More Secrets and Strategies from a Grant Writing Pro
CDW-G wrapped up its three-part webinar series, with Dr. Toni Rockis, by discussing strategies for writing an effective grant proposal. In the first webinar, attendees got insights into the first three sections of a grant proposal: Executive Summary, Description of the School, and Need for the Project. The second webinar discussed the next two sections: Description of the Project and Project Management Timeline. This final webinar reviewed the last three sections: Evaluation of the Project, Project Budget, and Appendices. Here are a few of the suggested strategies:
1. Formula for Good Evaluation
The evaluation of the project section should generally follow the following formula: 2 types of data + 2 times to collect the data + 3 ways to get the data = 7. The two types of data are qualitative and quantitative. The two times to collect data are during the project, which is referred to as formative evaluation, and at the end of the project, which is called summative evaluation. Finally, three is the number of strategies you should generally use in collecting data. The webinar goes into depth on types of data and the infinite ways to measure data.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
When creating your budget, foundations usually provide categories for each type of expense. Sometimes expenses don’t fit into any of the provided categories. It may be tempting to put these costs into the catch all “Other” category. Try contacting the foundation first to ask if it’s an allowable cost.
3. Quality Not Quantity
When submitting appendices, quality trumps quantity. Reviewers don’t have time to read a mountain of attachments. Read the proposal carefully and provide only the attachments for which the funder has asked. If the funder leaves the decision of what to attach completely up to the applicants, attach only what you feel is absolutely necessary to support your proposal.
These are just a few of the tips shared in the final webinar. To hear more strategies and access free giveaways to help you write the perfect proposal, view the free webinar recording. If you missed the first two webinars, you can view part 1 here and part 2 here. And don’t forget to join the GetEdFunding edWeb community for future webinars!
