YES, IT MATTERS THE WRITING PART OF GRANT WRITING

GRANTS …are not lottery tickets. An application will NEVER tell you everything Aims Easy to read Easy to follow Easy to find information Writing is ALL you have You can’t see faces You can’t answer questions You get one read

FORMATTING …matters! Follow what they tell you, even if it makes ZERO sense Respond to everything! If you can’t, at least acknowledge it! Paperclips or staples? Title matters!

WRITING Correctness and style How do you write a paragraph? Clarity allows: Reader to focus on content More space Let’s you be understood RULE 1: OUTLINE AND MAP If you know point values, let them guide you Subhead hierarchy—Organize material RULE 2: WRITE AS YOU SPEAK

WRITING RULE 3: THINK ABOUT WORD CHOICE RULE 4: NEVER EXAGGERATE RULE 5: BUY A GRAMMAR BOOK RULE 6: AND A DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS RULE 7: ACTIVE VOICE AND FUTURE TENSE RULE 8: NO VALUES, CONTROVERSY, POLITICS, OR HUMOR RULE 9: LIMIT ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBSS RULE 10: NO I, WE, OR OUR

WRITING RULE 11: NO ABBREVIATIONS OR ACRONYMS RULE 12: NO COMMON KNOWLEDGE Exceptions? Assume nothing Have someone with no knowledge read it Editing is the key. First draft should be quick Writing to INFORM and PERSUADE Logos, Ethos, Pathos Browning Book Discussion

LETTER OF INQUIRY Abbreviated—not shallow Make every word count Opening paragraph, need (1-2), Project activity (3- 5), outcomes (1-2), credentials (1-2), budget (1-2), closing Tricks if you go long: Font size, margins, white space, colon after header ONLY IF ALLOWED! Who signs it? Who do you address it too?

BLANK PAGE BLUES Short, crisp sentences Exercise on p (Karsh and Fox) Simple description of organization Address, facility, demographics of target, community stats and demos, staff, board, history, number served, partners, finances, programs, awards

THE PROBLEM Needs you identify need to be important to funder Must prove compelling problem What data could let you do this?? (p.143 Karsh and Fox) May not every say need in application…but its there Problem-solving approach Express it in needs of people

GOALS/OBJECTIVES This is where the action is Goal: Broad, long-term intention Outcome: What’s expected from project (MUST BE MEASURABLE) Objective: Action that will happen to achieve goal (answers the how question) Activities: Specifics SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound) Again, know the funder!

THE ACTUAL PROGRAM Program Description must match funder priorities Must address your problem Must be consistent Must show how program fits your organization Tie-in to objectives and outcomes (Koch ) Program plan Time line (K 178)/staff responsibilities Job description Staff recruitment plan Advisory board recruitment Government agency recruitment and hiring Participant recruitment Marketing plan

COLLABORATION Right people with right attitudes and knowledge at the table Collaboration is key Why so difficult?? Can’t be only about $$$ You may have to prove it Need to clearly show role of each partner (Koch 176)

EVALUATION Have to measure impact/success Why? Best time to do this is early on Why does federal government want complicated evaluation plans? How do you decide if you need an external evaluator? Internal v. external Process v. outcome evaluation

EVALUATION Linkage between activities and outcomes must be clear on evaluation Dosage can influence outcomes Negative findings can be important! Qualitative v. quantitative data Logic model Resources/inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, impact (Koch 197)

BUDGET Transparent, clear, detailed, concise, complete, reasonable, realistic, documentable Visual as well as numerical (Koch 213) Should put itself together Needs to be appropriate Is the amount I’m asking for sufficient for objectives? Is it reasonable or outlandish—or somewhere in the middle? Application will likely tell you what you can/can’t use money for

BUDGET Need to show how each budget line will relate to program implementation Sections Personnel Fringe Other than Personnel Indirect Be brutally honest!

SUSTAINABILITY Show that other grant makers may be interested Explain if long-term government support may be available Show underlying support from larger program Demonstrate fundraising Consider asking participants to help And partners Find things that have life beyond grant period Use a coalition

DISSEMINATION Education Replication Win-win-win How so?

WHAT IF YOU GET STUCK? Disorderly conduct Mind-mapping Walk N Talk Shadowing Cocktail Party Cut n Paste Stuck on You So What? Backward from the Ideal Write On