Write the Winning Proposal

1. Write theWinning Proposal Mickie Swisher 392-2202, Ext. 256 Meswisher@ifas.ufl.edu 4031 McCarty Hall D

2. The Quiz • The more grants you apply for, the more apt you are to get one. • You don’t really need to know much about the donor to get your proposal funded. • The proposal selection process is pretty arbitrary – a lot depends on who you know. • The size of the budget plays a big role in which proposals are funded – the bigger the budget the less apt you are to receive the grant.

3. Why Do PeopleGive Away Money? • Fun? • Power? • Kindness? • Boredom?

4. Types of Grants • To support individual development • To build the capacity of institutions • To accomplish specific goals that are important to the donor

5. Writing a Proposal Is Just a sophisticated form of panhandling. You need a good line to succeed!

6. Never Ask Strangersfor Money • Like your mother told you • It’s rude. • It’s usually a waste of time. • It can be dangerous.

7. Ward’s Rule He has a 92% win ratefor proposals submitted. If the cover letter of your grant proposal does not begin with “based on our recent conversation…” or its equivalent, your proposal is junk mail.

8. Step 1:Learn about the Donor • What are the goals, objectives and priorities of the donor? What are they trying to accomplish? • Who do they fund? Who is eligible in theory? Who have they funded in the recent past? Are the organizations or groups they have funded similar to yours?

9. Step 2: Talk to theProgram Officer • They can tell you a lot – but there IS such a thing as a stupid question.

10. There is NO Substitutefor a Good Idea • Ideas abound. Yours must be outstanding.

11. Key Themes Today • Relevance or importance • Innovative • Fits with donor’s goals • The multi-multis • Continuity

12. What Donors Won’t Fund • What you’re already doing, routine operating costs, what someone else is supposed to pay for • Solutions/approaches that have already been tried • Something of benefit only to you

13. How Does the Review Work? What Happens to My Proposal after I Send it off in the Mail?

14. The Peer Review Concept • Fair: it’s your colleagues, not some bureaucrat or whatever • Ensures that your approach is cutting edge – the peer panel consists of current experts in the field • Anonymous – no way for you to “get to” the panel members • Strict rules about conflict of interest

15. Getting Ready to Write

16. Like Studying for an Exam! • Read, really really read the RFP and any other information -- word for word • Mark it up, make notes, think about what it says. Know that document like you’re memorizing for an exam. • Examine, in detail, the evaluation criteria. Think hard about what they’re asking for.

17. No Creative Writing Please Proposal writing is a short essay exam, not creative writing. You do not just sit down and start to write – spinning out beautiful prose as the mood hits you! You prepare. You study. You get ready. Then you write. Cram for that Exam!

18. Like your grade school teacher told you,make an outline! Develop an outline. I prefer an outline in the form of questions. Let’s look at an example. Get out your copies of the Higher Education materials.

19. Answer the Questions Just the answers please! Answer your questions to the best of your ability. Be brief. Be honest. Be clear.

20. Typical Parts of a Proposal

21. Statement of Need or Problem of Situation Description • Goals, Objectives and Outcomes • Project Description or Narrative or Plan of Work • Evaluation Plan • Organizational Capability • Staffing Pattern, often including Personnel Qualifications • Plans for Continuation • Budget and Budget Narrative

22. Need/Problem This is a critical part of your proposal. There are many very important problems that need solving and only a little money available for solving them. Why is your problem more important than all those others (drug abuse, terrorism, racism, crime, poverty)?

23. Problem Statement • What is the problem or need? • How does the problem or need relate to the goals and objectives of the donor? • Who does it affect? Who is the target audience? Who are the clients for this program? • Why is this problem important? • Do you have a solution? Why do you think it will work? Can your solution to this problem serve as a model for other places and groups?

24. Common Problems • Too long • Too vague • Circular

25. Goals, Objectives, Outcomes • Goal: A broad, conceptual statement; the big picture about what will change in the world • Objective: Specific things you will accomplish (people trained, behavior changed) • Outcomes: The effect of the changes on the real world

26. Measurable Donors are focusing on outcome-based programs. They want to know if all that money they gave you really caused a change in the real world. Being able to measure how well you achieved your objectives and outcomes is therefore critical!

27. Examples • Goal: “reduce the environmental impacts of new construction in Florida” • Objectives: “We will train at least 5% of all building contractors in Florida in environmentally sound construction practices. 70% of all participants in the training program will use at least 10 or more of the recommended practices and technologies.”

28. Outcomes: “energy use in new homes built by trainees who adopt our recommendations will be 20% lower in energy use than other homes of similar size and location and water use will be 10% lower”

29. Plan of Work, Narrative or Project Description This is the part of the proposal where you explain what you will do. You need to convince the donor that the activities that you propose will lead to the outcomes, objectives and goals that you have stated and that the results of these activities will lead to solving (or helping to solve) the problem you identified.

30. Example 1

31. Example 1

32. The Timeline • Who will do what and when will they do it?

34. Evaluation Usually a weak part of proposals. Explain how you will know if the project worked. Remember that “worked” means something changed in the real world, an outcome. Head counts (500 came to our meeting) do not count for much! Neither does “they liked it a lot.”

35. MEASURE IT! • Explain what you will measure and the type of evaluations you will conduct • What measures will you use for each? • Increased income, higher sales, less environmental impact • Set performance standards! E.g., define success. • 10% increase in income, 20% increase in sales, 30% less water use

36. Example

37. Organizational Capacity This is another section that is typically weak. You must make the case that your organization and partners are the right ones for this project. You must convince me that there is a match between your goals and objectives and mine as the donor.

38. Personnel & Staffing Pattern This is where you name individuals who will be responsible for specific project activities. It ties backward to activities, and therefore to outcomes and objectives, and it ties forward to budget. You will probably ask for the salary of some of these people, for example.

39. Charts

40. Continuity or Sustainability Most donors today want to know how you will continue the project activities (and therefore the outcomes) once the donor’s $$$ are gone. What is your game plan?

41. Budget

42. Purpose of the Budget • Shows costs of all line and supplementary items • What does “line item” mean? • Shows project costs that will be met by the donor • Show projects costs that will be met by other funds

43. A Good Budget • Includes all of the costs that you will incur to complete the project • Is based on “bottom up” budget building -- not “guesstimates” • Is neither too high nor too low -- both are problems

44. Budget = Project • Your budget should reflect what you are going to do during the project • Ideally, each budget item can be tied to a specific activity or deliverable • For example, many budgets show no allocations for evaluation -- even though the writer claimed this would occur! • Real partners share the budget

45. Budget Vocabulary • Direct Costs • Indirect Costs • Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

46. The Budget Narrative • Explains how you will use the money • Justifies expenditures -- why do you need a part time secretary? • Explains how you got the numbers (mileage reimbursement rates used, insurance costs) • In short -- explains your budget -- otherwise the numbers look like magic.