Grant Research Includes Reading a Grant Sample

“Nothing succeeds like success” is an old proverb, but it applies well to grant writing today. Grant writers who want to be successful know what is wanted by the grant maker and one great way to do that is to read a grant sample of proposals that were successful in previous competitions.

Now you might be saying to yourself “Whoa! You’re talking about plagiarism,” and I’ll say y’all are wrong about that. I’m talking about reading for the purpose of research only, certainly NEVER copying or creating derivative works.

Reading a grant sample is no different than serving as a reader on a grant scoring team. You learn a lot about how to write a successful grant proposal by reading the work of other successful grant writers.

Here are some of the key things you should look for when you are reading a grant sample.

  1. Program structure including who is served, what kind of services, how much service was deemed acceptable, etc.
  2. What kind of organization got the money, public, private, non-profit?
  3. Who was the target audience? Is there a preference for a certain demographic, geographic area, or municipal size?
  4. What is in the budget? What will the funder actually pay for and what are the relative amounts in terms of budget categories?

Of course there is a lot more to look for including use of language, use of graphics, and use of charts and tables. Remember that successful proposals were those that the readers liked and recommended for funding. That’s the group you want to be in the next round of funding!

Creative Resources and Research offers grant samples that our staff has collected for various competitions at http://grantsample.com/. We also offer some of our own successful proposals there (with identifying information about the client agency redacted).

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Also check out http://grantoutline.com/!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Research Includes Reading a Grant Sample

“Nothing succeeds like success” is an old proverb, but it applies well to grant writing today. Grant writers who want to be successful know what is wanted by the grant maker and one great way to do that is to read a grant sample of proposals that were successful in previous competitions.

Now you might be saying to yourself “Whoa! You’re talking about plagiarism,” and I’ll say y’all are wrong about that. I’m talking about reading for the purpose of research only, certainly NEVER copying or creating derivative works.

Reading a grant sample is no different than serving as a reader on a grant scoring team. You learn a lot about how to write a successful grant proposal by reading the work of other successful grant writers.

Here are some of the key things you should look for when you are reading a grant sample.

  1. Program structure including who is served, what kind of services, how much service was deemed acceptable, etc.
  2. What kind of organization got the money, public, private, non-profit?
  3. Who was the target audience? Is there a preference for a certain demographic, geographic area, or municipal size?
  4. What is in the budget? What will the funder actually pay for and what are the relative amounts in terms of budget categories?

Of course there is a lot more to look for including use of language, use of graphics, and use of charts and tables. Remember that successful proposals were those that the readers liked and recommended for funding. That’s the group you want to be in the next round of funding!

Creative Resources and Research offers grant samples that our staff has collected for various competitions at http://grantsample.com/. We also offer some of our own successful proposals there (with identifying information about the client agency redacted).

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Also check out http://grantoutline.com/!

Online Learning Center Teaches Grant Writing

Our Online Learning Center is now live! Learn grant writing when it’s convenient for you.

Here’s how it works:  You register for a one hour seminar or a full course. Then we send you more information about how to access the material.  If it’s a seminar, you can participate live (or not) and you’ll also have access to the recorded web session for six months to review at your convenience.  If it’s a course, the online session materials will be released according to the schedule on the curse page (over a period of about a month), but it’s all recorded, so you can go through the materials on your time, when it’s convenient for you. You’ll have access to all the online sessions for 6 months.

Like learning in the middle of the night?  No problem. Want to review the materials a little each day on your lunch hour? That’s perfect.

Here are the seminars that are planned for the next several weeks.  Remember, the dates and times are for the live event, but you don’t have to be available then to take advantage of the seminars:

  • Secrets of Successful Grant Writers – June 29th – 12 noon PST.
  • Writing an Effective Evaluation Section – July 7th – 12 noon PST
  • Logic Models – July 20th – 3:00 p.m. PST
  • Timelines – July 27th – 3:00 p.m. PST

 Here are the courses that are planned for this summer (with links to the course information pages):

With each course, you get the course materials (a recorded Webex session, links, handouts,etc.), access to an exclusive course discussion group, access to the instructor through weekly teleconference for questions, and for some courses you also get individual teleconference consultation time with the instructor.

Check out the Online Learning Center for more information and to register.

