Building Grantsmanship Skills

Chapter 20

Building Grantsmanship Skills

Lecture Launcher

Why might a community nutritionist also be a grant writer?

Chapter Outline

I.Introduction

A.Community nutritionists increasingly find themselves seeking extramural funding for program activities and interventions.

B.Grant seekers need well-honed grantsmanship skills to capture grant dollars for their organizations.

C.All proposals are designed to convince a grant sponsor to provide the services, goods, and/or money the grant recipient needs to achieve the objectives stated in the grant proposal.

D.Regardless of the length of the proposal, the development of proposals can be divided into three steps:

1.Laying the foundation.

2.Building the grant proposal.

3.Assembling the final product.

II.Laying the Foundation for a Grant

• Writing a grant proposal is like building a house in that it needs to be built on a solid foundation.
• The foundation work for grant writing includes the following:

A.Generate Ideas.

1.Proposal preparation begins with generation of an idea that may come from a variety of sources:

a.A legislative initiative.

b.Implications for research included at the end of journal articles.

c.Social trends or needs in the community.

d.Brainstorming with colleagues.

e.Reviewing statistical data.

f.A grant sponsor.

2.Once an idea is formulated, the next step is to review the literature for at least the last five years.

a.The literature search should address all facets of the idea.

b.The literature search helps grant seekers assess the value of an idea and adjust its focus to more clearly describe their goals.

c.The literature search also helps identify other professionals who could be sources of advice and/or potential collaborators.

d.The literature search provides the background data needed to write a compelling needs statement for the proposal.

e.At the conclusion of the literature search, grant seekers should be able to describe their idea, the uniqueness of the proposed project, and why it is likely to succeed.

3.Key to Success. The most successful grant writers are:

a.Up to date in their subject matter area.

b.Well informed about current trends and activities.

B.Describe Goals. Grant seekers know that they improve their chances of receiving funding if they focus on addressing important goals.

1.Goals are broad statements describing desired long-range improvements.

2.Healthy People 2010 goals and objectives can help grant seekers narrow the list of possible goals.

3.Goals should be congruent with the grant seeker’s mission, a priority of the grant seeker’s organization, stated in Healthy People 2010, and achievable in a timely manner.

4.The grant seeker should write clearly defined, specific goals that will meet important needs and answer important questions.

5.Grant sponsors want to know the impact their funds had on the community, so goals should be written to answer specific questions and address the impact on the target group.

6.Key to Success. Successful grant seekers choose worthwhile goals that match their organization’s mission and interests, and address important needs that can be met in a meaningful and timely manner; they sharply focus their goals.

C.Identify Funding Sources. Finding a funding source takes two forms: generating an idea in response to a grant sponsor’s request or finding a grant sponsor to fund the grant seeker’s idea.

1.The grant seeker may generate an idea in response to a grant sponsor’s Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ).

a.Both of these invite grant seekers to submit proposals.

b.An RFP tends to be much less specific in regards to the activities that can be proposed whereas an RFQ tends to be very specific about the activities that the grant recipient must engage in.

2.Regardless of the goal and need, there is likely a government or community agency, industry trade group, food or drug company, or local business willing to support the program or intervention activities.

3.Community nutritionists can find out about grants by:

a.Networking with colleagues.

b.Contacting granting agencies.

c.Calling local businesses to seek small grants.

d.Searching Web sites of potential funding sources.

4.For success, the needs of the grant seeker must be in tune with the needs and interests of the funding source.

5.The following questions help grant seekers decide whether to compete for a grant from a particular grant sponsor:

a.Do the grant sponsor’s funding priorities include the project’s goals?

b.Are sufficient grant funds available for the grant seeker’s organization to achieve the goals in a successful and timely manner?

c.What will this grant sponsor fund?

d.Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

e.Can the grant seeker’s organization meet any special requirements of the grant sponsor?

f.When is the application due?

g.What are the guidelines for writing this proposal?

h.Is information available on the type of projects the sponsor funded in the past?

i.What are the credentials of the grant reviewers?

j.Is it possible to contact the sponsor before preparing the proposal?

6.Key to Success. The most successful grant seekers:

a.Select a grant sponsor before writing a proposal.

b.Follow the grant guidelines, forms, and formats exactly.

c.Observe all deadlines.

d.Write the proposal using terminology familiar to the grant reviewers.

e.Sometimes experience failure.

7.Another Key to Success. Avoid chasing grants and don’t jump from topic to topic just to capture the latest stream of grant funding.

D.Identify Potential Collaborators. Collaboration is usually the rule, rather than the exception, when developing grant proposals.

1.Collaborators may come from within the grant seeker’s organization or outside.

2.Collaboration may be critical to the success for novice grant seekers or those who are changing their focus.

3.Proposals that are multidisciplinary and/or multi-institutional are often given bonus points.

4.The best collaborators are those who:

a.Know what is expected of them and when.

b.Are excited about and committed to the project.

c.Willing to follow through on all responsibilities related to the project.

4.Key to Success. Select collaborators carefully, and try to get them involved as early in the grant writing process as possible.

III.Building the Proposal

• The goal is to write a clear, complete, concise, and compelling document.

A.Components of a Proposal. The components of a proposal usually include several items.

1.Letters of Intent

2.Transmittal Letter. The transmittal letter is a brief, friendly communication addressed to the individual designated on the call for proposals.

3.Title Page. The title page usually includes the following:

a.Project title.

b.The grant program the proposal is being submitted to.

c.Proposed start and end dates of the project.

d.Funds requested.

e.Project director’s name and contact information.

f.Legal name of the organization to which the award should be made.

g.Authorized organizational representative’s name and contact information.

