Running head: GRANT WRITING 1

Grant Writing: A Primer

Chad L. Mosher

Weber State University

GRANT WRITING 2

Getting the Grant: A Grant Writing Primer

A United Way chapter receives a $42,000 federal grant from the Department of

Agriculture for a farmers market geared toward getting nutritional food to the elderly . A city

amphitheater gets a $60,000 tax-based grant to provide shade for audience members . A

university receives an $80,000 grant from NASA to design a satellite frame. These are all

examples of types of programs funded through grants. In its website, the National EMSC Data

Analysis Resource Center [NEDRAC] states, “Grant seeking is big business; about one hundred

fifty billion is spent on grants each year in the United States alone, and more than nine thousand

public and private granting programs can be identified identified(2012). .

Businessdictionary.com (2012) defines a grant as:

Bounty, contribution, gift, or subsidy (in cash or kind) bestowed by a government or

other organization (called the grantor) for specified purposes to an eligible recipient

(called the grantee). Grants are usually conditional upon certain qualifications as to the

use, maintenance of specified standards, or a proportional contribution by the grantee or

other grantor(s).

According to Nikki. Lovell, (personal communication, June 14, 2012), a grant center

administrator for United Way of Northern Utah, many people think “just having a good idea will

get you a grant” when in actuality, getting a grant requires a great deal more time and effort. In

his book “A Concise Guide to Getting Grants for Nonprofit Organizations,” M, Mark. Guyner

suggests that to get a grant, three things are needed: a good plan, a good funder, and a good

proposal. This article will dissect these three steps ideas into 10 tips steps for writing a

successful grant proposal.

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A Good Plan

Most grants start with an initial idea or need. The first step in the grant writing process is to

identify and crystallize the need of the organization. To write a successful grant application, you must do

the appropriate groundwork must be done to support the written application. This is a time to identify

what need may exist, who would be benefitted, can your program accomplish this project, and does your

project have the buy-in of your organization. These ideas are reviewed and defined in the first three tips

steps for grant writing; strategic planning, need statement, and researching the need statement.

Step One: Identifying the Need - Strategic Planning

Before asking an entity for funding, an organization you must be able to communicate its purpose

in a clear, concise and logical message. In “Grant Seeking in an Electronic Age”, authors Victoria

Mikelonis, Signe Betsinger, and Constance Kampt Mikelonis, et al. (2004) recommend the use of a

strategic plan to convey this message. They define a strategic plan as “a long-term (usually three- to five-

year) blueprint for non-profit organizations. It This strategic plan contains the organization’s:

mission statement

goals and objectives

a description of the target population

descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of governing boards

If an organization is able to provide the basics of its purpose, it will then be able to move into the

idea or need for which it wants to receive funding. At this point, the organization hasyou have to define

the need clearly and also demonstrate how this need relates to the mission and purpose of the

organization. In their book “Successful Grant Writing: Strategies for Health and Human

Services Professionals”, Laura Gitlin and Kevin Lyons note, “One of the most challenging aspects of

grantsmanship is identifying an idea that has the potential for funding” Gitlin & Lyons (2008). However,

the time spent identifying and defining the idea will create more ability to convince potential funders of

the value of the proposal.

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Step Two: Need Statement

Mikelonis,, Betsinger, and Kampt defines a need statement as “a succinct and persuasive

presentation of facts and evidence that describe a problem and support the need for a project” (p. 36)..

They then list the three major elements of a need statement:

1. Description of the problem

2. What the organization plans to do to solve the problem

[3.] Statement of instrumental purpose or the organization wants the sponsor to do after reading

the proposal (p. 38)

Defining a need statement assists in clarifying the need and assisting in research as the grant

progresses. Usually, the needs statement becomes the grant summary. To create an effective

need? statement, Gitlin and Lyons recommend eight resources to “formulate a fundable or

competitive idea: professional experience, professional literature, interaction with colleagues and

funded investigators, societal health and population trends, legislative initiatives, public

documents, agency program goals and specific priorities, and community organizations, key

informants of a target population. (p. 66).

The needs statement can offer the organization an opportunity to take a preliminary deep

look at the feasibility of getting the grant, to review the fiscal capability of the organization to

handle the funds, and “to go to the mirror, your Board, and your team and ask if and how will

you not only submit a quality proposal but what will and how will you gauge the quality of your

work?” . By constructing an honest needs statement, the organization can take a true look at the

effects and challenges receiving the grant can offer. Once the components for a need statement

are gathered, they need to be presented in a way that is “timely, urgent, compelling, and unique”

(Mikelonis, et al., 2004).suggest Mikelonis. This is a time to be concise and yet essential

elements must be included. Guyner says, “It is a brief review of your grant request. The

GRANT WRITING 6

summary must be good, because it may be the only part that is read! If the funder doesn’t like

what is written here he may not go any farther” (Guyer, 2002). Some grants request a summary

or needs statement for approval before an organization can apply with a full grant proposal.

