Copyright © 2010 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. The Art of Grant Writing Melinda S. Turner, Superintendent Owsley County School District Booneville, Kentucky

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. What is Grant Writing? A term used to describe the process of writing a proposal for funding a nonprofit organizations programs, operations, or projects.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. What Does a Grant Writer Do? Crafts a well-considered document that outlines How the money will be used What receiving the money will accomplish Who will undertake the tasks described in the proposal

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. A Successful Grant Writer… Feel empathy for your readers. Always meet your deadlines. Thoroughly read and follow instructions. Be a good test taker.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Insider Tip Whether you are writing to guidelines or an RFP, the grant proposal is formulaicIt includes instructions that must be followed exactly. You also must use the accepted language and approach set forth by your reading audience.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Looking for Grant Opportunities. ReactivelyAs a response to a Request for Proposals(RFP) ProactivelyBy searching for matches between foundation guidelines and your mission.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Types of Grants Capital: Funds for construction, acquisition, or renovation of buildings Programmatic: Funds to support staffing, equipment, and other items to launch a special project Operational: Funds to support ongoing operations, such as staffing, etc.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. What Makes a Grant Proposal Successful? Provides a creative response to a problem or need Demonstrates potential for sustainability

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Follow the MONEY…. Government Funding Sources Local Congressional Representatives Foundations 1.Large Family 2.Corporate 3.Community

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Insider Tip Some foundations are beginning to change their guidelines to look for ways to fund operations in nonprofits that are vital to the community or that have demonstrated best practices in their fields. However, most foundations still prefer to fund unique projects developed in response to a community need.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Common Grant Application Format 1.Executive Summary 2.Purpose of Grant 3.Evaluation 4.Budget Narrative/Justification 5.Organization Information 6.Attachments

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Executive Summary Why you are requesting the grant What outcomes you hope to achieve How you will spend the funds if the grant is awarded

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Purpose of the Grant Statement of need Description of target population/benefits Description of project goals, measurable objectives, action plans Timetable for Implementation Partners/Roles Qualifications of key staff/volunteers Long-term strategies/sustainability

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Evaluation How will success be defined and measured How results will be used How constituents will be involved

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Insider Tip You may not deviate from the outline in the RFPever! If you dont follow the outline exactly, you can be assured that a grant proposal will be awarded funding, but it wont be yours. Remember, volunteers are often reading and scoring dozens of proposals at a time. They must be able to find the information where they expect to find it and assign a proper score.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Budget Narrative/Justification Grant BudgetFormat Budget DetailsHow each budget item relates to the project and how amount was calculated List any amounts requested of other funding sources Prioritized Budget Items –Should partial funding become available

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Organization Information Brief summary of organizations history Brief statement of mission and goals Description of current programs, activities, and accomplishments Organizational chart –staff, etc.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Attachments Copy of IRS determination lettertax exempt status Financial Information Letters of support Annual report, if available

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Submission of Grants Paper submissions are becoming rare Online submission can be confusing and time consuming Plan at least a day for uploading, and, to be safe, plan this activity for the day before the deadline in case of technology issues.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Finding Grants Local Government Funds Local Grants with Pass-Through Money State Government Grants Federal Government Federal Register

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Insider Tip Register your nonprofit organization with Grants.gov even if you dont think youll be applying for a grant in the coming year. When you do find a grant opportunity, this will be one tine-consuming hurdle out of the way.

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Websites…. Grants.gov (Review RFPs) (tax statements indicating charitable gifts) for researching foundationswww.guidestar.org (allows you to sign up to receive regular notices of grant announcements)

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Websites U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. Congratulations You will become a writer of multiple award- winning grant applications. It will happen, trust me

Copyright © 2009 School Nutrition Association. All Rights Reserved. ENJOY the Grant-Writing JOURNEY ! Have FUN in D ALLAS !