 |
|
School Grant Application Tips
Writing Your Grant Proposal
The following tips are for educators about to embark on the grant application
process for the first time.
- Have a clear plan for your project. Know what you want to accomplish and
the steps you will take to do it.
- If you can find grants that others have submitted, read them and get a
feel for the writing. (Don't copy any grant proposal!)
- Find out in advance what kinds of projects the granter will and will not
fund.
- Try to have a “hook” -- something different that will make your grant
stand out from the many submissions.
- Include statistics. Prove your points. Don't just say students can't read.
Give facts to back up your claims.
- Make sure your goals are measurable and realistic. You can't realistically
say 100 percent of students will read above grade level at the completion of
the project.
- Do not make your grant tech heavy. Everyone wants equipment. Make the
equipment a byproduct of the project: “it just so happens” that a few handheld
computers (such as Palm Pilots) are needed to improve students’ ability to
meet the desired goal. Don't ignore the amount that will be spent on
technology, but it should not be the main emphasis of the narrative. Student
or staff achievement should be the focus of your proposal.
- Be sure to include the necessary staff development to make the project a
success. Too many people skimp on that area.
- Make sure the timeline of the grant matches the grantor’s funding cycle.
If that’s unknown, it’s better to use “phase 1” and “phase 2” or “month” 1, 2,
3, etc. than specific dates.
- Don’t pad the budget. Most reviewers know the costs of the equipment and
other needs. If you inflate costs, you probably will not be funded.
- Know who the evaluators will be -- business leaders, educators, government
officials, and so on.
- If possible, become a grant reviewer. (Most states accept volunteers.)
That will allow you to see the kinds of projects that are funded, how the
review process works, what types of projects people are writing, and how good
or poor the writing is.
- Don't give up because you’re rejected. It takes time and dedication to get
projects funded.
- If you are rejected, submit the same project to different groups,
companies, and organizations. Just be sure to make improvements and change the
format, if necessary, to meet the new criteria.
- Remember, once you are awarded the grant, someone has to implement it and
make sure everything you said would be done is done in a timely manner,
and that the money is spent properly. That takes a lot of time.
Related Pages
Grant Writing Tips - Ten tips on grant
writing - How to write a winning grant proposal.
Grant Proposal Tips - Forty tips on how
to put together a winning grant proposal - Real advice on writing a grant
request.
Grant Writer Tips - Ten succinct tips on
writing a winning grant proposal - How to get a school grant.
Corporate Foundations - How to locate
corporate grants for school groups or educational nonprofit organizations.
Writing Grant Requests - How to
write a funding request for a grant - Tips on the essential elements of a grant
request.
School Grant Writing - The three P's
of successful school grant writing: the Project, the Plan and Permission.
Grant Application Tips - Tips on
successfully completing your grant application so that your request gets funded.
|
|
Ideas For Fundraisers
Art Raffle
Auction
Bake Sale
Band
Baseball
Bingo
Bowling
Bracelets
Brick
Candle
Candy
Candy Bar
Capital Campaign
Car Donation
Car Raffle
Car Wash
Cash Calendar
Casino Night
Cell Phone
Chair-ity Event
Charity
Charity Poker
Cheerleading
Cheesecake Calendar
Chinese Auction
Christian
Christian Event Ideas
Christmas Carols
Christmas Trees
Church
Church Festival
Church Fund Raisers
College
Cookbook
Cookie Dough
Corporate Grants
Cow Chip
Credit Card
Dance
Dance Team
Discount Cards
Donation Request
Donor Recognition
Earth Friendly
Easy
eBay
Event Tips
Events
Events - Part 1
Events - Part 2
Events - Part 3
Flower Bulbs
Flowers
Food Sales
For The Cure
Free
Fruit
Fun
Fundraising Sample
Gift Wrap
Golf Ball Drop Raffle
Golf Fundraiser
Golf Tournament
Grant Requests
Halloween
Healthy
Hockey
Home & Garden
Holiday Carnival
Individual
Inkjet Recycling
Internet
Jamba Juice
Jingle Bell Run
Jingle Bell Walk
Karaoke
Kathryn Beich
Krispy Kreme
Lip Sync
Location
Lollipop
Magazine
Mardi Gras
Merchant Plan
Mini Golf Tournament
Non-Profit
Pancake Breakfast
Photography
Pink Flamingo
Pizza
Pizza Hut
Political
Popcorn
Product Ideas
Promo
Publicity
Raffle
Raffle Prizes
Raffle Tickets
Relay For Life
Relay For Life Events
Rubber Duck
Sales Tips
Sample Thank You
School
Scratch Card
Scrip
Silent Auction Tips
Soccer
Softball
Spaghetti Dinner
101 Tips
Top Five
Tried & True
Tupperware
Valentines Day
Whiskey Tasting
Wine Tasting
Worlds Finest
Youth Group
Youth Sports
|
|
