HOW TO WRITE AWARD-WINNING GRANT PROPOSALS

2. HOW TO WRITE AWARD-WINNING GRANT PROPOSALS

3. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 • Before you start writing: • Research: Get to know about the agency and grant program • Contact the person listed as contact person • Visit the agency headquarters • Speak or meet with other personnel at the agency • Review the funding opportunity application • Pre-writing Tasks: • Develop and track ideas (brainstorm) • Establish time-frame for completion • Who will write, who will review, what should it look like • Draft outline (well-thought out, recipe for successful proposal) • Register with Grants.gov • Prepare a compliance matrix • Meet your deadlines (Non-negotiable)

4. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 • There are eight basic components to creating a solid proposal package: • The Proposal Summary • Introduction of Organization • The Problem Statement (or Needs Assessment) • Program Objectives • Program Methods and Design • Program Evaluation • Future Funding • The Program Budget

5. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL • The Proposal Summary : Outline of Program Goals • IMPORTANT: The Summary is the cornerstone of your proposal, and the initial impression it gives will be critical to the success of your proposal • Should appear at the beginning of the proposal • Should be in the form of a cover letter or a separate page • Brief -- two or three paragraphs to one page • Encompass all the key summary points necessary to communicate the objectives of the program

6. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL • Introduction : Presenting a Credible Applicant or Organization • Describe the organization (brief biography of board members and key staff members) • Discuss organization's goals, philosophy, track record with other grantors. Include success stories. • Demonstrate relevancy of your organization and program to the goals of the Federal grantor agency

7. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL The Problem Statement :State Purpose or Need • Present your case • Purpose for developing proposal • Who will benefit (hard evidence) • How you will resolve the problem

8. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL Program Objectives:Goals and Desired Outcomes • Identify goals and methods to achieve objectives • State measurable achievements and outcomes • Stated objectives will likely be used to evaluate program progress and success

9. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL Program Methods and Design:A Plan of Action • Sketch out the activities necessary to execute the program • May develop a flow chart, timeline or design of the features of the program • Highlight innovative features • Demonstrate how program will be leveraged • Discuss how you will manage and monitor sub-recipients and sub-grantees • Keep it readable and realistic

10. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL Program Evaluation: Product and Process Analysis Product evaluation addresses results that can be attributed to the program, and the extent to which the program has satisfied its desired objectives. Process evaluation addresses how the program was conducted, in terms of consistency with the stated plan of action and the effectiveness of the various activities within the plan. • Most Federal agencies now require some form of program evaluation among grantees • Evaluations may be conducted by an internal staff member, an evaluation firm or both.

11. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL Future Funding : Long-Term Program Planning • Describe plan for continuation beyond grant period and availability of other resources to implement grant • Discuss maintenance and future program funding • Discuss long-term benefits

12. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL The Program Budget: Planning the Budget • Budget is an estimate (modifications can be made with agency approval) • Be detailed and put in the time to develop the budget (agency analyzes and well prepared budget inspires agency confidence) • A well-prepared budget justifies all expenses and is consistent with the proposal narrative. • Be sure to only include allowable expenses • Be very familiar with government-wide circular requirements

13. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A PROPOSAL Appendices • Resumes • Letters of Support or Endorsement • Other attachments (as requested) • Audit Reports • Letter of Tax Exemption • Don’t include lots of extras if not requested

14. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Before you mail: • Read and re-read • Quality control check (binding, pages, print quality) • Compliance matrix • Delivery package precisely conforms to requirements • Ensure it will arrive on time!

15. Contact InformationJoy ShelvinDeltha Corporation • New Orleans 3520 General de Gaulle Drive Suite 5060 New Orleans, LA 70114 jshelvin@delthacorporation.com (504)-367-6766