18: Chapter The Clock's Ticking: Checking Everything Before the Launch Using a checklist for absolute assurance Some funding agencies include checklists in their grant application (even better because it lets you know exactly what they want) a. Refer to Figure 18-1 on pg. 249 of the class text for an example of a checklist provided by a government grant application Cover materials o Cover Letter o Prenarrative Forms in place with empty fields merged The National Network of Grantmakers (NNG) Common Grant Application Format, Browning suggests to type the organizations name after Submitted to and to insert the amount of monies you are asking for after Grant Request o Abstract/Executive Summary o Table of Contents Introduction to your organization Application narrative should address following information points: o History of organization o Major accomplishments relevant to proposed grantfunded project o Programs/projects currently relevant to proposed grant-funded project o Demographics of target populations mirroring types of populations funder wants to support in current funding cycle o Local/reg/statewide collaborations & statewide profit/non-profit partners Problem or needs statement Problem/needs statement should cover following topics: o Problem in critical need of grant funding o How problem was identified o Perspectives: National/reg/local o National research proving existence of problem Program design/plan of operation o Meat of grant application, so make sure it contains following: o Concise mission statement of program o Goals shadowing funder's specific funding goals o Outcome objectives o Process objectives in "activity talking terms" o Impact objectives in terms of benefits to end recipients
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Congruity of goals and objectives Timeline of proposed proposed grant-funded activities Integration of evaluation plan Dissemination plan Overall logic model demonstrating fluid planning/implementation process for program design
Evaluation and dissemination o Funder may request to include evaluation section in grant application. If so, Browning asks to include: o Methods to evaluate progress of objectives o How you plan on sharing findings with others Key personnel, resources, and equity statement o Key personnel: qualifications and time allocated to project o Resources you and partners bring to program o Demonstration of equity of opportunity in hiring staff/program participants Budget Summary/Detail o Double check budget summary totals o Write detailed narrative to support budget's summary line item amounts Finalizing Contract Bid with Care o Request for Proposal (RFP) guidelines given when preparing for a contract bid for for-profit organizations provides exact elements you're required to submit. o Bid-letting agency may inquire about your company's experience, check you've provided the following: o Company's legal name as well as Doing Business As name o Name of founder(s) and year it was founded o State of its incorporation o # of years it has been providing services/products similar to contracted you're services/products proposing to deliver to bid-letting agency o Concise and focused mission statement o Background on contract-specific services/products, including number of individuals served/products sold o Research citations validating problem statements/and/or national trends supportsing problem/product-related data o Name/qualifications of principal investigator/project director Editing Your Work (Or Having Someone Else Do It)
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Peer grant reviewers/program officers are trained to find errors: looking at your application expecting to find mistakes that could disqualify your application Important to have someone else other than you to review your application Three options to get most of edit: o 1) Finish early to set aside 24 hours before you pick up the application for rereading o 2) Colleague to proof and edit all work o 3) Secure services of proofreader/editor (may be worth paying professional editors)
Putting Attachments in Order
**The following attachments should all follow the format of all caps, boldface type, min 24 point font, centered on its own page Evaluation o o In NNG format the evaluation is an attachment Don't forget to add resume of lead evaluator/credentials of third party evaluator
Organizational structure/administration Browning provides a list of questions that this attachment should answer o 1) What are the responsibilities of board, staff, volunteers, and members? o 2) How are these groups representative of the communities with which you work? Demographics of the organization? o 3) Who is involved in carrying out the plans outlined in this request? o 4) How will the project be organized Finances o Attachment should include: o Organization's current annual operating budget o Current project budget o Financial statement for the most recent complete year (i.e., expenses, revenue, and balance sheet) o Copy of your IRS 501 (c)(3) letter Other supporting material o Letters of support (handwritten ones add authenticity) o Most recent original annual report o Organization newsletters
Using a Postcard to Track Your Application
o o Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with your federal grant application if you are mailing it. Front of postcard: name, agency, agency's address
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Back: project name, Catalog of Domestic and Federal Assistance number, name of federal initiative, federal agency you're submitting request to, and specific federal department w/in anency. You and your organization can use this number as a tracking system for the application
Submitting Your Information Electronically
What you can do at Grants.gov o Find/download a grant/cooperative agreement application o Complete your grant/cooperative agreement application package o Submit the application package o Track your application package **www.cybergrants.com is an extremely useful tool for egrants. The Online Demonstrations link runs a trial run of the online application process. You have to register with the site to use it for grant seeking, and you'll need your organization's Tax Identification Number for this.