Step Three: Researching the Need Statement

Researching the need statement is different from the search for a grant funder. In

researching the needs statement, the organization uses resources to find similar grant requests

and see how their need statement measures up against competition. While this is definitely a

time to note potential sponsors, the goal is “to provide more relevant evidence and stronger

arguments to justify your problem and proposed solutions to potential sponsors” (Mikelonis, et

al., 2004). The needs statement has been created, this is the time to compare and adjust as

needed.

In addition to finding comparable need statements, sStatistical data can be found on the

Internet. “Proposal writers often have to identify relevant statistical data and factual information

to provide adequate justification for the importance and scope of their problem” (p 52)say

Mikelonis. By searching and finding this information on the Internet, the need statement can be

bolstered by empirical evidence. A good understanding of search engine optimization (SEO)

will help, but basically the need statement should contain keywords that will help identify similar

need statements and summaries that may be listed on Internet. By finding similar projects

through keywords, the organization can find potential donors who have a history of donating.

An additional way to search is to conduct searches on the intended recipient of your idea or need.

A Good Funder

Tip Step Four: Funding

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There are thousands of potential donors and funders. N. Lovell (personal communication, June 14,

2012), grant administrator of the Zada Haws Community Grant Center and Cooperating

Collection, has access to over 200,000 potential donors. She Her center is an example of the

many centers and resources that assist in matching grants with appropriate sponsors. There are

three primary types of organizations that create grants: foundations, corporations, and

government.

Guymon (2002) lists the grant organization types as follows:

Foundations – a foundation is a nonprofit organization that exists to serve the public

good by making grants.

Corporation – a corporation may have established a foundation to award grants.

Also, the corporation itself as a separate organization may award grants.

Government – the government gives more grant money than any other source.

Available federal grants cover all kinds of physical needs: physical, educational,

economic, etc. (p. 10).

Foundations. Four categories of foundations include independent, operating,

community, and corporate. Mikelonis , et al. (2004) defines independent foundations as “funded by

individuals or families who invest large sums of money in an endowment fund … they must give away 5

percent of their endowment annually.” MikelonisThey defines operating foundations as “large, well-

established foundations that fund specific programs, do not solicit proposals, but instead fund the research

or programs they want conducted” (p. 83).. Community foundations are “set up by local municipalities to

fund local charitable work (p. 84)” and corporate foundations are “set up as a philanthropic arm of many

large corporations . . . funded annually from a fixed percentage of a company’s profits” (p. 84).

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Corporations. Because corporate funding is usually based on company earnings, “when profits

are high, more funding may be available.” (p. 84). Corporate foundations may also benefit the

communities around them more than entities in other areas as a way of being more supportive to the local

area. Corporations may also offer product as an in-kind donation.

Government. “Government funding sources often give away the largest sums of money. If your

project is large and your target population coincides with a target population for whom Congress has

allocated funds, you will want to consider approaching government sponsors” (Mikelonis, et al., 2004, p.

79).

If prepared properly, the need needs statement can assist in determining the appropriate source of

funding. Each funding type has specific databases and resources for available monies and their associated

sponsors. While libraries remain a strong beginning step in the process, the Internet continues to be a

growing force for information and the gateway into the most current grant opportunities and

requirements. The importance of understanding the different sponsors and their respective motivations is

crucial as the organization seeking funding begins to prepare to write the proposal.

Step Five: Letter of Intent

In many cases, the large foundations and government agencies do not want you to write a

proposal immediately and send it to them. Writing a proposal takes considerable time and effort

and may not be the most efficient way to proceed. Instead, many foundations want you to write a

two- or three-page letter of intent (Mikelonis), et al., 2004, p. 79).

When the time comes to write a letter of intent or summary, an effective need statement will pay

off. The elements required in writing the needs statement are similar to the elements that make a

good letter of intent. To find the letter of intent requirements of a potential sponsor, an

organization can either review websites and resources or contact the sponsor directly. Making a

personal contact can avert problems, help establish the appropriateness match of the grant to the

sponsor, and also demonstrate an early interest andcreate connection. Should the sponsor

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express immediate interest, a well-thought need statement will demonstrate the research and

sincere interest of the inquiring organization. The format of the letter of intent is usually in a

formal business style and should be signed by the executive officer of the grant requesting

organization (Mikelonis, et al., 2004; Guyer, 2002)..

