Program Development and Grant Writing Bruce K. Barnard
The key to successful grant writing is to understand the relationship between
an organization’s mission, strategic plan and the program development process.
There are 6 competencies necessary for successful program development and
grant writing.
1. Developing a Mission Statement
2. Strategic Planning
3. Planning the Program
4. Identification of Funding Sources
5. Writing the Grant
6. Follow Up
Developing a Mission Statement
The mission statement is a short statement that defines
the purpose of the organization. Whether you are proposing a new agency or
service, proposing a new program or continued funding for an existing agency,
it is essential to understand your mission. By providing a sense of
direction and purpose, the mission statement serves an extremely important
function in an organization. Each proposed activity is tested against
the mission statement to determine if it will further the mission of the
organization. Apparently worthwhile activities can reduce the effectiveness
of an organization by consuming energy and resources without furthering the
overall mission.
Typically I have the stake holders in the organization
meet to discuss our purpose, dreams and ideas for the organization.
An outside facilitator can assist the group by providing some structure and
direction to the meeting, and permit all of the stake holders to participate.
It is important that all levels of an organization be represented.
In a traditional organization the group should include board members, administrators,
program employees, volunteers and if possible consumers.
The first step is to brainstorm all of the possible activities
and ideas for the organization. It is important, at this stage, to
restrict discussion to clarifying questions. Any objections, comments
regarding feasibility, or affordability should be held until later.
Each idea is recorded for future reference.
The next step is to begin the process of distilling these
ideas into a mission statement. Depending on the size of the group
and the number of ideas it may be necessary to group them into categories
for discussion purposes. It is often useful to have group members rank
the ideas using a numbering system. For example, each member is assigned
10 points. They assign their points to the ideas that they consider
important. They may assign all 10 points to one idea, assign 1 point
to 10 ideas or anything in between. The ideas are then ranked according
to the assigned points. This and other similar exercises can help the
group to arrive at a common vision and purpose for the organization.
It is not necessary to list the main activities in a
mission statement but each activity should be directly related to the statement.
If the process works, not everyone will see everything they want in the mission
statement. Each participant should, however, be able to support the
mission as stated. When I worked on developing a mission statement
for Prairie Center we spent nearly a full day in this process. The
result was the following: “The mission of Prairie Center Health Systems
is to improve the quality of life and reduce the impact of alcoholism and
drug abuse, by providing quality, comprehensive services to individuals,
families and communities in east central Illinois.”
Strategic Planning
Much has been made of the strategic planning process. It is really
nothing more than a road map that defines a path from where the organization
is now to a place where the organization’s mission is accomplished. The essential
elements of a strategic plan are as follows:
1. An analysis of the present operating environment.
2. Identification of existing external opportunities and
threats.
3. Identification of existing internal strengths and weaknesses.
4. A strategy for improving the organization’s internal
performance and response to external conditions.
5. An action plan, with specific tasks and responsible
parties.
6. Goals and objectives
As in developing the mission statement, I have found it
is important that all stake holders in the organization are involved in the
development of the strategic plan. The complexity of the strategic
plan will depend on the size and the goals of the organization. A large
organization with goals of expansion will have a complex and detailed strategic
plan. A small volunteer organization my be able to identify the essential
elements in a single page.
Planning the Program
The cornerstone of the grant writing process is the program
plan. I have often seen people struggle with the grant writing process.
By completing the program plan first, I have found grant writing becomes
a simple matter of editing the plan for maximum effect. I have found
it useful in developing a program to ask myself and the stakeholders a series
of questions. The following are some questions that I have used in
the past.
What will this program accomplish, what is the purpose? This
will be the statement of the overall purpose of the program. It is
the same as a mission statement, except it is specific to the proposed program.
In fact, the same process described above to arrive at a mission statement
will help to define the program purpose. It is absolutely essential
that the program purpose be consistent with the agency mission. If
not, it is necessary to develop a new mission statement for the agency.
Who will this program serve? The obvious answer here will be
the clients. For example, “the program is designed to serve women with
a diagnosis of drug dependence.” Be as specific as possible.
The answer to this question should include others who will benefit from the
program. For example, “information resources will be provided to family
members and significant others.”
Why is this program necessary or desirable? Responding to this
question will require some background information. If this program
is targeted to a specific group provide as much information as possible.
