Grant Workshop May 15, 2015 Daria Devlin, Grant Writer, Erie’s Public Schools

Why did you come today?

Overview District policies and procedures Types of grants When should I look for a grant? Where can I find them? What do I need to put together a basic grant application? What questions should I consider?

EPS District Grant Policies/Procedures Wait a minute, I thought we didn’t have any money… isn’t it the more the merrier??

Types of grants Competitive vs. non-competitive Government grants (federal, state) Foundation grants (local, national) Corporate grants Private grants

When should I look for a grant? Grants are great for: – Specific, one-time projects – Expansion or scaling of a project that is already working – Meeting a clearly defined, data-driven need – Innovative projects

When should I look (cont’d)? When you have a fully developed project with all the “D’s”: – Design (you know what you want to do) – Data (you know why it is needed and why it will work) – Dollars (you know what it will cost) – Deadline (you know how long it will take)

Where do I find them? EPS Grants page USDE Funding Forecast Teachers Count: Grants Alert: – Also has FB page: Usual suspects: Target, NEA, Highmark*, ECF*, Erie Insurance*Target

I found one! Now what? Does it fit your project? Are you eligible to apply? Let’s talk for a moment about school vs. nonprofit eligibility… Is the deadline reasonable? Is the budget reasonable? What is the time vs. likelihood analysis? What are its components?

Typical Grant Components Intro to organization (review eligibility) Need (the problem you are trying to solve) Project description – What will you do ? – Who will do it? – How long will it take?

Goals and Objectives – goals are long-term change (big picture) – objectives are specific, measurable result of project – who or what will change? In what way? By how much? In what period of time – Process vs. outcome objectives Evaluation (how will you measure the change?) Budget (is any type of match required?) Sustainability (what happens after the $ is gone?)

Make yourself stand out! Use data to paint the picture of need in your school and in our community Put a human face on all that data Sit on the other side of your desk! – Edit – Make sure your final produce is professional – Write in an active and persuasive voice – Be clear and avoid industry-speak (remember your audience)

Helpful tips Watch your deadline (including the time of day for electronic submission or postmark for mailed) If you are creating an online application, use a word document to edit and then paste in fields Get the necessary permissions from your administrator or central admin Collaborate and/or leverage where possible Keep a copy for your files Leave plenty of time for editing and signatures Include a cover letter with a mailed application

I got the grant! Now what? Notify the grant office and finance department Read your funding agreement to make sure you can comply with all terms Find out how to get your $$!! Set a timeline to keep your project moving and ensure it is completed in time Make a plan to collect data/outcomes/stories

I didn’t get it! What’s that about? Don’t get discouraged Don’t take it personally (that’s a tough one!) Ask for feedback to improve your effort for next time Keep the “bones” of your proposal and look for other places to “shop it around”

Questions and Evaluation What can the grant office do to help you? Did you get the information today that you hoped to obtain? What would be helpful for future workshops?