources What are existing resources? Identify (column 1) Identify groups, individuals, organizations have similar goals/vision/interests? (column 2) Roles - Healthy Choices p. 29 - 38 Reference: Healthy Choices Manual Page 16, 22 Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

21. How to Find and Complete the Standard Grant Application Consolidated Application Section, Parts I, II MA DOE Nutrition Website - Nutrition Grants Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

22. Standard Things to Consider... Due Date Page Limit Required Information Statistics attachments* (resumes, stats, letters) Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

23. Consolidated Application Section Specific Instructions Fund Code 720 - Team Nutrition Section Part II Budget Section Part I Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

24. Budget Information Typically three parts: personnel (salaries, fringe benefits, contracts) non-personnel (space, rent of equipment, supplies) indirect cost (overhead) – –Should correlate to objectives and methods. Timelines are often found here, also – –Justify requests for salary (provide a rate hr/wk) – –If you plan to hire someone with the funding, include a position description.. Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

25. Budgets - continued Standard grant application Part II B – –make sure information is put in the correct category – –Example #1: if you are hiring a person to work specifically on a grant-related project = contractual services. – –#2: Equipment <$5000 is put under supplies and materials (M6) Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

26. Building Credible Budgets Research actual and complete costs of EVERYTHING in your proposal Provide documentation (price quotes, salaries, cost of materials) Cost-Benefit Analysis - show how many participants will be affected by your project and how much they will receive. -consider additional funders Matching Funds or In-Kind - shows commitment on your part - Illustrate Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

27. Activity #3: Budget Worksheet Consider Goals & Objectives Estimate Budget #1. For each item, provide one in-kind (or other possible source of funding) #2. Perform cost-benefit analysis * Healthy Choices Manual, page 58 worksheet #4 Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

28. Things to Remember… Spending your money - deadlines for encumbering costs $ - talk to your business manager Contracts & Bids - items exceeding $1000 Grant Amendments Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

29. Research what other States/schools/districts are doing Connecticut, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Wyoming Examples - Do Your Homework! Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

30. QUESTIONS - Getting Started READ the grant application Identify Goals & Objectives - Personalize Build a Team - Share the Work! Create a Timeline Justify, Evaluate and SHARE Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

31. Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD bruhs@doe.mass.edu 2/1/00 Team Nutrition Grants Due To Be Announced - Fall 2000

32. Training & Educational Resourc es Massachusetts Department of Education Home Page www.doe.mass.edu/cnp/links/default.html John Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition, Framingham State College Contact: Carol Marrochello Phone: (508) 626 - 4756 University of Massachusetts Extension - Nutrition Education Program Contact: Rita Brennan Olson Phone: (413) 545 -0552 National School Foodservice Management Institute (NSFMI) www.nsfmi.org Massachusett Department of Public Health - School Nutrition Resource Guide Massachusetts Dietetic Association (MDA) www.eatright.org Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

33. Internet Resources Team Nutrition – –Team Nutrition - USDA www.fns.usda.gov/tn/ – –USDA Healthy School Meals Resource Page schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov:8001/ Grant Writing – –Centers for Disease Control Funding Database www2.cdc.gov/nccdphp/shpfp/index.asp – –Houghton - Mifflin Co. www.eduplace.com/math/mkeys/grants.html – –Utah State Department of Education www.uen.org/cgi-bin/subjects?resource=8 Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

34. Grant Vocabulary In - Kind RFP PDF Amendments Created by: Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD MA Department of Education

36. Contact Information Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD Massachusetts Department of Education Nutrition Programs and Services 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148 Phone: (781) 338 - 6452 Fax: (781) 338 - 3399 E-mail: bruhs@doe.mass.edu www.doe.mass.edu/cnp