Welcome to the BCS Grant Writing Workshop

June 20118:30-3:30

Lunch from 11:30-12:30Taught by: Lori Brown

(lori.brown@bcsemail.org)

HOUSEKEEPING

RestroomsSnacks/DrinksAvailability of ResourcesAsk questions!!Network

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR (Networking Activity)

NAME

POSITION

LOCATION (SCHOOL OR DEPT.)

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

What is required for successful grant writing?

Strong writing skills Strong research skills Read successful, winning grant

proposals – Some websites offer examples

Willingness to learn from mistakes Keep learning… Helpful websites:

Grantproposal.com or k12grants.org

First Steps…1.Contact L. Brown in Grants Department – Grants of

$5000 or more require prior approval

2.Develop your ideas/concepts/program

3.Clearly define your problem on a national, state, and local scale

4.Figure out how your proposed solution solves the stated problem

5.Start looking for the money

6. Finally, write the grant. Most grant proposals consist of the major sections found on your grant planning guide.

So What’s Your Problem?

A problem refers to a specific need

It should be a need that relates to individual or organizational growth or hindrance of growth

Problems are different from “wants”

THESE ARE NOT PROBLEMS IN THE GRANT WORLD…

No playground equipment No laptops for students Not enough softballs for PE classes Teacher doesn’t have a Smart Board Teacher doesn’t have enough books for

his/her classroom library Lack of calculators No money for field tripsSO WHY AREN’T THESE PROBLEMS?

TURNING WANTS INTO PROBLEMS No playground equipment No laptops for students Not enough softballs for PE

classes Teacher doesn’t have a

Smart Board Teacher doesn’t have enough

books for his/her classroom library

Lack of calculators No money for field trips Art teacher lacks art supplies A middle school lacks walkie-

talkies for the administrative team

There’s no money to provide after-school tutoring to 9th-11th graders

1)Children lack proper equipment to promote appropriate physical activity, and are therefore inactive and unhealthy. (Focus becomes childhood health & activity levels, not the equipment)

2)Youth lack exposure to technological resources that promote the acquisition of 21st century skills (multi-media presentations, data analysis, etc.) – Focus become the lack of technological skill and applicability to real life – not the lack of equipment.

COMPLETE ACTIVITY # 1 – turn wants into real problems

Target Population: Who suffers from this problem?

Define your target population with specific data

Example: “The target population is approximately 200 out of 400 current ninth graders (50%) who evidenced a non-proficient score (level I or II) on the 2009-2010 North Carolina End of Grade math test. Among this group, 80% are Caucasian, 10% African-American, and 10% Hispanic.”

Documenting the Need…how do we know they suffer from this problem?

1. Always try to document a need with national, state, and local data

2. You need hard numbers…no fuzzy stuff.

3. If you can’t document the need with numbers, then you don’t have a problem. You don’t need a grant.

4. Data Sources: Testing data, discipline reports, suspension records, EVASS data, teacher conference logs, classroom assessments, self-inventories, survey data, Census data. http://www.census.gov

5. What about qualitative/anecdotal data?

Example of a documented need…

Math Grant – Lack of student math(Algebra I) proficiency and significant achievement gaps:

The research-based TI Math Forward program is designed to improve student math proficiency and reduce achievement gaps in secondary mathematics classrooms. We will pilot the initiative in two high-poverty middle schools serving students with academic and disciplinary struggles. The schools are Charles D. Owen Middle (Free & Reduced Lunch = 56.2%) and Clyde A. Erwin Middle School (FRL = 70.4%). 2009-2010 district data show that upon transition to the feeder high schools, approximately half of all Algebra I students at Erwin and Owen High Schools (predominantly ninth graders) failed to show course proficiency on state tests, with much lower proficiency percentages evidenced for youth with disabilities [Erwin High evidenced 49% Algebra I proficiency, but only 24% among students with disabilities; Owen High evidenced 56.7% proficiency, but only 21% among students with disabilities].

Solution: What intervention or program will solve this problem?

Avoid saying that “so and so did it” so I think it will work! Don’t base it on your best friend.

It should be a research or evidence-based solution The solution should have data behind it to prove

that it has worked somewhere or in a similar setting to yours.