A Good Proposal

Tip Step Six: Proposal Narrative

Most grant sponsors will have a specific format for grant proposals. The type of sponsor will usually

dictate the tone of the grant writing. According to Mikelonis, mMost proposals will consist of the

following sections:

Cover Letter – short introductory letter signed by requesting organization executive officer

Cover Page – a standard sheet that includes: name of project, key people who will be involved in

the project, duration of the project, amount of money being requested, short abstract, name and

address of organization

Project Description/Need Statement – expanded description of the problem

Solution: Goal, Objectives, and Tasks – detailed specifics of the solution and execution

Evaluation and Sustainability – assessment of the success of the project

Dissemination – the plan for distributing the information following completion

Budget – specifics regarding how the money will be used

Appendices – supporting documents (Mikelonis, et al.,2004).

Tip Step Seven: Project Description/Need Statement.

Following the creation of a cover letter and cover page, the organization begins to get

into the nuts and bolts of the proposal narrative. The type of grant will determine the tone of the

writing style. According to to LovellN. Lovell (personal communication, June 14, 2012),

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“Government grants are very technical and complex. There is little room for creativity.” What

is required is a strong sense of logic as to how the requesting organization’s solution will work.

Benedetto Leopori and Andrea Rocci (2009) created conducted research in the area of

logic and reasonableness in grant proposal writing in regards to research grants. They point out

that a grant “proposal involves both a directive (asking the agency for funding) and a

commissive speech act: the applicant promises to carry out a certain research activity, provided

that he/she receives funding funding(p. 179).. The researchers note several key components of a

successful proposal including strategic maneuvering, topical potential, and adaption to the

audience. (p. 183). Overall, the proposal must be able to tell the story of how the organization

is going to solve the stated problem. The proposal stands a better chance of winning approval if

the plan is logical and provable. Flowery, extraneous words can jeopardize the success of the

grant where logic, details and proven results can seal the deal. Lovell (personal communication,

June 14, 2012), adds, “Most grants are not really new. Most funding organizations want to fund

something they know will have results so they will be looking for references to similar

successful programs.”

Mikelonis , et al. (2004) recommends a “hook” statement at the beginning of the project

description that can capture the attention of the reader while expressing the essence of the

proposed project. This part may include statistics or short stories about people potentially

directly affected by the proposed solution. Again, this will depend on the type of sponsor being

courted. While the “hook” may work for a corporate or local grant, if too schmaltzy, the “hook”

may instantly signal a government grant reviewer of a novice proposal writer and potentially

affect credibility. Government grants require a more rational, straight forward introduction.

“Proposal writing is not a time to be fancy or experimental in language use and composition. A

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proposal requires a scientific, technical approach to writing in which the details of a project are

clearly described” , says Gitlin and Lyons. (Gitlin & Lyons, 2008, p. 121). Above all else, the

proposal writing must reinforce the cause and effect of the proposal idea.

Tip Step Eight: Monitoring and Reporting Plans

Step eight involves demonstrating to the potential sponsor your ability to follow through

with your proposal and report results. According to Mikelonis, “mMonitoring is a method for

ongoing review and measurement of a project to gauge its progress relative to its objectives and

to plan continual improvements to both activities and project management”. She continues,

“Evaluation takes a broad view of the project’s activities over time and looks not only at what

the project did but how effective or successful it was in serving the target population and

achieving its overall goal (Mikelonis, et al., 2004, p. 256).”.

In order to fully communicate the cause-and-effect implications of the organizations your

proposal, realistic assessment measures of the objectives and expectations must be created and

detailed. This will demonstrate to the sponsor how the organizationyou will know if the project

was a success or failure. The more the data relies on empirical, scientific modes of measure, the

more credibility the project will gain and potential for funding. The majority of grants will

require this information in a form of annual report or final report upon completion of the project

project(p. 256)..

Tip Step Nine: Dissemination and Sustainability

At this stage of the proposal, the organizationyou must decide if the information and data

gleaned from the your project merits being shared by a wider audience and what your plan would

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be for making this happen. This may be a concern or a bonus to the sponsor if their name would

be promotionally attached to the completed research or project. A plan should be created on how

the results of the project will be used following completion of the project and what obligations

may then exist for the sponsor. The aspect of dissemination could also act as a selling point if

the sponsor entity would benefit from beneficial exposure.

Another beneficial selling point of a proposal is the potential longevity of a project after

completion. “Sponsors are more likely to fund projects that will continue to benefit the target

audience after the initial funding ceases. As a result, sponsors want to know what your plans are

for maintaining or sustaining the project” (says Mikelonis, . et al., 2004, p. 280). A balance of

persuasive writing with outlines of similar project results can help create credibility and

demonstrate the maximum use of a potential grant.

