January 2004 — Web/Net
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Tips for Getting Your Technology Projects Funded
The Irving.Net bilingual portal was developed with four different areas that can potentially provide all the necessary funding to sustain the project. Although not every project will include such a portal, organizations must think creatively when planning and writing a project proposal to include a sustainability plan. The plan must be diverse and may include the multiple funding sources that can provide grant funds during the initial two to five years of implementation. When applying for comprehensive funding for the second year of the project, Irving.Net applied for two federal grants with the potential of multiyear funding and several smaller foundation grants that could fund critical components of the project until full sustainability could be developed. An organization should not depend on a single grant to fund or sustain a project. As we said earlier, by definition, most grants are not meant to fund the entire project, so be prepared to address how you intend to keep the project going without grant funds.
Conclusions
Coming up with a list of projects or items that require additional funding is fairly simple, and funding sources can be found for almost any project. The challenge is planning and writing a fundable grant proposal. This is why grant writing consultants charge from $400-$900 per day and still do not guarantee results. Don't despair, however, because you can learn to write proposals that are funded. The key word is learn.
Create a process for keeping abreast of changes in legislation and funding sources, especially those that relate to your business and the needs of the population you serve. Continue to practice by writing and submitting many proposals, getting feedback, and reapplying for grants that were not awarded but allow you to reapply. Seek feedback from funding sources each time an application is not awarded, and heed the feedback when reapplying to the same funding source or any other funding source. Most lessons learned can be applied to other grant proposals. Review guidelines carefully, following all stipulated requirements. And remember to always follow directions.
Even the best grant writer can become too close to a grant proposal, which is why you should always ask a neutral party or parties to review your proposal. Provide your reviewers with the grant guidelines as a reference. The proposal should clearly describe your vision and all components should be linked throughout the proposal. For example, if you say that the project will include an independent evaluation, did you provide a description of the evaluation and areas to be measured, did you include the evaluation process in the timeline, and did you include the cost of the evaluation in the budget? Also, make sure that the budget is realistic and accurate. Is the total budget amount realistic for serving the proposed number of people? Did you clearly define how many people would be served? Do not create a budget where the administrative costs are greater than the amount that will be used to serve the target population.
Let us leave you with a tip from our grant writer's guide, currently being written for educators like you: "First impressions do count. Your mother probably told you a hundred times to always make a good first impression, because people make judgments based on first impressions. Grant reviewers are no different. The majority of proposals are rejected because of the way in which they are presented."
Funding is competitive, so don't compete against yourself or your own organization. Educate yourself, plan, prepare and execute by following directions and submitting a proposal that is exactly what the funding source wants.
Author Contact Information
Nickie Weaver
NWeaver@irvingisd.net
Sheila Fernley
SFernely@irvingisd.net
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