What’s the structure of the program? How many people will be needed to run it? What supplies/resources will be needed to run it? What costs are associated with this solution? What’s the timetable? Goals/Outcomes/Evaluation

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Donations vs. Grants BCS Foundation -- 501(C)3 BCS is not a 501 ©3 Adopt-A-Classroom & Donor’s Choose Use the Internet to research Use the Foundation Center subscription at the

Public Library Use the “Show Me the Money” Newsletter & BCS

Grants Web Page links http://www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/grants

Look at the links: “Grants by Curricular Field” or “STEM grants” / Federal Grants

Let’s talk about the resources available at these pages

Activity #2 - RESEARCH

Go to the link entitled Grant Research Sites

Eligibility: LEA vs. SEA / IHE / Non-profits vs. Independent School Districts or K-12

Choose any two grant research sites listed on that page and see if you can figure out how to research grants in your curricular area of interest

Goals vs. Objectives…

Let’s visit the Elko County School District Website http://www.elko.k12.nv.us/pages/grant_goals.html

What’s the difference?

Goals vs. Objectives/Outcomes

Goals are broad statements reflecting the final project outcome / Goals should reflect a change in status or a condition that you want to change. You might want to change something, prevent something, improve something…

Conditions requiring change might include: homelessness, literacy abilities, math skills, student achievement, safety conditions, teenage pregnancy, technological skills

OBJECTIVES…

Objectives are tight, measurable statements with defined timelines

Objectives always want to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Time bound)

Let’s complete activity #3 (Handout)

Activities Are Not Objectives

Goal: To improve teacher effectiveness

Objective: By June 2012, 75% of third grade teachers will report increased understanding of brain-based learning concepts, as measured by a pre- and post-intervention survey.

Activities…1)Provide a six-hour PD course on brain based

learning2)Recruit teacher participants for the course3)Create the survey used to evaluate

PROGRAMS/INTERVENTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Identify exact activities Identify timeline Identify costs, including all

resources needed to run the program

Identify staff (do you hire?) Identify space Identify in-kind matches (in time or

money)

ACTIVITY # 4

Identify all costs for an after-school tutoring program for 50 at-risk 3rd and 4th graders. Program will meet two days per week (Monday and Wednesdays) from 3:00-4:00 p.m. for a total of 10 weeks (Sept-Nov). Tutoring program will be held at school.

EVALUATION What is measurable? Outputs and outcomes… You measure whether or not you did

something and then you measure whether or not a behavior or condition changed because you did it.

A grant funder typically does not want you just measuring whether or not you completed an activity. They typically want to know more…what changed because of that activity.

Examples of Outputs vs. Outcomes

Goal: To improve teacher knowledge of Excel for classroom grade reporting

Objective: By June 2012, 80% of Excel workshop teacher participants will create a grade database form with formulas for future classroom use.

What do we measure? 1)How many teachers completed the workshops?2)Did teachers complete the required course

product of a grade database form?

Evaluation Instruments…

So what are my “evaluation” or “assessment” instruments/tools??

A workshop sign-in sheet, a SEAs system report, and evidence of the final product – the Excel form.

How would you evaluation if student proficiency changes?

How would you evaluate if school safety improves?

How would you evaluate if parents are more engaged in school activities?

Grant FYIs…

Grant Curricular Focus

Eligibility Criteria (K-12 or Higher Ed (IHE)/ LEA vs. SEA, etc.)

Deadlines (Will you receive the funding in time to use it? Think in terms of 3 months)

Submission requirements (Do you have the proper technological capabilities?)

Grant Lingo…

Requests for Proposals (RFP) Request for Applications (RFA) Notice of Funding (NOF) Letters of Intent (LOI) Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) Eligibility – Who can apply? Cost-Share – Do you have to put

some cash up to the table?

GRANT NO – NOs…!!!

No capital improvement grants without starting with your principal and the grants department

No technology grants without verifying that technology meets district standards

No promises of cost matches No submission of grants over $5000 without L.

Brown’s prior approval (grant intent form) No agreement to partner in a grant with a

community partner without grant department approval

TIME TO WORK ON YOUR PROJECT…

Use the grant planning guide to work on developing your ideas, or spend time researching grants that fit your need.

Final Thoughts…

Always do a “thank you” note if you win

Share winning ideas Use the grants webpage Use the grants dept. as a resource Partner, partner, partner Happy grant writing!