A Practical Guide to

Identifying, Writing,

and Managing Grants

A Practical Guide to

Identifying, Writing,

and Managing Grants

Welcome and Overview

• Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Overview

• Identifying and Exploring Funding Sources

• Reviewing Project Design Strategies

• Developing Partnerships

• Writing Your Grant Proposal

• Understanding the Application Review Process

• Finding Opportunities and Submitting Applications: Grants.gov

• Managing Grant Awards

Bureau of Justice Assistance Overview

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Other Office of Justice Programs components:

• Bureau of Justice Statistics• National Institute of Justice• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention• Office for Victims of Crime• Community Capacity Development Office• Office of Audit, Assessment, and Management

Bureau of Justice Assistance Mission

• To provide leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice policy development to support local, state, and tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities.

• To reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse and improve the functioning of the criminal justice system. To achieve these goals, BJA programs emphasize enhanced coordination and cooperation of federal, state, and local efforts.

Bureau of Justice Assistance Overview

•Provide national leadership in criminal justice policy.

•Provide training, and technical assistance to state, local, and non-profit organizations involved in any aspect of the administration of justice for all areas of public safety.

•Act as a liaison to national organizations that partner with BJA to establish policy and help disseminate information on best and promising practices.

•Administer and manage $7.8 billion (11,021 grants) in federal grants to state and local grant programs through 27 programs and initiatives.

Bureau of Justice Assistance Programs

• Public Safety Officers' Benefits (Death, Disability, Education) • Southwest Border Prosecution • Prescription Drug Monitoring • Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse• Tribal Courts Assistance • Problem Solving Courts• Residential Substance Abuse Treatment • Drug Courts • Sex Offender Management

Bureau of Justice Assistance Programs

• Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) • Protecting Inmates and Safeguarding Communities• Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative • Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) • Human Anti-Trafficking Task Forces • Bulletproof Vest Partnership • State Criminal Alien Assistance Program • Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) • Prison Industry Enhancement (PIE) Certification • Transfer of Surplus Federal Property Certification

What Resources are Available

• Private: corporations/foundations

• State funding

• Federal funding

Why Seek Funding

• Plan projects• Implement projects• Enhance projects• Pilot projects• Evaluate projects• Enhance staff capabilities• Purchase needed equipment

Good Reasons to Seek Funding

• Sincere desire to solve a problem/address an issue

• Strong belief that your agency is equipped to solve the problem

• Grant Announcement/RFP is aligned with your agency’s mission

Questionable Reasons to Seek Funding

• “Following” the money

• Funding to support “everyday” agency costs

• Sustainability of existing project

Private Funding Sources

• Distinctive (and sometimes quirky) rules and requirements• Ties between project goals and funding mission• Shorter proposals• Credibility factor • Competitive review optional• Community/partnerships focus

Identifying Private Funding Sources

• Foundation Center: http://fdncenter.org/

• Austin Community Foundation: http://www.austincommunityfoundation.org/

• The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust: http://www.pipertrust.org/grants-introduction/default.aspx

• Public Welfare Foundation: http://www.publicwelfare.org/

• BIG Online: http://www.bigdatabase.com/

Identifying State Funding Sources

• Funding from state legislature, specific to state

• Funding from federal formula grants to states- Follows federal grant guidelines- May have additional requirements

• Funding from local organizations for state use

Identifying Federal Funding Sources

• Budget appropriations process

• Discretionary vs. formula grants

• Grants vs. cooperative agreements

• Contracts

• Earmarks

Identifying Federal Funding Sources

• U.S. Government Portal (FirstGov): http://firstgov.gov/

• CFDA: http://12.46.245.173/cfda/cfda.html

• Grants.Gov: http://www.grants.gov/

• Federal Register: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html

• Federal Agency Web Sites

• Independently-Operated Consortium Web Sites: http://www.capitolcitypublishers.com/pubs/crime/

Identifying Funding Resources

When in doubt...

GOOGLE

Project Strategy: Key Elements

• Carefully plan your project strategy and design

• Develop relationships and partnerships

Project Strategy

• What does it say- States the vision of the project’s end result- Describes how you intend to get there

• What are the mechanics- Developed collaboratively- Captured in a written project abstract

• What does it do- Establishes project design

Project Strategy: Steps

1. Project focus2. Problem statement3. Goals/objectives4. Program activities5. Performance indicators6. Project logic7. Time and task plan

Project Strategy: Focus

• Identify the specific target of the project

- Individuals/clients- Situation- Organization/culture

Project Strategy: Problem Statement

• Describes the problem to be addressed by the project- Supported by data and information- Establishes a baseline

• Describes what has been done, and where the gaps are- Analyzes their cause- Determines resources available and those

needed

• What is the problem that requires a solution

• What will happen if the problem is not addressed

• What is the gap between what is and what ought to be

• Why should grant funds be used to solve the problem

Project Strategy: Problem Statement

Project Strategy: Problem Documentation

• Sources- What do we need- Where we will get it- How will we gather it- Who will get it- How much will it cost

• Comparative data- If available

• Security- Confidentiality

Project Strategy: Objectives

(What Will We Do to Fix the Problem?)

