Clayton County Public Schools Department of Research, Evaluation and Assessment

1. Clayton County Public SchoolsDepartment of Research, Evaluation and Assessment Grant Development Workshop

2. Workshop Overview • Pre-Grant Development Considerations • Common Components of a Grant Proposal • Writing Techniques • Common Mistakes to Avoid • District Grant Development Process

3. PRE-GRANT DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS Proposal Development • Writing and Packaging • Adequate Time • Letter of Intent • Community Involvement • Partnership • Community Involvement • Evaluation Requirements • Third-party Evaluator • Extensive Evaluation Requirements • Signatures Required

4. PRE-GRANT DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS Program Implementation • Dosage • Frequency • Duration • Internal Collaborators • Able and willing to participate in proposal development and program implementation • Aware of the roles they are expected to play in implementation

5. PRE-GRANT DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS Program Implementation • Organizational Capacity • Staffing Requirements • District-level Support • Sustainability • Step-down Plan • Post-grant Funding

6. PRE-GRANT DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS Program Implementation • Funding • Amount • Timing • Program Design • Required Program History • Pre-planning Requirement • Alignment with district mission, goals, and objectives

7. Common Components of a Grant Proposal • Executive Summary • Organizational Information • Statement of Need • Program Description • Program Evaluation • Budget • Sustainability Statement • Conclusion

8. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Executive Summary Snapshot • Organization and Expertise • Problem Statement • Solution • Funding Requirements WRITE THIS LAST

9. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Organizational Information Sells Pitch/Resume • History of organization • District & Department (if applicable) mission, vision, and values • District & Department (if applicable) Statistics • Activities • Capacity • Organization’s success in implementing the proposed program or a similar program • Staff training and expertise as it relates to the subject of the proposal

10. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Statement of Need Educate & Establish Expertise • Avoid circular reasoning • Statistics • Accurate and relevant • Accurate portrayal of issue • Hopeless situation = Bad investment • Avoid overstatement • Model program - CAUTION

11. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Program Description Theory, Implementation, Research • Program mission and goals • Program theory (embed research) • Inputs • Outputs • Expected outcomes • Timeline • Program design and implementation considerations

12. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Program Description Design and implementation considerations • Feasible • Research-based • Professional development component • Enhancing quality • Clearly and thoroughly described

13. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Program Evaluation Program efficiency and effectiveness Budget Financial description of the project plus explanatory notes (budget narrative)

14. Common Components of a Grant Proposal Sustainability Means by which you will continue to maintain the program Conclusion Summary of the proposal’s main points

15. Writing Techniques • Address each request for information • Application Audiences • Reviewer Friendly Writing • Adhere to format provided • Label sections of narrative and packet • Short and simple • Graphics • Edit and Proofread Technical Assistance Sessions

16. Common Mistakes to Avoid Beverly Browning Why Some Proposals Fail • Guidelines were not followed exactly • Proposals are not clear or well organized • Proposal writer showed he or she did not know the area of his or her subject matter • Beyond the capacity of the organization • Work plans are too vague • The quality of the writing is poor • Unreasonable number of mechanical errors

17. District Grant Development Process REA Role Collaboration and Consultation Department/Division/School Role Resident Expertise Coordinator

18. Resources Sample Proposals • University of Kansas Community Toolbox Community WorkStation http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/writegrantapplication/example2.jsp • U.S. Department of Education: Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/grants2.html

19. Resources Sample Proposals • School Grants http://www.k12grants.org/samples/samples_index.htm • University of Wisconsin Extension Program Development Model http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/pdf/LMfront.pdf • Research Associates http://www.grantexperts.com/pdf/aim.pdf

20. Resources Tips and Hints • Minnesota Council on Foundations http://www.mcf.org/mcf/grant/writing.htm#Common%20Questions • School Grants http://www.schoolgrants.org/tips/10_tips.htm • Plain Language Communication Skills http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/plaintrain/IntroducingPlainLanguage.html

21. Reference • National Institutes of Health http://www.ospa.umn.edu/fundingopportunities/researchgrant.pdf • Catalogue if Federal Domestic Assistance http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.GRANT_PROPOSAL_DYN.show • Foundation Center http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/shortcourse/info.html • Minnesota Council on Foundations http://www.mcf.org/mcf/grant/writing.htm • Research Associates http://www.grantexperts.com/toolbox/index.htm