Building your Case: How to Design Compelling Grant
Projects Presented by Angela Richardson,
Trainer at The Grantsmanship Center
What will we cover?
• What makes a project compelling for the OGP grant program? Which Project should I chose?
• What are the guidelines really asking me? How do I know?
• Program budgets vs Organizational budget?
• Goal: For participants to leave with a OGP narrative skeleton
Approaching the Guidelines
• How can this grant award be used to leverage your organization? the program?
• Choose the category that best fits
• Look at the criteria
Approaching the Guidelines
Goal: To get maximum amount
of points per section!
OGP Narrative
• Understand the question and Answer all the questions with appropriate information
➡ 9. Organizational Information
➡ 10. Project Information
➡ 11. Project Budget
Question 9:ORGANIZATIONAL (not Project!)
INFORMATION
➡This section is where you Introduce your organization and describe organizational readiness/capacity/excellence and establish credibility
•What is your mission?
•Briefly describe RELEVANT history and overview of core program & services. Note significant changes
ORGANIZATIONAL (not project!) INFORMATION
•Planning and Leadership
➡ This question provides the reviewers with an understanding of how this two-year grant invests in a future vision for your organization. Leverage!
➡ Discuss the relevant decisions/plans about where your organization intends to be in the next two years? Artistically. Administratively. Financially.
➡ How will this grant award help with achieving these goals? How is this related to larger Org. Plan?
ORGANIZATIONAL (not project!) INFORMATION
•Planning and Leadership (cont’d)
➡ How have board and staff contributed to the overall planning?
• Community/Core Audience: Who is your target audience? Use DATA! American Fact Finder provides great information
• Artistic Policy: This is an Artistic quality question and ask for a description of how your organization supports artists.
Exercise:Organizational Information• What kind of relevant
information can your organization provide in the Organizational Information Section to demonstrate credibility?
• What are some goals your organization would like to achieve in the next 2 years?
Question 10: Project Information
• Describe the Project
• Explain the category choice
• Details! Details! Details!
• Answer all the questions, as appropriate. Reference criteria.
• Evaluate - how will you know if the project is a success?
Project Information (cont’d)
A. PROJECT OVERVIEW - Describe Major activities of the Project
• How and Why is this timely for your organization right now?
• GOALS and Objectives – What is the difference?
• Demonstrate how the proposed project aligns with OGP project category goals
Goals vs Objectives – What’s the difference?
GOAL: Describes the result or outcome your organization intends to achieve by the END of the grant period. Example: To increase the number of attendees ages 20-25 at the annual summer music festival
OBJECTIVE: Describes the steps to achieve your goal. Example: To produce 3 (fall, winter and spring) Friday night “Music in the Courtyard” events with artists targeting young adult audience.
Project Information (cont’d)
B. PROJECT DETAILS:
• When?
• Where?
• Who? Participants and Who will implement the project
• How?: Selection criteria for artists
Marketing strategy?
New staff?
Project Information (cont’d)
C. PROJECT EVALUATION
• How will you know whether your project is a success?
• Qualitative vs Quantitative data
• Demonstrate how the project aligns with project category goals (outcomes) and objectives (process)
• Is this relevant if your organization is hiring a new staff person?
Exercise:Project Information
• In 1-2 sentences give an overview of the proposed project
• Describe 1 Goal of the proposed project
• Identify 1 Objective to achieve this goal
Question 11: Project Budget•This is a two-year
project request
•Check and double check your funding request calculation
•Tip: Plan the budget when as you plan the project to avoid mistakes and omitting important details.
Program vs Organization budget
Organizational Budget
• Provides information from all program areas of the organization
• Sometimes called the Annual budget
• Includes program and operating expenses
Project Budget
• Direct Expenses related to the Project’s Activities ONLY
INCOME
• Cash Match
• Income
‣ Earned Income: ex: Ticket sales, Sales, rental income
‣ Contributed Income: Other grants, Individual donations
• OGP Grant request
• Income Explanations
Income - Example
INCOMEOGP Year I/OGP
requestCash Match
A. Earned Income
Admissions
Ticket Sales 5000
Sponsorship Income 7500
B. Contributed Income
Foundation grant 10,000
Board Contribution 2,500Government (county
request)25,000
EXPENSES
• Project Expenses
‣ Salaries and Fringe benefits: Staff members who are directly involved with project activities
‣ Operating Expenses: other project expenses
• Expense Explanation
Expenses - Example
EXPENSES OGP Request Cash Match
A. Salaries and Fringes
Artist and Performers 14000 6,000
Program-All Other Salaries 7,500
General Administrative Salaries
B. Operating Expenses
Accounting
Catering/Hospitality 2500
Equipment rental 1000 500
Production/Exhibition Costs 10,000 8500
Exercise:Project Budget
•Brainstorm a list of the things that will cost money for the proposed project.
Tips and Reminders
• Review appropriate criteria
• Establish Organizational credibility
•Answer all the questions
•Provide information about how intended project fits into organization’s longer term plan and the appropriate project category
•Make sure narrative and budget match
• Take time and care to present EXCELLENT work samples
QUESTIONS???
Thank you!!