Grant Writing 101

I hope that my book and classes will relieve some of the angst that I see among those in the grant profession. It is very easy to get an inferiority complex in this field. This is due to the fact that we grant writers have to continuously produce tangible products on a deadline. The results of our work will be known once the award decisions are handed down. The tendency here is to see one’s work in terms of either success or failure, which does nothing for one’s self-confidence. My material will therefore help the grant writer to overcome some of the natural anxieties of the profession.

I am seeing a real hunger and thirst for knowledge in this field. It seems like there are so many grant writers who feel the need for a boost of confidence and an infusion of knowledge about their profession.

Those benefiting the most from my book and classes will be persons who are currently in the grant writing profession working for local governments, public and private institutions, non-profits and other organizations. This material will also be helpful to those who wish to enter the grant writing field. It discusses every step of the process and will be especially useful to the novice. It is comprehensive and thorough and gives specific resources for the reader to follow up to search for grant funds. The inclusion of real “news you can use” and specific examples makes it unique as a learning tool and reference book.

Finally, I would like to offer the following tips for grant seekers:
• Look at the project from the ground up without any preconceived ideas about how it should be designed-consider all the alternatives before choosing a specific activity.
• Look closely at resources before committing to do a major project — you might need to spend some more time building your organization first.
• Always give the true picture in a grant application-exaggerating will make the application lose points in the rating.
• Search as many resources as possible- don’t stop when you identify one or two promising sources.
• Realize that the skills of the grant writer are only one of many factors playing into the success or failure of an application-don’t take it personally if an application gets turned down.

How to Keep the Funding Agencies Happy

It is almost impossible to be successful in grant writing unless one is very much attuned to the thoughts of those reviewing the application. Most staff members at the funding agencies actually welcome the opportunity to provide feedback to applicants.

My relationship with reviewing officials has made my job much easier. We freely share ideas back and forth. This has provided invaluable information which has greatly helped me in the quest for grant funds. The following is a compendium of what I have heard them say over the years. Much of this will seem like common sense, but it bears repeating. I have seen enough applications where directions have not been followed, the formatting is not done properly, or avoidable mistakes have been made. This list provides a quick and easy way of digesting the body of knowledge I have obtained over the years from those who have control over the money. If the grant writer follows the rules and works diligently at grant searches and on the grant applications, she can count on a good level of success.
•Read through the entire NOFA before starting the application.
•Review the NOFA with an eye toward looking for deal breakers.
•Identify the need before proposing a solution or searching for funds and quantify the extent of the need.
•Gather as much statistical and background data as possible before designing the project.

•Discuss possible solutions with key people prior to designing the project – get as much input as possible.
•Discuss the project with funding agency staff by telephone or e-mail before starting the application.Call a potential funding source if there is some doubt as to whether it should be included in your search results. When making these calls, go to the trouble of finding out which staff member can best help.
•Check several grant search resources – try at least 3 or 4.
•When doing a search, do not hesitate to contact peers in other organizations for ideas.
•When writing the results of a grant search, develop a clear strategy for action which is realistic and offers the best chance of receiving funding as soon as possible.
•Follow up on letters of inquiry to foundations if no response is received. Many foundations do not reply.
•Make letters of inquiry brief (no more than 2 pages) but informative – stress the need for the project, your organization’s ability to carry it out, and the benefits which will accrue from it.
•Respond promptly if a foundation requests a full proposal based on a letter of inquiry.
•Check the web site of a funding agency thoroughly before e-mailing or telephoning so as to avoid asking questions which are clearly answered on the web site.
•Ensure that you have the latest version of the application and regulations.
•Check the math in the budget – although this is obvious, many applicants make mathematical errors.
•Pay attention to those agencies which require that a Letter of Intent be filed prior to a full application. In nearly all cases, there is a specific deadline for submitting this letter.
•Pay careful attention to the rating and ranking criteria when crafting a proposal. Incorporate the application language into the narrative.
•Be concise but thorough in the narrative.
•If there is a specific page maximum, be sure that you come as close to that as possible without exceeding it. You can rest assured that the other applicants will provide as much information as possible.
•Give a descriptive narrative with specific examples.
•Be crystal clear in your writing. Do not “beat around the bush”.
•Be complete and thorough in the narrative – do not leave the reviewer wondering what you mean. Answer the questions completely.
•Use good grammar and correct punctuation and spelling.
•Re-read the application at least twice.
•Give proper attribution for all information derived from others and cite sources for statistical data
•Answer the funding agency’s requests for additional information completely, cheerfully, and on time.
•Send letters of support with the application itself unless the guidelines state otherwise. However, some U.S. Representatives and Senators will only send support letters directly to the funding agency.
•If there is any doubt whatsoever about whether an application will reach the office of the funding agency on time, send it overnight or two-day guaranteed delivery.
•Send the application directly to the person named in the solicitation, with the correct number of copies.
•Check to see that the application arrived on time.
•Start on-line applications early so that you can get your questions answered before the deadline.
•Keep the user name and password for on-line applications in a handy place where they will not be lost.
•Do your best to stave off performance anxiety as the due date for the application arrives – this will impair your ability to do the best job possible.
•Do your best to be available for site visits when the funding agency wants to come. Only change the date if there is an emergency.
•Sign and return the grant acceptance documents promptly.
•Read the grant agreement carefully.
•Call the funding agency or foundation with any questions regarding the administration of the funds. They would rather have you call frequently than have a mess to clean up at the time of the audit. They are worried about those grantees who do not call.
•Ensure as much accuracy in financial recordkeeping as humanly possible. This is what the funding agencies will check first.
•Begin to implement your project as soon as you possibly can. Funding agencies do not like to give extensions and in many cases will not give them for any reason.
•If you are passing funds through to a sub-recipient, monitor their work closely. Your agency will be held accountable if anything goes wrong.
•Check to see what procurement procedures the funding agency requires for any purchases.
•Check periodically during implementation to be sure that the project is meeting the need and fulfilling the goals.
•For projects involving individual beneficiaries, be sure to get all of the pertinent information qualifying that individual or family (such as income verification) prior to approving or disbursing any benefits.
•Be completely cooperative during a monitoring visit and provide everything the funding agency asks for.
•Answer any monitoring findings completely and promptly. Funding for your next project will depend upon it!
•Keep accurate and up-to-date records as the project proceeds