For example, “at the time of this writing, there are 23 clients waiting for
space to become available in a residential treatment program.” This
program will provide an element of safety for those clients by maintaining
contact, offering resources and crisis intervention services.
What is the relationship between this program and the community?
Describe how the program will interact with other agencies and with the community
at large. If the program involves collaboration with others, this may
be the most important section of the plan. Include specifics such as,
“quarterly meetings will be held to aid in service coordination and offer
ideas for program enhancements.”
What is the relationship between this program and my agency?
Describe how this program will interact with other programs in your agency.
What is the relationship between this program and those it intends to
serve? Describe the role of the program and the program staff.
Are the staff counselors, mentors, advisors, advocates, monitors or some
combination?
Has this ever been done before? If not, why not? If so, has it been
successful? Is this a well accepted program model in use in many communities?
Is it an innovative model, recently developed, that you plan to replicate?
Is it your own idea, that as far as you know has never been tried before?
This section should provide the reader with a sense of the state of the art
in your proposed area.
What specific activities will be conducted as part of the program?
Any activities that are planned should be included here. All of the
activities should support the program purpose.
Who will perform these activities? Describe the qualifications
of the employees or volunteers who will be providing services. Will
they have any special training?
How will we know if we are successful? This section is often
referred to as the evaluation component. What measure will you use?
Include estimates of such things as the number of client contacts, client
contact hours, number of activities and the numbers of people attending.
Also include client or participant satisfaction information and other measures
of the success of the program.
Who is responsible for overseeing the program? Include information
about administrative oversight as well as any advisory groups planned to
support program activities.
How much will it cost? Prepare a simple budget that includes
administrative and clerical support, facility costs, personnel and program
supplies.
How long will it take to get the program started? Prepare a
timetable for program implementation. Be realistic about how long it
will take to recruit, identify and train staff or volunteers. Equipment
or facilities necessary for the program may require time to secure.
The program plan will provide a good start towards program implementation,
but it will still be necessary to develop policies, procedures, marketing
and program materials.
By answering each of these questions, I have found I am
well on my way to preparing a professional program plan and successful funding
requests. Some sections will receive more emphasis than others depending
upon the nature of the program, the organization and the community.
The program plan may follow the organization of the above questions, or format
the information as requested by a particular funder.
Identification of Funding Sources
Funding for program activities is available from a variety
of sources including;
· government agencies (federal, state, county
and local)
· private foundations
· individual donors
· fundraising activities
· fees
In many cases it will be necessary to seek funding from
a variety of sources for a project or program. Funding strategies can
be complex and in many cases frustrating to put together. Potential funders
want to know that you will have the necessary resources to put the project
together before they commit to funding the program. There is a certain “Catch
22” to the process. Somehow you must demonstrate that you can obtain
full funding for a project in order to obtain the needed funding.
National and regional funders like to see that there is local support for
the project and local funders like to see that others are committed to supporting
the project. Many funders are willing to provide “seed money” but want
to see the program become self-sufficient though fees and local support after
the initial start-up. In many cases identifying a funding mechanism
for a program involves complex negotiations with multiple parties.
I often use a community input process to gather local support for the program.
That local support is invaluable in leveraging support from other sources.
It is important to do some research regarding potential
funding sources. Government granting bodies make available their priorities
and requirements. Opportunities may not be limited to the obvious agency.
For example the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse provides the majority
of state funding for substance abuse services in Illinois. It may also
be possible to receive funding for a substance abuse program from the Department
of Children and Family Services, the Department of Education or the Department
of Veteran’s Affairs. It is important to research all possibilities with
an eye towards departments with missions that overlap your program purpose.
Private foundations typically have an interest area or
particular focus to the programs they fund. For example, the Milton
H. Erickson foundation “is dedicated to promoting and advancing the contributions
made to the health sciences by the late Milton H. Erickson, M.D. through
training mental health professionals and health professions world-wide”.
Other foundations may limit geographic area, the type of agency they will
fund or the amount of the award. Reviewing past and present awards
can provide a great deal of information about the types of programs a foundation
is interested in.
Individual donors are one of the most challenging to obtain,
yet least restrictive, funding sources available. Usually the donor
has a prior relationship with the agency or to the cause. Where no
prior relationship exists, an introduction from someone who knows the donor
is almost always necessary. Individual donors are often more interested
in the personal relationship with key program staff than with written program
materials. Many agencies actively pursue gifts from estates and other
planned giving mechanisms.