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Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Online Learning Center Teaches Grant Writing

Our Online Learning Center is now live! Learn grant writing when it’s convenient for you.

Here’s how it works:  You register for a one hour seminar or a full course. Then we send you more information about how to access the material.  If it’s a seminar, you can participate live (or not) and you’ll also have access to the recorded web session for six months to review at your convenience.  If it’s a course, the online session materials will be released according to the schedule on the curse page (over a period of about a month), but it’s all recorded, so you can go through the materials on your time, when it’s convenient for you. You’ll have access to all the online sessions for 6 months.

Like learning in the middle of the night?  No problem. Want to review the materials a little each day on your lunch hour? That’s perfect.

Here are the seminars that are planned for the next several weeks.  Remember, the dates and times are for the live event, but you don’t have to be available then to take advantage of the seminars:

  • Secrets of Successful Grant Writers – June 29th – 12 noon PST.
  • Writing an Effective Evaluation Section – July 7th – 12 noon PST
  • Logic Models – July 20th – 3:00 p.m. PST
  • Timelines – July 27th – 3:00 p.m. PST

 Here are the courses that are planned for this summer (with links to the course information pages):

With each course, you get the course materials (a recorded Webex session, links, handouts,etc.), access to an exclusive course discussion group, access to the instructor through weekly teleconference for questions, and for some courses you also get individual teleconference consultation time with the instructor.

Check out the Online Learning Center for more information and to register.

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Learning to Collaborate

Some thoughts from our Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, on schools and collaboration:

The Full-Service Community Schools Program Grant application has just been released so my thoughts have turned, once again, to the fact that schools just can’t take on all the problems of today’s children and their parents and, at the same time, focus on turning around a school labeled as “failing.” Schools need other agencies to share some of the responsibility.

Imagine a community school intentionally transformed into a neighborhood hub – open all the time to children and their families and, in this school, a range of support services is provided by community agencies to help students overcome the obstacles that interfere with their learning and success in school.

In order to create this system of comprehensive, coordinated support in a community school model, schools have to learn to work in different ways. Schools have tended to be isolated to a significant extent from direct intervention of other professionals; where they have had to work with other agencies, their relative size, statutory nature and high degree of control over what happens within their walls have often made them difficult partners (and I know many community non-profits working with children at school sites can attest to that!).

Educators and human service providers traditionally have been on different tracks. To collaborate, schools (and agencies) must be willing to negotiate on issues such as confidentiality, discipline, equipment, and transportation, to name a few. Many large educational initiatives (Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Healthy Start, 21st Century Community Learning Centers) insist on collaboration – often on the school site – and this has shifted the balance from control to cooperation. Principals and teachers realize that they need the cooperation of other professionals in order to reach the standards of performance by which their schools are judged.

Full service community schools are jointly operated and financed by a school district and a community-based organization. Each community school is unique based on what the neighborhood needs. Does the full service community school work? Preliminary research shows improved achievement, much better attendance rates, lower delinquency, and significant student and parent approval. Joy Dryfoos (well-known researcher and advocate of full service schools) states that the full service community school is a strategy – not a program – for “redesigning education to meet the needs of a modern, dynamic society.”

Learning to collaborate is a critical key in successful community schools. Collaboration benefits schools and community organizations in several ways:

  1. Working as a team leads to improved effectiveness, more efficient use of resources, better access to services and more productive partnerships;
  2. When schools and community based organizations cooperate to align resources with common goals, children and youth are more likely to succeed academically, socially, and physically;
  3. Collaboration among professionals provides opportunities to enlarge and deepen practice as school staff and community organizations learn from each other; and 
  4. Much more can be accomplished for children and families as a team than can be accomplished by any one organization in isolation.

Take a look at the Full Service Community Schools Program application.

For more information: Inside Full Service Community Schools, by Joy G. Dryfoos & Sue Maguire.

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Visit GrantGoddess.com for more great tips on collaboration and grant writing!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Learning to Collaborate

Some thoughts from our Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, on schools and collaboration:

The Full-Service Community Schools Program Grant application has just been released so my thoughts have turned, once again, to the fact that schools just can’t take on all the problems of today’s children and their parents and, at the same time, focus on turning around a school labeled as “failing.” Schools need other agencies to share some of the responsibility.