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Grant Administration – Environmental Review

Last time we talked about the grant agreement which covers requirements that go along with most government related grants be they federal, state, or more localized. An Environmental Review is somewhat like that, but only with federal grants and with a much more narrow scope. The federal government wants to know whether a particular project will have an adverse impact upon the social, physical, or natural environment. Let’s discuss what each of those categories entail in a bit more detail.

The social environment refers to quality-of-life issues which affect human society. An example of this might be a housing project which will displace low-and-moderate income families. Although the project would not be funded without including money for adequate compensation for these properties, the residents to be displaced will still experience an upheaval in their lives. They will be forced to leave familiar neighborhoods with familiar faces and all that that implies. The idea of “home” is more than just a physical one. To the credit of the federal government, this type of issue is taken into account in environmental reviews. Many novice grant writers are surprised that this factor would be part of the equation in this type of review, as most people automatically think of the “environment” as being strictly natural resources, such as rivers, lakes, streams, forests, and mountains.

The physical environment refers to man-made structures. As an example, Form RD 1940-20 (Request for Environmental Information), used by the United States Department of Agriculture, asks whether a particular project will have an impact on the following man-made facilities: industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, grazing land, mining, recreational facilities, transportation, parks, hospitals, schools, historical sites, and solid waste management.

The third type of environment, the natural environment, refers to features of geography and wildlife that most of us think of as comprising “nature”. Form RD 1940-20 separates these into categories as follows: forests, aquifer recharge area, steep slopes, wildlife refuge, shoreline, beaches, dunes, estuary, wetlands, floodplain, wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, critical habitat, wildlife, air quality, energy supplies, and coastal barrier resources systems. The federal government offers guidance as to exactly how each term is defined. This guidance is intended to assist the applicant in deciding whether a particular natural structure fits the federal definition.

Grant Administration – Overview

Most people focus on obtaining the grant, but even when you succeed that is not the end of your work effort. One has to be prepared to provide documentation to the funders to show that the funds were spent on what you said they would be in the grant application.

Virtually all grant makers be they federal, state, or private foundation will require some sort of proof of funds being used appropriately though how much proof can vary greatly. Probably the simplest grants to administer are those from private foundations. The application forms can be very simple, sometimes involving no more than two pages. Some foundations require several progress reports. It is also possible that special conditions may be attached to the grant in order to meet the specific preferences of the board members. These can vary widely. It may be that the foundation requires the grantee to only utilize American labor and products, or limits funding to certain geographic areas, or wishes to remain anonymous.

Most governmental entities will require the following once the grant is approved:

• environmental review (this is sometimes done prior to approval)
• execution of the grant agreement
• documentation of banking information in order to expedite the processing of payments
• written progress reports at varying intervals — these could be either quarterly, semi-annually, or annually
• execution of grant closeout documents

Some administrative reports can require a single page while others such as funds from CDBG can be very extensive and require a large document covering Affirmative Action Plan, Minority Business Enterprise Plan, Fair Housing Plan, Retention of Records Plan, Personnel Policy, Section 504 Plan to cover issues related to services to handicapped citizens, and Procurement Policy to name just a few. Most grants will fall in between but regardless of how much work is involved in administration it is a good idea to plan for it early on in the planning stages of a grant application and to keep excellent records throughout so that you are not caught by surprise with little to no proof of how the funds were spent.