4.Abstract. The proposal abstract or summary outlines the proposed project and appears at the beginning of the proposal.

a.It contains a needs statement and describes the main goals of the project.

b.Some abstracts also contain the project methods, time frame, and budget.

c.The abstract should be written after the final proposal draft has been completed.

d.Grant reviewers form their initial impression of a project from the abstract.

5.Grant Narrative. The grant narrative includes several sections:

a.Needs Statement. The needs statement includes a clear, concise, and well-supported problem statement with a review of the current literature related to the problem, and should convey a sense of urgency regarding the problem and its resolution.

b.Goals and Objectives. The project’s goals and objectives describe what the grant seeker plans to achieve.

1.Project objectives should be much more specific and measurable than the goals.

2.Once all objectives are written, they should be placed in a logical sequence, either based on chronological order or in order of importance.

3.The goals and objectives are the heart of the proposal and they are the reason why one seeks the grant sponsor’s help.

c.Methods. The methods section describes, in detail, and justifies the procedures for achieving the objectives, and explains why the plan is likely to work.

1.This section usually includes the project design, how success will be measured, the participants who will be involved, the sequence and time frame of activities, and the duties and capabilities of the project staff.

d.Project Design. The project design component describes the overall organization of the proposed project.

e.Participants (Sample). The participant section describes the characteristics of the sample, including how many will be involved, how they will be involved, what they will be asked to do, and how they will be recruited.

f.Evaluation Plan (Study Design)

1.The evaluation plan explains how the grant seeker proposes to measure the outcomes or impact of the project and determine whether the objectives have been met.

2.Grant seekers need to carefully consider how formative, summative, and impact evaluations can be addressed in the evaluation plan.

g.Measurements

1.There may be several measurements, such as tests, questionnaires, clinical examinations, food recalls, and observations, used to generate needed information.

2.The measurements selected will depend on the purpose and scope of the evaluation, the resources available, measurement precision needed, and the burden to participants.

3.The best measurement choices are feasible, justifiable, valid, and reliable.

h.Data Analysis. The data analysis section describes how the data collected will be analyzed to determine the success of the project.

i.Dissemination. The dissemination section describes how interested audiences will learn about the project and its outcomes.

j.Time and Activity Chart. A time and activity chart breaks the entire project into manageable steps that clearly shows how the project will proceed.

k.Capability

1.The capability section establishes credibility of the grant seeker, including project staff, and the organization’s ability to complete the proposed project.

2.Project staff credibility and capability can be established by including curricula vitae for all key project personnel.

B.Budget. The budget is one of the most important parts of the proposal.

• Grant seekers should carefully review the grant guidelines to determine exactly what expenses can be charged and which are excluded.
• All project costs must be incurred during the proposed period of time.
• The most successful grant proposals have budgets that are totally consistent with their grant narrative.
• Every budgeted expense must be clearly related to the project goals, objectives, and methods.

1.Budget Categories. Budgets are usually divided into two main categories:

a.Direct Costs. Direct costs are concrete project expenditures that are directly listed line by line and include personnel, equipment, supplies, and travel.

b.Indirect Costs

1.Indirect costs are also called overhead and include administrative costs and facilities costs.

2.Indirect costs are not specifically listed on budgets but they are usually calculated as a percentage of the direct costs.

c.Cost Sharing. Cost sharing, also called cost matching, refers to the costs that the grant seeking organization agrees to contribute to the project.

d.Budget Narrative

1.The budget narrative follows the budget in the proposal and its purpose is to explain or justify all expenditures.

2.The most useful budget narratives show the basis for all calculations.

e.Appendixes. The appendixes are placed at the end of the proposal and may contain carefully selected materials that directly support the proposal.

C.Assembling the Final Product

1.When all the proposal parts are finished, the next step is to assemble them into a complete package.

2.Keys to Success. The most inviting and easy-to-read proposals tend to have some of these characteristics:

a.Clear, cohesive, highly readable writing style.

b.Plenty of white space.

c.Appropriate vocabulary.

d.Appropriate margins, typeface, headings, and subheadings.

e.Numbered pages.

f.Illustrations, graphics, and charts that are clear and enhance understanding.

D.Review of the Grant Proposal

1.The grant sponsor organizes the proposals submitted and distributes them to grant reviewers.

2.The role of grant reviewers is to:

a.Review each proposal.

b.Compare it to the sponsor’s priorities and criteria.

c.Judge the relative merit of the project and its likelihood for success.

d.Assess whether the project staff and organization can deliver what is proposed within the timeframe specified.

e.Evaluate the adequacy of the budget.

3.Successful grant seekers will need to apply management and budgeting skills so that they will achieve grant goals expertly, on target, and on schedule.

4.Many funded grants are resubmissions and there are many common reasons why proposals are not funded:

a.There were problems with planning and time management.

b.The proposal did not follow the guidelines.

c.The deadline for submitting the application was missed.

d.The proposal lacked a well-conceived plan of action or idea.

e.The proposal had errors in the budget estimate.

5.Many government grant sponsors and some private sponsors provide grant seekers with a written summary of the reviewers’ comments.

a.These comments can help grant seekers learn how to improve future proposals.

b.Another way to improve grant-writing skills is to become a grant reviewer.

6.Grant writing takes time and effort and the most successful grant seekers demonstrate four critical qualities:

a.Diligence in researching and identifying grant sponsors.

b.Creativity in matching project goals with those of sponsors.

c.Attentiveness to detail in proposal preparation.

d.Persistence in revising and resubmitting proposals to sponsors.

IM for Community Nutrition in Action 4e, by Melanie Burns of Eastern Illinois University