Tip Step 10: The Budget

A budget can make or break a grant request. Lovell warns, “The budget must be correct. If you

can’t balance a budget on the proposal, they [the sponsor] will question whether you can handle their

money. (N. Lovell, personal communication, June 14, 2012).” The budget sheet is one of the most

significant pieces of the grant proposal and can ultimately decide the fate of the monetary award.if the

grant is approved. The proposing organization should carefully review all aspects of the budget. Gitlin

and Lyons advise, “The sign-off by a designated official from your institution on a grant proposal is a

legal indicator that the institution has reviewed and approved the budget and that it accurately reflects

salary figures and real costs (Gitlin & Lyons, 2008, p. 149). .”For this reason it is advisable and critical

that your organization’s financial officer assist in the preparation of the element of the proposal.

Bonus tip: Networking

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Several sources (Mikelonis, et al., 2004; Guyer, 2002, Leopori and Rocci, 2009) advocate the use

of networking to get to know potential sponsors and to assist in the preparation of a grant proposal.

Leopori and Rocci (2009) recommend using colleagues to first test out a grant proposal,

Proposal writing is in most cases not individual work, but rather a social process where other

members of the team and colleagues are asked to contribute and to comment on successive drafts.

Colleagues are deemed to play the role of referees or members of evaluation panels of the funding

agency and thus their answers are considered as proxies of a dialogue with the funding agency

(p.186)..

And while this is an important piece, these researchers also note another benefit of using

colleagues: “This is related to the fact that in most agencies researchers themselves are involved

in the evaluation process, especially in the academic-oriented research councils” (p. 186).. By

creating networks and being willing to contact potential sponsors in appropriate ways, credibility

and familiarity can build and increase the potential of gaining a grant. N. Lovell (personal

communication, June 14, 2012) recommends being nice to everyone and to also. “cCreate

relationships with the people you will be working with through reviews, thank you notes, and

reports.”

Conclusion

Grant writing is a skill that demands a strong sense of technical attention and solid logical

rhetoric. More than just an idea, grant writing must take an idea and deconstruct, evaluate and

reassemble the idea in a persuasive manner backedmanner backed up by research. In an

increasingly competitive area, good grant writing is critical to getting results. By paying attention

to detail, doing the research and creating connections, grant writing will yield success.

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Interview with a Pro A Sidebar Conversation with

a Professional Grant Writer

by Chad L. Mosher

Nikki Lovell knows how to get money. As the grant

writing administrator for United Way of Northern

Utah and the Zada Haws Community Grant

Center and Cooperating Collection, Lovell heads

“the most authoritative source of information on

private philanthropy in Northern Utah.” According

to the United Way website, “The Center helps grantseekers, grantmakers, researchers,

policymakers, the media, and the general public better understand the field of philanthropy.

Instruction on funding research, help with proposal writing, tools for locating prospective

funders, news and research on philanthropy are all available at the Center.”

Lovell offers her top 10 tips for effective grant writing:

1. See the big picture first and put the details in later. A proposal should be visionary

and also clearly demonstrate cause and effect. Write for what you want to see happen.

2. Creative writing is not good for grant writing. Writing should be systematic and

more scientific than creative. The grant proposal should point to similar proven research with

noteworthy outcomes, especially for government grants.

3. Good grant writing will get you more grants. Culling Cultivating a good reputation,

getting to know grant managers, and creating a history are a “must have” to getting federal

grants.

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4. Relationships equal grants. As foundations based on “old money” age and their

executors move to other cities, they tend to take the money with them. Creating relationships

will create the potential to keep grant money consistent on a long-term basis.

5. Be exact. Especially in regards to government grants, the worksheets will tell you exactly

what information to provide - provide it. As a long-term government grant reviewer, Lovell is

saddened by the points grants lose because of simple omissions and assumptions.

6. Gain experience, be a reader. Lovell says the best way to gain experience is to become

a grant reader for the government. Government grants are reviewed by a minimum of three

readers who evaluate the grant separately and then compare scores. This consistent review

opportunity teaches the nuances of grant writing and demonstrates what passes and what doesn’t.

7. Edit, edit, edit, and add correctly. Proofread the grant proposal and have others

proofread as well. If grant writers can’t spell, they can’t administer a grant. This goes double

for the budget. Use an accountant to create the budget.

8. If at first you don’t succeed. Government reviewers have to write comments for every

point taken away in a grant proposal review. These reviews are public record and available for

the submitter to review. Get the review, correct what is wrong, and resubmit.

