First Grant Proposal:Keys to Success Another 453 Vidcast by

Dean Rehberger

7 Keys to Success• Overcoming artificialness

• Picking the right topic

• Be someone

• Use the CAF RFP

• Keep on track with the activities

• Avoid contact

• Ask lots of questions

WRA 453

Grant Proposal I• Fictional

• Use a real grant program from foundation or government agency

• Assume a role as a grant writer for a real nonprofit or researcher

• Use WRA453 Common Application Format for the Request for Proposal (RFP)

• Proposal will be a maximum of 12 pages

WRA 453

7 Keys to Success• Overcoming artificialness

• Picking the right topic

• Be someone

• Use the CAF RFP

• Keep on track with the activities

• Avoid contact

• Ask lots of questions

WRA 453

Overcoming artificialness• “Don’t let the grant writer write the proposal”

✴Quote from Gwen Walden

WRA 453

Overcoming artificialness• Most grant writing is done as part of a team

• Proposals grow out of work already being done

• New areas require lots of research or new partners

• Grant writing is not so much about writing a document as doing a process (managing a project)

• Grant writing is about establishing and maintaining knowledge networks (relationships with funders, research on funders, program planning and implementation)

• Grant writing is the collecting of “text chunks” and making them flow as part of a proposal

WRA 453

Picking the right topic• Pick a topic you already know a good deal about

• Pick a topic where you have done research and writing

• Pick a topic that you are passionate about

• Talk to your program officer, Dean Rehberger, if you are struggling for a topic

WRA 453

Be someone• Imagine yourself working for a “real” nonprofit or researcher

• Don’t need to make things up

• Practice being a weaver of texts

WRA 453

Be someone

WRA 453

Be someone

WRA 453

Use the CAF RFP

WRA 453

Use the CAF RFP

WRA 453

Use the CAF RFP

WRA 453

Use the CAF RFP

WRA 453

Keep on track with the activities

WRA 453

Keep on track with the activities

• Here is the problem (Needs)

• We have a solution (Goals & Objectives)

• We can solve it like this (Methods)

• The way we will solve it will work and we will prove it (evaluation)

• Here is how much it will cost (budget)

• Why are we the best for the job (qualifications)

WRA 453

Avoid contact• Although the primary lessons of grant writing are,

• Build relationship with funders

• Contact the Grant Program Officer (PO)

• For purposes of this class, don’t contact funders.

• Your PO is Dean Rehberger and Joyce Meier

WRA 453

Ask lots of questions• Always ask questions of your PO, Dean Rehberger

and Joyce Meier

• There is no such thing as bothering him or her

• Ask questions of fellow grant writers

• If you know people in the field, other grant writers or researchers, don’t hesitate to take them to lunch and talk.

WRA 453

First Grant Proposal:Keys to Success Another 453 Vidcast by

Dean Rehberger