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Teach Me How to Get the Money A Practical Approach to Grant Writing By Cynthia Falardeau Executive Director Education Foundation of Indian River County, Inc.
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Teach Me How to Get the Money
A Practical Approach to Grant Writing
ByCynthia FalardeauExecutive Director
Education Foundation of Indian River County, Inc.
Welcome!Today’s Presenters:
Wanda Lincoln – EF-IRC Board MemberGail Kinney – EF-IRC Board Member
Mary Miner – EF-IRC Program CoordinatorColetta Murray – Treasure Coast Elementary
Gary and Nancy Curry – Vero Beach High School – Freshman Learning Center
Tips and Advice“How to get the $$$”
Grant Writing is Fundraising
Fundraising is about building relationships.
Know Your Funder!
What do you know about the EF-IRC?
www.edfoundationirc.org
Our Mission:The mission of the Education Foundation is to enrich and
enhance educational opportunities for all students and teachers, in both public and private schools, through
effective fundraising and the efficient allocation of resources
Our Programs:The Sneaker Exchange Program, the School Supply Fund,
the Great Ideas! Grants, Vision for Reading, the Indian River Regional Science and Engineering Fair Program and
teacher development initiatives
The Great Ideas! Grant Program Goals:The goal of this project is to impact student literacy in the following ways:1.Increase the level of academic success in classrooms through the use of technology.2.Provide necessary funding to projects that will impact academic scores.3.Selected grants will provide evaluation tools that will demonstrate measurable outcomes.4.Projects will be aligned with the districts policies and objectives of increasing academic scores.5.The program introduces teachers to the process of grant writing in a user-friendly format.6.Emphasize the importance of evaluation in determining the achievement of goals.
The Great Ideas! Grant Program
Additional Program Points:•The Ultimate Purpose of this program is to fund original and innovative teaching concepts.
•Our goal for this program is to make your creative, innovate and original ideas a reality in your school.
•We want you, the teacher, to come up with the Great Idea! The Foundation can not tell you what to write.
We seek to fund innovative ideas that have the potential to become part of the established curriculum. We do not fund line item requests. A grant is not a wish list.Grant proposals need to have a comprehensive plan that details a strategy to deliver academic gains.
Where We Get Our Funding:
Private Individual
Private Foundations - Grants
State Dollars through the Florida Consortium of Education Foundations(This is less than 10% of our operating budget)
A Few Points Regarding our Funding Sources:1. The funding for grants is contingent upon the
dollars we raise year-to-year.2. We are not an endowed foundation. This means we are not sitting on a pile of money!3. Our grant opportunities are donor driven.4. We publish the opportunities as quickly as we
secure the funding.5. The donor directs how the funds will be spent.
What We Typically Do Not Fund:* Again this depends on the funding source
o Foodo Babysitterso Salarieso Playground Equipmento Transportation*(Presently we are looking into a resource for transportation)
We award grants to:• Primary and Secondary Schools in
Indian River County• The SDIRC
We do not fund grants to:• Individuals
• Other Non-Profit Organizations
A Few Words About the:
School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program
There has been an increased emphasis on performance expectations and accountability.
You have to be able to count, measure or track data to show growth and accountability.
Such areas of emphasis include:DeliverablesTraining and Technical AssistanceStudent PerformanceService Delivery
The Intent of the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program is to Fund
Projects that Focus on the Following:
•Improving literacy
•Increasing graduation rates
•Focus on career and technical education
•Support STEM education
•Improve the performance of low performing students
•Focus on teaching quality
Allowable Expenses
Classroom MaterialsProgram SuppliesComputer Software & Hardware Other Equipment (not
computers)PrintingRoom Rental Fees (teacher
development workshops)
Unallowable Expenses:•Administrative Expenses
Salaries/Benefits/Prof. Contract Workers for grant managementIndirect Office Expenses (Internet Service, Telephone Service, etc. not related to grant management)
•Food/Beverage/Entertainment•Support of Interscholastic Athletics•Capital Improvements•Decorative Items•Awards•Fund Raising
Measureable Results
•Programs need to have measurable results
•With the growing emphasis on measurable student performance and increased competition for Legislative dollars:
“If you cannot measure it, do not do it”.
Grant materials become the property of the school that receives the funding.
If a teacher transfers to another school, the materials remain at the school that received the grant.
Grant Writing Very Simply Involves:
Writing a concise, persuasive business proposal.
You are asking someone to invest in your idea.
Best Practices of Grant Writing:A. It Begins with an Innovative Idea.B. Do Your Research.C. Create a Budget – How Much $ Do You Need?D.Create a Plan.E.Determine the Measureable Steps to Track Progress and Academic Success.F. Plan and Explain How the Project Will Become Part of the Curriculum.
Additional Pointers – My List:1. Read the Directions.2. The first paragraph should contain the purpose of the grant and the amount of funding that is being requested.3. Have a “hook” to engage the reader.4. Be persuasive and concise.5. Use short sentences.6.Avoid FCAT jargon.7.Choose a title that relates to the project.8.Include a detailed budget.9.Honor the relationship – turn in your report and receipts on time!10. Recognize the Foundation in your school newsletter, school zone submissions and website.
Pointers from the Association of Fundraising Professionals:
“Have What it Takes”1.Clear Communications – No need for fancy or big words.2.Organization – Take and make time for research.3.Honesty – Be straightforward. Tell the honest story. Only promise what you can deliver.4.Vision – Enable the reader to visualize the program. Don’t just describe the program from point A to point B. Paint a picture of what you will do with the dollars. Let the reader, “see” the program.5.Tell a Good Story – The proposal should inform and engage the reader. Include why the program is needed, what you want to accomplish.
Have What it Takes continued:
5. The Good Story Continued: “Many grant writers feel that the a proposal has to be technical and boring. However, if you are bored writing it, just imagine what the person who reads it will feel.”
“The proposal should be fun, positive, and enjoyable for the reader.”
6. Resiliency – Tenacity is an essential quality for any grant seeker. You are building a relationship with your funder. Do not get discouraged if you are asked for additional information. If you are not selected, don’t take it personally. Contact the grant maker and find out why your proposal was not selected.
Examples of Good Grants
Common Mistakes• Does not align with the districts policies and objectives of increasing academic
scores.
• The project is already available for free.
• The project is too large = not enough time to implement
• Not following the instructions
• Does not correctly identify the name of the funder
• Uses lots of flowery language and quotes
• Does not make a clear case for support (Needs to be stronger than…it would be nice if….)
Common Mistakes• Budget is not itemized and does not total correctly
• Rather than writing the grant the author cuts and pastes a website into the narrative and asks the funder to go read about it (BIG OFFENDER!)
• Proposal only benefits one student
• Proposal is not sustainable
• Does not deliver measurable results
• Proposal is vague
• Proposal is really a line item request
Additional Resources:•Tools to Learn Teachers Closet
www.edfoundationirc.org• Public Education Network:
www.publiceducation.org•Kids in Need Foundation:www.kidsinneed.net/grants
•Donors Choose:www.donorschoose.org
•Adopt a Classroomwww.adoptaclassroom.org
Target www.target.com
Survey Your School:1. Find out what businesses exist within your school family.2. Are there parents with expertise or connections to help you?3. Are there business owners who could discount or donate services?4. Does a parent work for a company that could help you?
