1. Dr. Debbie Douma, Dean Office of Grants & Federal Programs
Prior Experience Points, Who Needs Them? A Practical Guide to Winning a New TRIO Grant Award Florida Council for Resource Development Spring Conference Miami Dade College April 2018
Dr. Debbie Douma, Dean
Office of Grants & Federal Programs

2. Pensacola State College
Serves Escambia and Santa Rosa counties (total pop. 352,615) in the NW corner of the Florida Panhandle
One of 28 colleges in the Florida College System
Opened doors in 1948 as Florida’s first public 2-year college
~10% of all persons in the two-
county district 18 years or older
attend the college
Class introductions

3. PSC Grants & Federal Programs Staff
Jamie Russell
Grants Coordinator
Lisa Alloway Documentation Technologist
Class introductions

5. PSC’s newest TRIO programs:
Veterans Upward Bound
Veterans Student Support Services

6. Veterans Upward Bound 2017 Points Available (w/o PEP): 105
Score to receive grant in initial announcement: ≥105.67
The funding band: –
Unofficial List: 14 NEW VUB projects funded
PSC Score (w/o PEP): 105

7. Getting Started – The Basics
Read the RFP
Read the RFP, again
Set up a working document template
Preferably, work in a collaborative environment (i.e., Google Docs)
(Yep, pretty basic here)

8. Need for the Project (24 points)
24/105*65 = *65 = ~ pages/12
Proposed target area lacks services for eligible veterans (6 points; ~3.7 pages).
Large number of veterans (or your proposed participant population) in target area are low income (6 points; ~3.7 pages)
Large number of veterans in target area who have not completed high school or have completed high school but not enrolled in postsecondary education (6 points; ~3.7 pages).
Other indicators of need for VUB project, including unaddressed academic or socio-economic problems (6 points; ~3.7 pages).

9. “Need” Data Sources Use only primary sources for data U.S. Census
State Health Department
Administration of Children and Families
Workforce Board
Survey of current target population
Focus groups
Google Scholar for current journal articles referencing like projects, populations, services
Use an attention-getting quote – politician, student
Don’t mix apples and oranges
Keep hard copies or screen shots of all data

10. 9/105*65 = .0857*65 = 5.57 (about a page/objective)/6
Objectives (9 points)
9/105*65 = .0857*65 = 5.57 (about a page/objective)/6
Provide the objectives exactly as stated in the RFP, including your percentages.
Give their words back to them. Paragraph headings for each objective:
Addresses Need: Provide baseline statistics showing what is going on in your target area.
Clear, Specific and Measurable: If the PERT provides baseline data, how will the PERT be used in the program
Ambitious and Attainable: How do you know the percentage you picked for your objective the right one?

11. Objectives (cont.) PSC Objective #1:
Academic Improvement on Standardized Test: 80%
Need: % of all PSC FTIC degree-seeking students failed at least one test; 100% of all new VUB participants failed at least one test.
Measurable: Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) used to measure
Ambitious/Attainable: ambitious compared to previous performance; attainable because of project services
Other objective target percentages: 75%, 70%, 60%

12. Plan of Operation (30 points)
30/105*65 = .2857*65 = (3 points per section, ~1.8 pages each)/23
Plan to inform
faculty/staff: all types of internal communications
Interested individuals/organizations: existing partnerships, social agencies, targeted paid ads
Plan for identifying, recruiting, selecting participants
Identifying: Eligibility factors
Recruiting: How will you get the word out, who is responsible, restate how many participants
Selection: Process narrative and selection process flow chart; what will you do if they are not chosen

13. Plan of Operation (cont.)
Plan for assessing individual needs and monitoring progress
Assessment tools before and after selection (i.e., PERT, learning styles, career)
Written plan of action for each individual
Progress reports
Plan for locating project within organizational structure
Reporting lines
Organizational chart

14. Plan of Operation (cont.)
Curriculum, services and activities
Orientation
curriculum/instruction/tutoring
Workshops
admissions/financial aid counseling
Career counseling
Personal counseling
Referral to other resources
College trips and cultural events
Peer mentoring
Timelines

15. Plan of Operation (cont.)
Plan to ensure effective and efficient administration
GPRA
Financial management
Participant records management
Personnel management
Plan to use resources and personnel to achieve project objectives and coordinate with other projects for disadvantaged students
Other college resources
Other TRIO projects, other like-projects (CROP, displaced homemakers, etc.)
Local university partners/projects

