Grant Application Writing Tips and Tricks

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Vanessa Crawford
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1 Grant Applicatin Writing Tips and Tricks Grants are prvided by gvernment (lcal, state and natinal), charitable trusts, and by cmmunity rganisatins (eg Ltteries, Rtary, etc). Each grant has a specific purpse, bjective and target grup. Writing successful grant submissins can require much time and effrt, s it is essential t quickly and efficiently determine if a grant will suit yur grup. Be prepared. Have draft prject activity ideas that can quickly be tailred t match available grants. When applying fr funding yur first cnsideratin shuld be; Are we applying fr funding because we have identified a need and have develped a prject cncept that will address this need? Or Are we applying fr funding fr this prject because we have fund a funding surce and dn t want t miss ut n an pprtunity t access mney fr ur cmmunity? If it is the latter yu may wish t re-think whether yur applicatin is ging t be relevant. Suggestins fr quickly scanning grants fr suitability include: Lk first at the grants factsheets r guidelines First identify What the grant is fr, ie. their needs. D they match yur needs r can yu tailr a prject t suit? Des the grant help yu achieve yur strategic plan? Are the timelines apprpriate? Lk at what they will fund (and wn t fund). If they dn t fund salaries, d yu really want t prceed? If they dn t fund administratin, travel, etc. d yu really want t prceed? Remember a small grant (eg. $5000) may take just as much time t cmplete as $50,000 submissin. Any amunt ver $50,000 $200,000+ will require much mre reprting and gvernance. Secnd, review the criteria D yu meet the eligibility criteria? Read carefully and be realistic. Can yu quickly devise a rugh plan/prject that wuld meet all the criteria? D yu have the time and resurces (besides the mney frm the grant) t cmplete the prject? D yu require cmmittee apprval t prceed, r will the prject directly cntribute twards achievement f the strategic plan? Review the entire guidelines and submissin dcuments. Make ntes, and highlight wrds and sentences that yu may want t include in yur submissin, as yu g. This will assist yu later when writing the submissin. Prepare a rugh prject plan. The mre thrughly yu have thught thrugh the prject, the easier the submissin will be t write (eg. what, hw, wh, when, csts, etc.) Grwer Grup Alliance T: (08)

Writing successful grant submissins can require much time and effrt, s it is essential t quickly and efficiently determine if a grant will suit yur grup. Be prepared.

2 Reasns why applicatins/submissins aren t successful include: Wrng bucket: the prject desn t match the targets f what the funder wants t fund. Didn t meet criteria: Sme rganisatins receive up t 30% f applicatins that d nt meet the criteria Didn t answer the questin/criteria (even if yu think yu did); Often t much detail is prvided abut the hw, but nt the why r vice versa; - Remember t write yur submissin using the language, and backgrund infrmatin, that the grant details discuss. Avid industry jargn. Their needs are nt achieved by yur prject, ie. yu must tailr yur prject t what the funder want; - This may include expanding the prject s what yu need becmes a cmpnent f a larger prject that als prvides what they need. In-kind supprt is nt acceptable Wrk has already been dne i.e. is nt new/nvel/innvative. Imprtant t d yur research first. Grwer Grup Alliance T: (08)

hw, but nt the why r vice versa; - Remember t write yur submissin using the language, and backgrund infrmatin, that the grant details discuss. Avid industry jargn.

3 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Title The title shuld suggest what the prject is abut, and be clear. Prject summary The submissin shuld begin with a brief verview f what the prject will d, wh the target audience is r wh it will benefit, and when (ie. what needs will be satisfied?). It is recmmended t cmplete the summary after cmpleting the majrity f the submissin. Prblems What prblems will be slved, r benefits r advantages will be achieved thrugh the cmpletin f this prject. Objectives What des the prject hpe t achieve? What are the utcmes? List the tangible prducts the prject will prduce (new technlgy, new methds, training prgram, brchure, etc); Prvide real measures t demnstrate the success f the prject; Discuss risks, and hw the prject will reduce them; Identify any flw-n effects (ie. additinal benefits, advantages). Justificatin f need Why shuld anybdy fund this prject? It is essential t demnstrate a real need and t justify that need (ie. t slve prblems r create change). Be careful nt t waffle. Quality is better than quantity. Answer all questins directly. Use shrt sentences and dt pints if required. Has the prject been attempted befre, r elsewhere? Why did it succeed, r fail? If the wrk has been dne elsewhere, give reasns why it shuld be funded in yur area. What gaps are there in current research/develpment/extensin in this area Wh will benefit? Demnstrate and illustrate the benefits. Benefit shuld be greater than just the individual; Any statistics r data t validate yur claim? Are there any lng term benefits? Include letters f supprt frm supprters and advcates; Surce referencing: use qutes frm ther reprts t validate that yur prject matches their needs (especially reprts prepared by the grant bdy/department): Use ther reprts (eg, gvernment actin agendas) prviding data r infrmatin that aligns with yur prject (ie. supprts the need and demand); Use qutes that supprt yur idea/prject but nt t many qutes, enugh t shw yu knw what they want, and knw the literature; Web search the funding bdy t access jargn, pririties and bjectives. Grwer Grup Alliance T: (08)

It is recmmended t cmplete the summary after cmpleting the majrity f the submissin. Prblems What prblems will be slved, r benefits r advantages will be achieved thrugh the cmpletin f this prject.

