Free Article - Grant Writing 101

Need more technology for your students and your library media center than you have budget money for? Consider writing a grant. Need funding for a special program? Consider writing a grant. Don't be intimidated or scared off because you are not a professional grant writer. You can do it with a little help from your friends and your resources. Start simple and start now.

First Things First - You need to design a plan for what you want your library program to look like. What are your dreams for your library? What do you want your students to be able to do that they can't do now? What technology would students need in order to accomplish those dreams or goals? What special programs do you envision?

As you paint the big picture in your mind of what you want your library media center program to be like, you will probably notice that this big dream is composed of several mini dreams. Focus in on some of those and clarify them in your mind. Do you want students to produce multimedia presentations instead of or in addition to writing written reports? If so, what hardware and software will they need to produce them?

How many multimedia computers will you need? Will you need a CD-ROM writer? Will you need special presentation software? Dream big and then try to fill in the details of the project in your mind.

Do you want to offer a full range of magazines for your students but can't because of budget cuts? There might be a grant for you somewhere that would help you provide the range of academic and recreational reading magazines your students and teachers crave.

Collaborate - Is there someone with whom you could collaborate to write a grant and find funding to gain multimedia presentation production capability? Is there a teacher or administrator in your building or district who might be interested in working with you on this project? Start beating the bushes for colleagues with a common interest in your dream. Two are mightier than one and misery loves company! It is so much easier to write a grant when you have help. Contact a colleague you know and trust who might be interested in collaborating with you. Together you can team up to slice the big project of writing a grant into bite-sized pieces that are much more easily accomplished.

Be sure to keep your administrator informed of your plans. You want to ensure that your administrator blesses your plan and feels included. Never, never, never leave your boss out of the loop when you write a grant proposal. You will need the support of one another down the road. Be sure to get support initially and then carefully maintain it.

Nail Down the Details - Once you have a clear picture of one of your smaller, component dreams, you can get started on the grant writing process. You need to know specifics. What types of computers do you need, where could you purchase them, and how much would they cost? Do some research in the Sunday newspaper, in catalogs and with your colleagues.

Put together a rough budget for what you would need to make this multimedia dream come true. Write the budget down with notes in a document or spreadsheet in your computer. Make a file folder with the catalog pages showing the items you need. Be ready to swing into action when opportunity knocks and a potential funder appears.

Search for Funders - Start the habit of reading the professional journals searching the grants and funding columns looking for potential opportunities. If you can't afford to subscribe to the journals, go online and search for a mini grant to pay for the cost of a hard copy subscription or Web version, like the one you are reading right now.

If you have a hard copy journal, tear out the pages and file them for future use if the journals belong to you. Photocopy the columns in the journals that don't belong to you. Set up a filing system of potential funders and keep it current.

Use all your resources to find available funding sources. Your local library, the Internet, your colleagues, and the journals have information about funding for education and technology. Read a book about grant writing. Read everything you can on grant writing. There is funding galore just waiting to be tapped for our school libraries. Hone your detection skills and find some for your library media center.

Volunteer to be a Grant Reader - A quick method to bring your grant writing skills up to speed is to become a grant reader. There is no faster or more thorough way to learn what comprises a winning grant than reading and evaluating grants written by others. You are performing a public service at the same time you are learning to be a grant writer. Volunteer today to be a grant reader for a local foundation.

Try Entering A Contest - A good place to start your grant-writing career is by entering a contest. Entering a contest is usually far less grueling and taxing than writing a full-flown grant. You'd be surprised at what you can gain for your library media center by winning a contest. Read the journals and search the Net for leads. Do you have any idea how good it feels to greet the delivery truck bringing you the new security system you won for your library? Pretty awesome is the answer to that question, and it could happen to you.

Update Your Resume - As a professional, it is wise to keep your resume updated at all times. If you don't have a current resume, put the task of writing one on your "to do" list. When you apply for a grant, the funder will want to know who you are and will want to see evidence that you are the type of person who can responsibly oversee a project that makes a difference for students. Be sure to toot your own horn ever so gracefully, even though your mother may have advised against that very thing. The funder wants to put money with movers, shakers, and winners.

Set Project Goals - Any project that you design as a potential grant needs to include built-in measurable goals. Start now thinking about how you could evaluate the impact of your grant on student learning. Spending time now thinking about how to measure impact will prove profitable to you later. Plan ahead.

Peruse the Application / Guidelines - You must read the grant application over and over again to find all the hidden rules, regulations, tips, and guidelines. Make copies of the application forms so that you can highlight critical parts before you start writing. Distribute the highlighted copies to your grant-writing partner or team members and review it together.

Put Cursor to Screen - It is time to get started. Remember - progress not perfection at this stage. Just get started writing. Start with the section that seems the easiest to you. The budget section usually has the shortest narrative section. Consider starting there. Or start with the section on personnel. The important part is to get started and then keep up the momentum.

Keep on Schedule - Make yourself a grant-writing schedule and stick to it. Cheer on your team members and help your team stay on schedule. Don't procrastinate. Peck away at the grant, bite by bite and soon you will have a draft proposal. Set interim due dates for the various sections of the proposal and then discipline yourself to meet your deadlines.

Edit Your Project Application - Once you have a draft of your proposal, the next step is to read and rewrite it. The more times you read, revise, and edit, the more spectacular your proposal will be. You cannot imagine the difference in quality the reader observes when reading grants. It is so clear when the writer has slapped the proposal together at the last minute and has failed to edit and proofread. The message that sends to the funder is clear - you can't count on me to pay attention to details. That is not the message one wants to send to a potential funder.

Get Feedback - The best time to get feedback about your proposal is before you have officially submitted it. Call in some favors. Who do you know who would be willing to read your proposal and tell you what parts were clear and what parts need clarification? Who do you know who would be willing to read your proposal in its final draft and look for typos, omissions, etc.? Fresh eyes looking at your proposal from a new perspective will help you immeasurably.

Submit the Letter-Perfect Proposal - Again, it is critically important that your proposal has met all the guidelines and criteria required by the funder. It is easy to make changes now, so take another careful look at those guidelines. Are you within the page number limit? Have your provided the necessary data? Have the specified honchos signed on the correct lines? Treat your grant proposal as carefully as you would your tax returns.

Celebrate Your Victory! - When the magic moment comes and you are notified that your proposal is going to be funded, for Pete's sake, celebrate. Spread the good word far and wide. Make sure that your administrator and your grant-writing team knows the good news. Put written thank you notes in the mail to all those who helped you and not least of all to your funder. Be sure to dance with the one who brung you!

Follow Through - Once you have won that grant, roll up your sleeves. More hard work will follow. You will need to set up accounts in which to deposit the funds and an accounting system to keep track of the funds. Get out your proposal and look at your time line. Chances are good that you will feel you have much to accomplish in too little time. Gather your bearings, make your plans, and be ready to hit the ground running. It is critically important that you meet your commitments. Keep scrupulous records and remember your evaluation component so that you gather all the necessary data as you go.

It is such a professionally rewarding event to write a grant proposal that gets you funding for your students and your library media center. You have very little to lose but much to gain by writing a grant. Start dreaming today in order to make your dreams come true tomorrow. You can do it.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.

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Updated: 2/10/12 05:18 am
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