Any one in the arts business knows that one of the on-going challenges is maintaining a constant stream of revenue. Many of us reach out to grants and philanthropic foundation giving to help us succeed.
Back in late August, we attended a two-day grant writing seminar in which we learned a lot about what it takes to write a good proposal. To make it as easy as possible, we have taken those two days and condensed it down to what we think are the key takeaways.
Grant Writing Tips
- Identify the Need – Problem or issue the org indents to confront
- Capacity – how the org is uniquely qualified or has the ability to address the issue (WHY US?)
- Plan – program design. Description of what the org will do to address the need (WHAT WE DO?)
- Budget – Identify how much the project will cost, how much has been raised and what portion the grant will cover (HOW MUCH?)
- Evaluation – show that the program worked
- Need –
- Put parameters around your project and use supporting data. Don’t make the problem too big to solve.
- Usually geographically contained – a selected area
- Always address an issue. Frame the issue as a community centered
- Find and use current data to support your need statement
- Show urgency. What it needs to be addressed now.
- Capacity
- Clear mission and vision can address this
- Need to understand this before asking for money
- Have a Strategic plan
- Why is your organization is uniquely qualified to address the issue, and if you have the staff or people to perform the service.
- Consider an agency resume with the following info
- Years in operation
- Project management History
- Grant Managemtn History
- Specific accomplishments or program outcomes
- Agency Organiztion (how you’re structured)
- Resources
- Partnerships
- Plan
- Explain programs the organization is intending to do to solve the need and what additional resources would do.
- What
- Where
- Who
- How
- When
- Measure/Evaluate
- Timing
- Budget
- Identify the committed funds, matches and other resources
- How much do you need total for the project, how much do you need from the funder, and how much are you getting from other sources?
- Provide a picture of the financial health of the organization by answering the following:
- If money doesn’t come, then what?
- How were the costs determined?
- Has the Org. budget increased or decreased why or why not?
- How the Org raises money?
- Essential documentation
- Letters of Commitment – official letters from funding sources
- Memorandums of Understanding
- Appraisals
- Volunteers – Volunteer hours can be counted as resources or in-kind – Average hour is $23 but consider using $0- $12 (nonprofit norm)
- Find Federal Grant Budget request forms to build your working budget to save time during application process.
- Evaluation –
- How to track and record the success of the program
- Create benchmarks and indications of success
- Are the successes sustainable and replicable? Show the Change.
- Tell the story through numbers, events, or behavioral changes. Get quantitative and qualitative data.
- Identify up to three things that the project can change and be evaluated.
- See Logic model
Roles of a Nonprofit Board –
- Determine mission and Vision
- Policies and objectives
- Hire CEO
- Effective Planning
- Adequate resources
- Manage resources
- Monitor programs
- Public Image
- Court of Appeals
- Asses Board Performance
Resources –
- Grantmanship Center
- Grants.gov
- Utah Nonprofit Association –
- United Way Foundation Giving
- Grantspace.org
Notes –
- Always Submit three days before they are due.
- Need to have a DUNS number and an active Registration in Central Contractor Registry sam.gov for federal grants. SAM – require recertification once a year
- Create a Strategic plan
- Have board trainings
Download all this in a down loadable PDF Here – Grant-writing.