• Does the solution address the problem- Have you created a sense of urgency

• Is your solution a means to an end, rather than the end

• Do you know if the solution will work- Will it pass a reality check- What are the constraints

• How do you know your solution is the right one- Was more than one solution considered- Did you prioritize solutions- Did you do a cost-benefit analysis

Project Strategy: Goals and Objectives

• Broad statement• End toward which effort is directed• States the unexpected outcome• Communication device

GOALOBJECTIVE

1

OBJECTIVE 2

OBJECTIVE 3• Explains how goal will be accomplished

• Short-term and specific in action and time• Measurable and achievable• Implementation vs. outcome objectives

Project Strategy: Objectives

• Relates to the operation of the program

• Examples: - 10 new staff will be hired within 6 months of start up - Vocational training curriculum will be developed within 9 months of start up - 50 released offenders will have completed vocational training within 12 months of start up

Project Strategy: Objectives Outcomes

• Results expected from program’s operation

- Knowledge/attitude/skill change (short term) 90% of all released offenders will pass a proficiency test for job application

skills within 60 days of release

- Behavior/performance change (long term) 75% of all released offenders will be employed one year after release

- Situational change (short and long term) 50% of identified drug houses will be rehabilitated within one year

Project Strategy: Program Activities

• Specific tasks expected to produce results to meet goal and objective

- Description of specific activity- Intensity and duration- Who will perform activity- What will the activity impact- Clear and concise deliverables

• Explicit measure of effect or results

• Used to compare actual with expected performance

• Signals whether objectives are being met

• Types of measures (quantitative preferred)

- Quantitative: number or degree of change - Qualitative: non-numeric like photos, field observations

Project Strategy: Performance MeasuresProject Strategy: Performance Measures

Project Strategy: Performance Measures

• Process: Type or level of project activities put in place to achieve objectives

• Outputs: Direct products and services delivered by a project; accounting of how much of an activity has taken place

• Outcomes: Results of products and services; effect and changes in knowledge, skills, attitude, behavior, or conditions

• Impact: Results beyond the project; unintended ways the project impacted the community and overall problem

Project Strategy: Performance Measures

• Informs decisions

• Monitors progress

• Documents activities and accomplishments

• Highlights project benefits

• Supports partners and stakeholders

Project Strategy: Performance Measures

• Builds case for funding

• Adds value to project and deliverables

Project Strategy: Project Logic

• Helps make the necessary connections between what you plan to do and how you plan to determine your success

• Helps work through the cause and effect of project activities

Project Strategy: Logic Model

ActivityOutcome

(short-term)Impact

(long-term)

Condition

(need or problem)

Headache Take aspirinHeadache

curedMore

productive

Project Strategy: Time and Task Plan

• For each objective, identify a “list of activities” outline

- Responsible party- Time frame- Sequence- Resource needs- End product

Project Strategy: Recap

Work through each step below to successfully develop a project:

1. Identify the problem2. Design a problem statement3. Document goals and objectives4. Create program activities5. Draft performance measures6. Work through a project logic model7. Develop a time and task plan

Why Develop Partnerships

• Expands potential funding sources

• Sustains projects after funding concludes

• Creates long-lasting changes in community

• Builds ownership of problems and solutions

• Maximizes the effectiveness of solutions and outcomes

Identifying Partners

• Public safety• Government• Private sector• Faith-based• Community• Elected officials• Non-profit• Media

Developing Partnerships

• What Is their role?

• What will they contribute?

• Will you need them for project sustainment?

• Is there a downside to being partners?

Structuring Partnerships

Roles

• Policy making• Decision making• Funding• Advisory • Operational• Technical

Management

• Participation• Logistics• Leadership• Materials/products

Principles of Effective Grant Writing

An effective writer keeps these elements in mind at all times:

Purpose

Audience

Message

Principles of Clear (Grant) Writing

• Keep sentences short• Draft simple vs. complex expressions• Use familiar words• Put action in your verbs• Write the way you talk• Use words your reader can “picture”• Tie in to your reader’s experiences• Use variety• Write to express, not impress

Application Review Process: Discretionary

• Reviewed by peers and related disciplines

• Assures no conflicts of interest

• Scoring criteria established in the solicitation

• Scoring is numeric and narrative

• Selections based on scores and available funding

• Request application scoring and comments

Managing Grant Funds

You’ve received the funding…what next?

Managing Grant Funds

• Most challenging part of the grant process

• Grants Management System (GMS): https://grants.ojp.usdoj.gov/

• GMS On-Line Training: http://www.ojp.gov/gmscbt/

• Reporting requirements: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/finguide2006.pdf

-Programmatic/Return on Investment -Financial

Grant Help

• BJA State Policy Advisors: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/resource/stcont.htm

• AskBJA@usdoj.gov

• OJP Office of the Chief Financial Officer: ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov or 1-800-458-0786