16. Plan of Operation (cont.)
Plan to work cooperatively with parents, key administrative, teaching and counseling personnel at target schools
For adult programs (VUB), reach out to family members
Local technical centers, colleges, school districts
Follow-up plan for tracking graduates
Participant release form
National Student Clearinghouse
Alumni group
Don’t forget plan for reach-out to non-completers

17. Applicant and Community Support (16 points) 16/105. 65 =. 15238. 65= 9
Applicant and Community Support (16 points) 16/105*65 = *65= 9.90 pages/8
College Commitments:
Facilities
Equipment
Personnel and other resources
Business Affairs
IT/Microcomputer Resources
HR/SPD
Marketing
Maintenance
Health Clinic
Community Commitments:
Community outreach
Referral of participants
Accept referrals
Distribution of marketing materials
Public Service Announcements
Provide guest speakers
Invite program staff to speak
Workshops

18. Commitment Letters I write drafts of ALL requested commitment letters
Original letters kept on file, provide a table of all commitments in narrative (community commitments was 3.5 page table)
Name names – table should include names and titles for both internal and external commitments
U.S. Department of Education does not want “I support this funding in my city-county-state-district” letters from politicians; however …
Will they commit to referring eligible constituents?
No “match” requirement for TRIO projects, but can you quantify the “commitments” made?

19. Quality of Personnel (8 points) 8/105*65 = .07619*65 = 4.95 pages/4
Project Director (100%)
Master’s degree
Managing project/budget, supervising staff, reports, maintaining community/education contacts
Represent project to college administration
Other personnel
Academic Coordinator/Instructor (100%)
Implement academic program, supervise tutors
Recruitment/Retention Specialist (50%, shared with VSSS)
Associate’s degree
Administrative support, recruitment/follow-up

20. Quality of Personnel (cont.)
Part-time staff
Program instructors
Lab managers/tutors
Peer mentors/tutors

21. Plan to Employ Where are you advertising?
TRIO listserv
Local newspapers highly read by minority populations
Council of Opportunity in Education (COE) employment listings
Give examples of current staff
Reference GEPA and EA/EO

22. Budget & Cost Effectiveness (5 points)
5/105*65 = .0476*65 = 3.09 pages/5
Budget is adequate & reasonable
Provide appropriate justification (i.e., historical amounts, college policy)
Be sure that all costs are allowable and are related to activities included in Plan of Operation.

23. Evaluation Plan (8 points)
8/105*65 = *65 = 4.95 pages/5
Appropriate to project
Qualitative
Student focus groups, informal feedback
Quantitative
Enrollment rates, pre- and post-test scores
What kind of analysis (mean, frequency, distributions)
Measurable ways project is achieving objectives
Formative and summative
Project evaluation team

24. Quality of Project Design (5 points)
5/105*65 = .0476*65 = 3.09 pages/2
Introduction to the Logic Model
~one page
Logic Model (one page)
Inputs
Activities/Services
Outputs
Outcomes
Evaluation
Program adjustments as needed

25. Tables Used in Narrative
Veteran Status
Target Area/PSC demographics
Area Veteran Demographics
Poverty Status
FGIC/FTIC
Educational Attainment Rates
Homeless Daily Count
Public Assistance
Plan to inform
Curriculum/Schedule
Timeline
College Commitments
Business/Community Commitments
Budget Narrative, YR1
Performance/Process Evaluation Plan
Comprehensive Evaluation Plan

26. Figures Used in Narrative
Area Map
Project Selection Process
PSC VUB Organizational Chart
Logic Model for Plan of Operation and Evaluation

27. Fatal Flaws Applying when you’re not eligible
READ THE DIRECTIONS
Missing important deadlines
Ineligible formatting (# of pages, margins, fonts – try to stick within “guidelines”)
Asking for too much money (or not enough)
Manner in which grant is submitted
READ THE DIRECTIONS, AGAIN!

28. Depending on Spell Check to find all errors
HAVE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR APPLICATION
Not using appropriate grammar/punctuation
Using unexplained acronyms or vocabulary
Full of inconsistencies
Lack of polish/Choppy
Budget doesn’t match the proposed activities

29. Basic Tips Think/write in “active” voice
Write in an “institutional” voice
Don’t write in first person
“The College” rather than “I/We”
Address each and every guideline in RFP
Use appropriate/up-to-date data
Be persuasive
Be interesting

30. ddouma@pensacolastate.edu 850.484.1705