Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Effective Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations

PA 5927, Fall 2016

HHH 25

Instructor:Stephanie Jacobs

Email:

Office Hours:HHH 245 Tuesdays 3:00 to 4:00 pm

Emergency Contact:(612) 301-7143

Course Dates:Session 1: Saturday, October 15, 9:00 AM-2:30 PM

Session 2: Saturday, October 22, 9:00 AM-2:30 PM

Session 3: Saturday, October 29, 9:00 AM-2:30 PM

Session 4: Saturday, November 12, 9:00 AM-2:30 PM

Course Description

Grantwriting is a critical skill for almost all nonprofit organizations. Proposals are often key communication tools used by nonprofit leaders to communicate with potential funders and generate financial support. But grantwriting does not simply involve sitting at your desk, churning out proposals. Nonprofits must understand the process of researching and seeking grants that are an appropriate match of the nonprofit’s needs and the funder’s interests, as well as working effectively within their organizations to create substantive, fundable proposals. When the grantwriting process is working at its best, development staff are aware of their clients’and organization’s needs and capabilities, are intimately familiar with the programs and services offered, and spend the majority of their time matching these needs to funders’interests. At its worst, development staff create new programs on their own based solely on funders’interests with little or no communication with program staff until the final report is due. This course addresses these and other common problems in the grantwriting process and provides students with the skills and resources they need to overcome them. By the end of the workshop, students will:

1. Be familiar with the grant making process.
2. Understand what makes a good proposal.
3. Develop grant writing and program development skills.

This course begins with a discussion of the current trends in philanthropy and covers the strengths and weaknesses of various fundraising strategies. The focus then turns to grantwriting, specifically. During the class, students will learn how the grantmaking process works from identification of need to the final funding report. And because it is common for some amount of program development to be done during the grantwriting process, students will form small groups, create a program of their choosing, and use it in their final project, an actual grant proposal.

Teaching Method

The teaching method will be an active and interactive model incorporating lecture, group discussion, articles, video, individual exercises, small group work, case studies, and role playing. A strong emphasis is placed on real life situations. The delivery of this class will be in person with a large reliance on student participation.

Hallmarks of good participation include:

·Risk-taking, presenting an opposing view or different interpretation of the data.

·Listening, trying to understand what others are saying and why they are saying it.

·Bringing your own experiences when relevant to the discussion.

·Monitoring your own participation in terms of amount and quality.

·Being respectful of others at all times.

·Suggesting additional resources for the group to consider.

·Providing context and content to the discussion.

Course Requirements

Students will need to fulfill four requirements. The needs assessment and proposal review are due in class on October 29 and November 12, respectively. The group assignment is due by email on November 19 at 9:00 am. Materials received after that time will be penalized 10 points for the assignment for every 24-hour period (or fraction thereof) they are late.

Participation: 10%

Needs Assessment: 30%

Group Grant: 40%

Proposal Review: 20%

200 Points Total

1. Participate in class discussions and exercises in accordance with the hallmarks above. 2 points per class you attend. 3 points for interaction in the class (20 points total).

1. Write a 1-page needs assessment for an organization’s program using 12 point font and 1” margins. Students can use a program and organization that is already in existence, or they can create their own. If students need assistance identifying an organization and program, a case study will be provided. On your needs assessment, include your name, the name of the organization and program associated with the needs assessment, and the program’s overall goal and general activities. Use the rest of your page allowance for your needs assessment. Assessment criteria are each worth 12 points (60 points total):

1. Thorough analysis of the target population’s need and the current environment that is both manageable and compelling.
2. Appropriate use of quantitative and qualitative data.
3. Connection between need and proposed program goal and services.
4. Writing mechanics (free of spelling, typographical, and grammatical errors; within page, margin, and font limitations).
5. Writing style (appropriate tone for the audience, respectful of stakeholders).

Due by 9:00 AM on April 9. Bring a copy with you to class.

1. Collaborate with a small group of students to write a grant proposal. At the beginning of the course, students will be formed into groups of 5 and will develop a program proposal for a nonprofit organization using the Minnesota common grant application form. Students may turn in separate documents for the narrative (Word) and the budget (Excel). The entire proposal can be no more than 10 pages in length including the cover page and the budget (80 points total):

Organization Information (10 points)

·Are the mission and vision statements clear, focused, inspiring and likely to motivate people to join or support the organization?

·Does the organization have the necessary experience and level of success necessary to successfully operate the program?

·Are there enough qualified staff and board members to support the program?

·Does the organization have the community partnerships necessary to run the program?

Situation (10 points)

·Is the analysis of the target population’s need and current environment manageable and compelling?

·Are qualitative and quantitative data used appropriately?

·Is there a strong connection between the identified situation and the proposed program?

·Does the description of the need demonstrate an understanding of and sensitivity to the target population’s culture, risk factors, and facilitators?

Activities (10 points)

·Are the program goals clear, focused, and consistent with the mission and purpose of the organization?

·Are the program activities clearly described?

·Are program activities likely to promote identified goals and outcomes?

·Does the document present resources (staff, space, equipment, supplies, partners, etc.) that are adequate to support the described activities?

Evaluation (10 points)

·Does the evaluation plan include outcomes that are focused on clients and on the agency?

·Are the outcomes SMART?

·Is a data collection and management process described? Does it take into account client needs and agency capabilities?

·Does the agency have a plan for reporting and using evaluation results?

Budgeting and Fundraising (10 points)

·Is the budget clear and easy to understand?