Imagine a community school intentionally transformed into a neighborhood hub – open all the time to children and their families and, in this school, a range of support services is provided by community agencies to help students overcome the obstacles that interfere with their learning and success in school.

In order to create this system of comprehensive, coordinated support in a community school model, schools have to learn to work in different ways. Schools have tended to be isolated to a significant extent from direct intervention of other professionals; where they have had to work with other agencies, their relative size, statutory nature and high degree of control over what happens within their walls have often made them difficult partners (and I know many community non-profits working with children at school sites can attest to that!).

Educators and human service providers traditionally have been on different tracks. To collaborate, schools (and agencies) must be willing to negotiate on issues such as confidentiality, discipline, equipment, and transportation, to name a few. Many large educational initiatives (Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Healthy Start, 21st Century Community Learning Centers) insist on collaboration – often on the school site – and this has shifted the balance from control to cooperation. Principals and teachers realize that they need the cooperation of other professionals in order to reach the standards of performance by which their schools are judged.

Full service community schools are jointly operated and financed by a school district and a community-based organization. Each community school is unique based on what the neighborhood needs. Does the full service community school work? Preliminary research shows improved achievement, much better attendance rates, lower delinquency, and significant student and parent approval. Joy Dryfoos (well-known researcher and advocate of full service schools) states that the full service community school is a strategy – not a program – for “redesigning education to meet the needs of a modern, dynamic society.”

Learning to collaborate is a critical key in successful community schools. Collaboration benefits schools and community organizations in several ways:

  1. Working as a team leads to improved effectiveness, more efficient use of resources, better access to services and more productive partnerships;
  2. When schools and community based organizations cooperate to align resources with common goals, children and youth are more likely to succeed academically, socially, and physically;
  3. Collaboration among professionals provides opportunities to enlarge and deepen practice as school staff and community organizations learn from each other; and 
  4. Much more can be accomplished for children and families as a team than can be accomplished by any one organization in isolation.

Take a look at the Full Service Community Schools Program application.

For more information: Inside Full Service Community Schools, by Joy G. Dryfoos & Sue Maguire.

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Visit GrantGoddess.com for more great tips on collaboration and grant writing!


Virtual Collaboration

Here are some thoughts from our Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, on Virtual Collaboration:

Collaboration is a process of participation through which people, groups and organizations work together to achieve desired results. Starting or sustaining a collaborative journey is exciting, sometimes stressful, and even new for many. Successful collaboration requires focus on the goals of the team and on the development of trusting relationships. These relationships allow people to overcome problems that might arise through the collaborative process. While most of our collaborative tasks are still done in face-to-face meetings, technology has enabled us to collaborate from afar. It has given us the ability to be members of a professional learning community that may include people from around the globe.

Is collaboration on virtual teams as effective as collaborative teams that meet face to face? Dr. Jaclyn Kostner (author of Bridge the Distance) found that virtual teams tended to keep their focus on priorities better than face-to-face teams and, in fact, virtual meetings were frequently shorter; however, the virtual collaborative teams failed more often. One of the reasons for this higher rate of failure, according to Dr. Kostner, is that virtual teams did not develop the relationships that allowed them to work as a team to overcome problems – they did not collaborate in any meaningful way. As organizations move toward using technology to facilitate collaboration among teams that are split by distance what are some ways that teams can collaborate better at a distance? Here are a few tips:

  1. Don’t multi-task at virtual meetings. Close your email, turn off your alerts and pay attention. The only time an entire virtual team can collaborate is when they are meeting. If you want your team to collaborate and be a team make sure that everyone pays attention and participates in team meetings.
  2. Meet face to face as often as possible. While the technology tools that enable us to communicate virtually save time and money, there is no better way to develop relationships than face to face. This may not be a possibility for teams that are at long distances apart. Make sure that you do allow some virtual time to get to know your team.
  3. Create office hours when team members can be reached. Collaboration among team members is an important way to create relationships and overcome the barrier of distance. Because it is so difficult to get anyone live these days, set up hours for each team member when they agree to be available, answer their phones, and take the time to work with the other team member.

Dr. Kostner was the spokesperson for a study conducted by Frost and Sullivan (Meetings around the World) sponsored by Microsoft and Verizon. The basic conclusion from this study was “The more collaborative organizations are, the better they perform. Conversely, the less collaborative they are, the worse they perform.” So if virtual teaming is in your plan, pay attention to creating a virtual team that collaborates well.