9. Be thick skinned. Rejection is part of grant writing. Lovell says you will only get about

10 percent of the grants you submit.

10. Grant writing is fun. Everybody loves you because you get them money. Lovell has

retired from professional grant writing but continues as a volunteer and says it is even more fun.

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References

Businessdictionary.com (2012). Grants. Retrieved from:

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/grant.html

Gitlin, L. N., & Lyons, K. J. (2008). Successful grant writing: Strategies for health and human

services professionals. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Guyer, M. (2002). A concise guide to getting grants for nonprofit organizations. Hauppauge,

NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). (2012) Top ten “to do’s” of grant

writing/proposal submission. Retrieved from:

http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/TechnicalAssistance/tipsforgoodgrantapplications.pdf

Lepori, B., & Rocci, A. (2009). Reasonableness in grant proposal writing. Studies in

communication sciences, 9(2), 171-189.

Mikelonis, V. M., Betsinger, S. T., & C. Kampf, C. (2004). Grant seeking in an electronic age.

New York, NY: Pearson Education.

National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC). (2011). What is a grant? Retrieved

from: http://nedarc.med.utah.edu/writingGrants/whatIsAGrant.html

Recreation, Arts, Museums, and Parks (RAMP). (2007). 2007 RAMP recipients. Retrieved from:

http://www.co.weber.ut.us/ramp/PDFs/2007_RAMP_grant_awards.pdf

Trotter, R. (2011, July 8). Farmers market opens in Ogden. Standard-Examiner. Retrieved from:

http://www.standard.net/stories/new-weeknight-farmers-market-opens-ogden

Weber state gets $80,000 grant for satellite frame. (1994, October, 26). Deseret News. Retrieved

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from: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/383557/WEBER-STATE-GETS-80000-

GRANT-FOR-SATELLITE-FRAME.html

Grading Sheet for Tips/Techniques Paper

250 points

Housekeeping items (30 points)

_9_____Associated Press style mistakes are few. (10 points)

_9_____Spelling and punctuation mistakes are few. (10 points)

_9_____Grammar mistakes are few. (10 points)

Writing (100)

_8_____Beginning is interesting. (10 points)

_8_____The piece is well-organized with good transitions. (10 points)

_9_____The piece has a clear focus or theme that holds it together. (10 points)

_8_____The piece is interesting. (10 points)

_8_____The writing is clear and concise. (10 points)

_7_____The writing is appropriately informative, yet creative. (10 points) Too academic

_6_____The writing is tailored to its intended audience—someone trying to learn how to do this

style of writing and the teacher of this class, of course! (10 points)

_6_____Information is properly attributed using Associated Press style. Do not treat this as academic writing.

(10 points)

_8_____Ending is interesting and appropriately concludes the piece. (10 points)

_8_____The piece would be potentially publishable in print or on the Web. (10 points)

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Content (70 points)

_9_____The topic is narrow. (10 points) Great topic

_7_____The information is current and important to professional communicators. (10 points)

_8_____The topic is fully explored. (10 points)

_6_____The piece would be helpful to someone learning how to produce this genre of writing (that’s your

audience). (10 points)

_8_____The 10 (or so) tips are useful and clear. (10 points)

_7_____The examples are useful and clearly illustrative. (10 points)

_8_____The content was well-researched and/or makes good use of your expertise if you have it. (10 points)

Over-reliance on scholarly resources.

Interview (25 points)

_5_____The interviewee is clearly an expert in the genre of writing. (5 points)

_10_____The sidebar is well-written and interesting. (10 points)

_10_____The sidebar includes tips, suggestions on how to succeed in this style of writing or other

useful information. It is clear from the sidebar that you asked good questions. (10 points)

References (25 points)

_7_____List at least five to 10 good references at the end of your article that would be useful for others trying

to learn about this style of writing. (10 points)

_8______Quality of references is high and shows you did good research. (10 points)

_4______References are complete and include all of the information someone would need to find the article.

(You don’t necessarily need to use APA style for these. You can do it in the form you think would be

GRANT WRITING 19

easiest for readers to use. (5 points)

200/250

Chad,

Obviously, the main problem with your paper is that it didn’t meet the requirements of this

assignment. This was supposed to be a “tips and tricks” paper where you had the opportunity to

share your expertise and/or provide practical information to teach someone how to do this

professional style of writing. You provided lots of great information, and it was well-written for

a term paper. I provided you good examples from my previous class and even included the link

to the website. Anyway, you’ll want to edit this just a bit before you post it to the class website,

but don’t spend too much time. Move on to your writing project. Let’s work together to make

sure you get an A on that one..