Fundraising activities serve several purposes. Fundraising
activities commonly used include:
1. Direct mail solicitation
2. Dinners
3. Raffles
4. Events, such as golf outings, duck races, go-cart races
and concerts
5. Silent Auctions
A successful fundraising activity can provide needed funds to the program.
Often it is just as important that the activity raise community awareness
of the identified problem and the proposed program activities. Successful
fundraising activities can be used to demonstrate local support for a program.
For example, the statement that the program received over 100 donations from
local citizens and 12 from church congregations will be viewed positively
by many potential funders.
In my experience, fundraising activities are most effective when multiple
activities are combined in an organized campaign. By combining the
activities, it is possible to take advantage of media coverage, advertising
and growing community awareness of the campaign.
While fundraising and grant writing are linked, they are
not the same activity. Developing a fundraising and development plan
requires extensive planning and on-going effort on the part of agency administrative
staff. These activities should be included in the strategic planning
process.
Writing the Grant
Grant writing involves editing the program plan to fit
the requirements of the grant and adding supporting documents. I have
observed many grant writers struggle because they haven’t completed the program
planning stage when they try to write a grant.
An important rule in grant writing is to follow the guidelines. One
of the most common mistakes grant writers make is trying to out guess the
funding source. They have some piece of information or an attachment
that they think really makes their case. But it doesn’t fit the format.
If the granting body says no attachments, they usually mean NO ATTACHMENTS.
If the funding source does not use a specific format it is useful to write
a condensed version of your program plan. Be as concise, as possible.
Funders often review hundreds of applications. If they have to wade
through multiple pages to get to the point of a program they will simply
move to the next proposal. For this reason I often include an abstract
outlining the essential elements of the proposal. If a program or proposal
does not meet the guidelines it is extremely unlikely to get any attention.
Many successful grant writers use a template for many
of their grants. The template includes basic information about the
agency, its overall relationship with the community, its organizational structure,
agency licensing and the qualifications of the key staff. This is not
the time to be shy about your organization’s accomplishments. If you
are well respected, professional and innovative say so. Be prepared
to back up your statements.
Letters of support are an important part of many grant
applications, especially if the program involves collaboration or will rely
on referrals from other agencies. It is often advisable to solicit
experts in the field to offer technical support either under contract or
as volunteers. I have often used letters of support to demonstrate
community support and coordination.
How will we continue the program after the startup period?
This question may not have been part of the original program plan but it
needs to be answered in the grant. If you are looking for start-up
money potential funders will want to know how you will continue to operate
the program.
Grants should be well written, well prepared and attractive.
Typographical errors and problems in the presentation will leave potential
funders with the impression that the program lacks professionalism and attention
to detail.
Unless instructed otherwise by the funder, budgets should
include information about the total agency as well as the program to be funded.
Funders are often looking to see if the agency is capable of administering
the proposed program and has the financial resources to manage any unanticipated
events. If a portion of the programs revenue will support overall administrative
costs for the agency, this should be clearly delineated in the budget.
I will use the research I have done regarding the funding
source to customize the materials. For example, in a funding proposal
to the Erickson Foundation, mentioned above, I would focus on Erickson’s
contribution to the field and describe specific training activities.
Follow-Up
Drafting the cover letter to your grant or proposal is
the beginning of the follow-up process. I include contact information for
myself or the person responsible for answering questions about the grant
or proposal. If I still have those materials in mind that will make
the proposal, but didn’t fit the grant requirements, I mention them in the
cover letter.
After a reasonable period of time make contact with the
person identified in the grant documents. Inquire about the status
of your proposal and ask if there are other materials you can provide that
would be helpful.
If a grant is not funded, I request feedback from the
contact person. I make it clear that I understand that there are limited
funds for many worthwhile projects. I am not questioning their decision
in any way. My purpose is to help me prepare future grants and proposals.
In many cases the personal contact I develop will prove beneficial in future
proposals.
Summary
I believe the key to successful program development and
grant writing is to understand the relationship between an organization’s
mission, strategic plan and the program planning process. There is
a great deal of work to do before putting pencil to paper on a grant application.
All too often, the process is reversed and program managers find themselves
attempting to design a program that fits what was specified in a grant.
By careful program planning and thoughtful preparation the process of identifying
potential funding sources and writing the grant can be quite simple.