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Would you like more of MaryEllen’s insight?  Become a member of GrantGoddess.com and visit the Coach’s Corner.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Virtual Collaboration

Here are some thoughts from our Grant Coach, MaryEllen Bergh, on Virtual Collaboration:

Collaboration is a process of participation through which people, groups and organizations work together to achieve desired results. Starting or sustaining a collaborative journey is exciting, sometimes stressful, and even new for many. Successful collaboration requires focus on the goals of the team and on the development of trusting relationships. These relationships allow people to overcome problems that might arise through the collaborative process. While most of our collaborative tasks are still done in face-to-face meetings, technology has enabled us to collaborate from afar. It has given us the ability to be members of a professional learning community that may include people from around the globe.

Is collaboration on virtual teams as effective as collaborative teams that meet face to face? Dr. Jaclyn Kostner (author of Bridge the Distance) found that virtual teams tended to keep their focus on priorities better than face-to-face teams and, in fact, virtual meetings were frequently shorter; however, the virtual collaborative teams failed more often. One of the reasons for this higher rate of failure, according to Dr. Kostner, is that virtual teams did not develop the relationships that allowed them to work as a team to overcome problems – they did not collaborate in any meaningful way. As organizations move toward using technology to facilitate collaboration among teams that are split by distance what are some ways that teams can collaborate better at a distance? Here are a few tips:

  1. Don’t multi-task at virtual meetings. Close your email, turn off your alerts and pay attention. The only time an entire virtual team can collaborate is when they are meeting. If you want your team to collaborate and be a team make sure that everyone pays attention and participates in team meetings.
  2. Meet face to face as often as possible. While the technology tools that enable us to communicate virtually save time and money, there is no better way to develop relationships than face to face. This may not be a possibility for teams that are at long distances apart. Make sure that you do allow some virtual time to get to know your team.
  3. Create office hours when team members can be reached. Collaboration among team members is an important way to create relationships and overcome the barrier of distance. Because it is so difficult to get anyone live these days, set up hours for each team member when they agree to be available, answer their phones, and take the time to work with the other team member.

Dr. Kostner was the spokesperson for a study conducted by Frost and Sullivan (Meetings around the World) sponsored by Microsoft and Verizon. The basic conclusion from this study was “The more collaborative organizations are, the better they perform. Conversely, the less collaborative they are, the worse they perform.” So if virtual teaming is in your plan, pay attention to creating a virtual team that collaborates well.

————————–
 
Would you like more of MaryEllen’s insight?  Become a member of GrantGoddess.com and visit the Coach’s Corner.

Changing the World

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  –Margaret Mead.

I had one of those awesome grant writer payoff moments yesterday.  I was sitting in an end-of-year evaluation meeting with a group of collaborative partners that has been implementing a grant funded, school-based violence prevention program for the last four years. The group was discussing the outcomes for the past year and plans for the next year.

It was an unusually lighthearted and joyful meeting.  Of course, there were many educators around the table and school is out for the summer, but even in that situation grant evaluation meetings are typically not that celebratory, at least not in my experience. However, this group had good reason to be proud. There was good improvement in our targeted outcomes in spite of the fact that the sites involved had been hit hard by budget cuts and had suffered several dramatic challenges late in the year (the death of a teacher at one school; the arrest of a teacher at the other).

As we were discussing the outcomes and fine tuning the plans for next year, the real magic happened. A student walked in the room bringing some copies to the meeting facilitator.  After the student left, one of the principals said, “Now she’s a real success story!” and he proceeded to tell us how troubled that young woman had been and how many thought that she might be in real trouble and lost beyond the ability of anyone at the school to help.

Then he talked about the services provided to the young woman through the project – not just through the grant, but through the entire collaborative effort.  We learned that she had been assisted in various ways by at least  8 of the project partners in that room, and that the grant had helped coordinate those services so the community could actually wrap its arms around that young woman and walk her through the difficult time in her life. Then he told us how well she is doing now (including earning a 3.5 GPA!). The principal finished his remarks with the words, “Seriously, we saved a life.”