·Does the budget include all of the identified resources necessary to run the program?

·Is the budget free of any expenses not related to the proposed program?

·Are the fundraising strategies proposed appropriate considering the organization’s mission and program goals?

Writing Mechanics and Style (10 points)

·Is the document free of spelling, typographical, and grammatical errors?

·Is the document within page, margin, and font limitations?

·Is the tone of the proposal respectful of the organization and its stakeholders?

·Is the style appropriate for the audience?

·Is the writing consistent across sections?

·In its entirety, is the proposal fundable?

Group Participation (20 points)

·Class members will determine group participation criteria during Session 1.

First Draft due by 9:00 AM on November 12. Final draft is due on November 19 at 9:00 AM.

1. On November 12, when the groups bring their draft proposals to class, you will choose another group’s proposal to review (you cannot choose your own and you cannot be in a group with your other writing teammates). Using the same criteria on which the proposals will be graded (see above), critique the proposal (5 points per component). With the other reviewers of the same proposal, discuss your findings and present your recommendations to the class (10 points). Consolidate your group’s comments into one document to give to the proposal writers. Turn YOUR comments in to me. Write legibly so that I can read your comments or type up your responses or type up your comments and email them to me (40 points total). The panel process is designed to increase participants’ experience as proposal reviewers and to provide proposal writers with feedback that will strengthen their work. Comments made by panel members will not affect grades on the proposal they are reviewing. Your review of the proposal is what will be graded. Groups will have one week to make revisions to their proposals based on feedback.

Regular participation and completion of assignments on time are essential for this class. Incompletes are strongly discouraged, rarely given, and only granted after a student and I have mutually agreed upon a timetable for completion of all coursework. No extra credit is allowed.

Your cumulative score will determine your final grade. This course uses the standard University grading scale:

A / B / C / D / F
A93-100%
A- 90-92% / B+87-89%
B83-86%
B-80-82% / C+77-79%
C73-76%
C-70-72% / D+67-69%
D63-66%
D-60-62% / F< 60%

University Grading Standards

Aachievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements

Bachievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements

Cachievement that meets the course requirements in every respect

Dachievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements

Sachievement that is satisfactory (in this course, equivalent to a C grade or better).

F/Nrepresents failure or no credit, and signifies that work was either 1) completed, but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit, or 2) not completed, with no agreement between the instructors and the student that the student would be awarded an I.

I(incomplete) assigned at the discretion of the instructors when, due to extraordinary circumstances, e.g., hospitalization, a student is prevented from completed the course requirements on time. Requires a written agreement between the instructor and the student.

Required Text

There is no textbook for this course, although there are required articles, sample grants, and videos posted on the Moodle site. When reading is required, particularly for the grant proposal examples, you may want to have access to those readings in class to refer to them, either by printing them out or having them available on your laptop. Additional optional articles, proposal samples, and other materials are posted on the course Moodle site.

Additional Assistance

There is no TA for this course. You can receive technical assistance for Moodle by contacting Mary Maronde at . Any questions regarding course content, assignments, or grading should be directed to me.

Disability Services

It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individual basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disability conditions (for example, physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or systemic) that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact Disability Services and their instructors to discuss their individual needs for accommodations. Disability Services is located in Suite 180, McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street. Staff can be reached by calling 612-626-1333 voice to TTY. Additional information is available at

Mental Health[1]

As a student, you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol or drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily activities. University of Minnesota services are available to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via the Student Mental Health web site at

Remember that there are advisors in the Humphrey Student Services office who are trained and experienced counselors.They are available at very short notice to address any concerns you have and provide further resources within the University.Humphrey Student Services, HHH 280, 612-624-3800.

Additional University of Minnesota policies are found at

Class Schedule

Day 1: October 15

Required Reading/Viewing: Listed on Moodle site

•Course Requirements and Introductions

•Foundations and Their Types

•Grantwriting in the Context of Fund Development

•Grantmaker Research

•How Proposals are Solicited

•The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Grant Discussion

•Guest Speakers: Marin Bryne, Associate Director of Institutional Resources at Northside Achievement Zone

Assignments:

•Bring ideas for the nonprofit organization you would like to suggest for the group project

•Research the assigned grantmaker

•Read required readings

Day 2: October 22

Required Reading/Viewing: Listed on Moodle site

•Preparing to Write the Proposal

•Proposal Development (Part 1)

•Org History

•Needs Assessment

•Program Design

•Logic Models

•Hot Topic Proposal Discussion

•Guest Speaker:Allison Rojas, consultant

•Group Time

Assignments:

•Needs assessment

•Read required readings

Day 3: October 29

Due: Needs assessment due in class by 9:00 AM

Required Reading/Viewing: Listed on Moodle site

•Quick Review

•Proposal Development (Part 2)

•Budgeting

•Evaluation and Reporting

•Other Documents

•Habitat Proposal Discussion

•What Happens Now?

•Working with Funders

•Guest Speaker: Naomi Munzner, Director of the Office of Grants Management, Office of Administration, State of Minnesota

•Group Time

Day 4: November 12

Due: Draft group proposal in class.

•Proposal Review

•Final Questions

•Evaluation

Final group proposal due on Saturday, November 19 by email at 9:00 AM.

1

[1]The Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Health has developed the following statement for University of MN faculty to include in their course syllabus. The purpose of this statement is to highlight the University’s commitment to student mental health and to connect students with appropriate campus resources.