4 Prject plan Describe the prject activities (prject design and plan) in detail, that is, hw yu prpse t implement the prject and hw it will be crdinated; Describe the sequence and flw f the prject (any equipment, facilities, etc); Present activities that can be accmplished in the time frame; Describe the time frame, including activity start dates; Wh is invlved in the prject? Yu may need t attach separate infrmatin. Is the prject well managed? D yu need t prvide a track recrd? Evaluatin and measurement Hw will yu demnstrate r prve that yur prject (nce cmpleted) has achieved its bjectives, and slved the prblem r prvided great benefits? Wh will evaluate? What criteria r measures did yu build int the prject? Can yu budget fr an evaluatin? If successful in yur grant applicatin, the funding bdy will be funding yur prject t see an utcme. Dn t frget t dcument yur wrk thrughut the prject entirety (phts, media articles etc) as this will help with final reprting. Budget Hw much the prject will cst, and the relative value needs t be clearly utlined. Many grants may have specific financial reprting framewrks r structures. What will the grant fund? Useful budget categries include: Staff, including EO salary (as prject manager), administratin fficer, research fficer eg. six hurs per week x length f prject (als include the same amunt as in-kind ); Other cnsultant csts; Administratin csts (pstage, statinary); Travel csts: Telephne and cmmunicatins; Printing includes phtcpying, agenda/minute prductin, etc; Equipment; Marketing and prmtin fr cmmunicating the results/utcmes f the prject (eg printing a brchure/flyer); Venue csts (fr meetings, include catering csts); Insurances; Audit csts Dn t ver estimate the csts. Funding bdies (especially gvernment) require very clear financial reprting as the prject may need t be audited. What in-kind resurces can yu access? Fr example, a steering cmmittee f vlunteers wuld include eight peple at $100 per hur fr five meetings f three hurs is $9,600 in-kind supprt. Other examples f in-kind supprt include: EO csts/wages; Administratin staff csts; Rent supprt and venue supprt if meetings are held in yur building yu dn t have t pay fr venues. Check whether GST is t be included r excluded in the budget. Grwer Grup Alliance T: (08)

Yu may need t attach separate infrmatin. Is the prject well managed? D yu need t prvide a track recrd?

5 Attachments t submissins Letters f Supprt: the ability t prvide letters f supprt fr any prject are very well received by grant prviders. The mre significant the supprt, r the supprter (eg. industry leader, plitician), the better. It demnstrates that yu have cmmunicated with the cmmunity, sught t research the need; that yu have a gd idea and thers think s t and that yu have industry/ cmmunity cnfidence in yu (ie. less risk t grant bdy). Als include rganisatinal brchures and/r marketing material, anything that demnstrates yur success with ther grants r prjects and brief CVs t demnstrate cmpetencies and experience. Submitting the applicatin Make sure yu submit the applicatin n time. After all the hard wrk, dn t miss ut because f a simple matter f timing. Keep a full cpy f the submissin fr yur wn recrds. D s and Dn ts D learn abut the funding bdy; Dn t expect t make mney; D expect t be very accuntable; Dn t ver r under estimate the budget; Dn t expect emtive writing t help yu; Dn t expect t influence the applicatin prcess; D tailr yur applicatins t each funding bdy, and grant; Dn t include infrmatin that is nt relevant D present a clear and well written submissin; Dn t expect t be able t d what yu want, when yu want, there are always very specific time frames and accuntability framewrks. Acknwledgements: David Nissen & Assciates n behalf f the Grwer Grup Alliance, urcmmunity.cm.au Grwer Grup Alliance T: (08)

It demnstrates that yu have cmmunicated with the cmmunity, sught t research the need; that yu have a gd idea and thers think s t and that yu have industry/ cmmunity cnfidence in yu (ie.

Aim The aim of a communication plan states the overall goal of the communication effort.

Aim The aim of a communication plan states the overall goal of the communication effort. Develping a Cmmunicatin Plan- Aim Aim The aim f a cmmunicatin plan states the verall gal f the cmmunicatin effrt. Determining the Aim Ask yurself r yur team what the verall gal f the cmmunicatin plan is.