I sat there listening quietly, but the truth is that it was a moment that took my breath away.  I couldn’t speak because there was a lump in my throat. There is no question that moments like that are the real payoff in grant writing, and they are the reason I do it.

Most of the time, I work in isolation as I write.  I communicate with people as much as I need to to gather the information I need to put together a high quality proposal, but hours and hours are spent alone with my notes and my computer. The process is so separate from the ultimate result (changing lives) that it’s very hard to see sometimes, especially when I’m backed up against multiple deadlines, and I’m tired, and my client is being difficult (yes, it happens at times).

Because I also serve as a program evaluator, I have the incredible honor of being able to see the result of my writing efforts. I get to see programs in place that weren’t there before, services that weren’t offered before, and yes, I get to meet people whose lives are forever changed for the better because of those hours I spent in isolation doing what I do best.

So, the experience yesterday will provide some good motivating fuel for my writing for a while.  When I’m tired of writing and I want to quit or I want to take a shortcut or two instead of giving it my best effort, I’ll remind myself that I’m not writing, I’m changing the world.

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Related Post: The Real Payoff

The Grant Goddess’ Online Learning Center opens in a few days! Keep checking back here or visit GrantGoddess.com to see the link on the home page.

Want to supercharge your grant writing?  Become a member at GrantGoddess.com! You’ll have access to a huge selection of grant writing, program evaluation, non-profit development, and research tools.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Changing the World

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  –Margaret Mead.

I had one of those awesome grant writer payoff moments yesterday.  I was sitting in an end-of-year evaluation meeting with a group of collaborative partners that has been implementing a grant funded, school-based violence prevention program for the last four years. The group was discussing the outcomes for the past year and plans for the next year.

It was an unusually lighthearted and joyful meeting.  Of course, there were many educators around the table and school is out for the summer, but even in that situation grant evaluation meetings are typically not that celebratory, at least not in my experience. However, this group had good reason to be proud. There was good improvement in our targeted outcomes in spite of the fact that the sites involved had been hit hard by budget cuts and had suffered several dramatic challenges late in the year (the death of a teacher at one school; the arrest of a teacher at the other).

As we were discussing the outcomes and fine tuning the plans for next year, the real magic happened. A student walked in the room bringing some copies to the meeting facilitator.  After the student left, one of the principals said, “Now she’s a real success story!” and he proceeded to tell us how troubled that young woman had been and how many thought that she might be in real trouble and lost beyond the ability of anyone at the school to help.

Then he talked about the services provided to the young woman through the project – not just through the grant, but through the entire collaborative effort.  We learned that she had been assisted in various ways by at least  8 of the project partners in that room, and that the grant had helped coordinate those services so the community could actually wrap its arms around that young woman and walk her through the difficult time in her life. Then he told us how well she is doing now (including earning a 3.5 GPA!). The principal finished his remarks with the words, “Seriously, we saved a life.”

I sat there listening quietly, but the truth is that it was a moment that took my breath away.  I couldn’t speak because there was a lump in my throat. There is no question that moments like that are the real payoff in grant writing, and they are the reason I do it.

Most of the time, I work in isolation as I write.  I communicate with people as much as I need to to gather the information I need to put together a high quality proposal, but hours and hours are spent alone with my notes and my computer. The process is so separate from the ultimate result (changing lives) that it’s very hard to see sometimes, especially when I’m backed up against multiple deadlines, and I’m tired, and my client is being difficult (yes, it happens at times).

Because I also serve as a program evaluator, I have the incredible honor of being able to see the result of my writing efforts. I get to see programs in place that weren’t there before, services that weren’t offered before, and yes, I get to meet people whose lives are forever changed for the better because of those hours I spent in isolation doing what I do best.

So, the experience yesterday will provide some good motivating fuel for my writing for a while.  When I’m tired of writing and I want to quit or I want to take a shortcut or two instead of giving it my best effort, I’ll remind myself that I’m not writing, I’m changing the world.

——————————–

Related Post: The Real Payoff

The Grant Goddess’ Online Learning Center opens in a few days! Keep checking back here or visit GrantGoddess.com to see the link on the home page.

Want to supercharge your grant writing?  Become a member at GrantGoddess.com! You’ll have access to a huge selection of grant writing, program evaluation, non-profit development, and research tools.