Y E S , I T M ATT E R S

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.127-130 (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 180-181)• 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