Do You Need To Do a MapQuest Search for Getting Your Government Grant?

A 7 Step Grant Writing Plan to Go from Begun to Done.

By Ines Q Compton

Your 13 week timetable to go from “What am I doing?” to getting your grant submitted.

Too many potential grant winners live in a permanent stand still when it comes to trying to get a grant. Time to stand still is now officially over with this 13 week plan to get you submitted. In GirlGrants’ next article, we will cover tips on quality and do’s and don’ts of the actual writing. For now, start by following this schedule.

Give yourself a 13 week countdown from when its due to get it handed in. You can easily get this done in 2 weeks or even one week, but for the beginner it is less stressful to give it plenty of time.

Grant Preparation 7 Step Plan

1) Week 1: Identify the program and agency you want to apply for.

2) Week 2: Continue to look at possible grants to apply for as you get registered: Get the paperwork going. Get registered.

3) Week 3: Identify the granting cycle for the scholarship/grant you have chosen (shown on grant description on website).
Is there an upcoming deadline?
What were the previous deadlines?
Contact program director about next deadlines.
While you are waiting to get your idea clear, try on some writing for the grant proposal: write answers (really write, don’t just think) to these questions:
a) What service do you want to create/ provide/ help support?
b) Do you want to start something or do you want to change/increase/improve an existing organization?
c) How would you see yourself as the one – the one! – to be granted for delivering this service (or qualifying for this education grant)
d) Get a vague business plan WRITTEN, even if this is not the final idea you are going to go with.

The reason you have to walk through all these steps now, before you move further, is to begin to get specific. It will also Generally identify what you really want to shoot for. If not, it will serve to sharpen up your focus.

4) Week 4: a) You need to know the specifics of the grant.
Namely the CFDA Number and the Funding Opportunity Number . Gather at least four or five grants that are close to what you want to aim for.

b) This week you want to research who is out there competing for your service/what you want your grant for. Who is providing what you want to deliver (or nearly approaching what you want to do)? They may not be competing for the same grant as you, as a matter of fact they probably are not. But you need to see what else is out there to determine what you need to add to your package to make it the outstanding candidate it needs to be to win the grant.

Here is an example of a currently available grant. See the CFDA number and the funding opportunity number in this example for practice.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-042005-002
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Apr 25, 2005
Creation Date: Apr 25, 2005
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jun 24, 2005
Current Closing Date for Applications: Jun 24, 2005
Archive Date:
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Education
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 10
Estimated Total Program Funding: $500,000
Award Ceiling: $55,000
Award Floor:
CFDA Number(s): 84.133 — National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

THE CFDA number is 84.133 and the Funding Opportunity Number is ED-GRANTS-042005-002.)

5) The Writing Process.

Weeks 5-6: Begin the grant – writing process.

Decide your specific aims. Have these questions clearly answered for you.

Why would you be the best grantee for these funds?
What is/gather proof to show how you would be capable of the work you are asking to be funded.
How can you exhibit things you have accomplished so far to prove your competence
How can you show how you will address some specific problem with proposed research/study/business/contract.
How can you Identify the expertise you will provide through collaborations-
Above all: -avoid being too wordy.

Week 7: Write your proposal.
a) just write it in free form making sure to cover the WHAT of it. What are you proposing?
b) now: go over it to refine the message. What Are You Proposing?
c) NOW: the HOW of it. Go over your writing for developing your voice. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT “HOW” of it. The grant reader MUST be able to feel your voice, feel who you are.
d) Ask a friend to look it over.

Week 8: a) The Business plan: If you need help contact a MBA friend or go to a university business student to help you with getting your business plan squared away. Draw up a specific budget (how the funds will be spent).
b) Plan and spell out what you need and how you will use it.

Week 9: a) review your budget and your business plan with new eyes. Is this howyou are going to spend the funds?
b) Start writing your cover letters, TOC, assemble, review.

6) Week 10: The Easy Stuff.
Develop other materials for the proposal (cv, letters, cover letter, etc.)
Contacting the program director for extra impact.
Contacting collaborators : for letters on your behalf.

7) Final Proofs.
Weeks 11-12: Proof and make final adjustments.
Reread the entire file with a very big cup’a. Take notes on what you feel is missing.
Review, final proof.

Week 13: review for spelling errors, for grammatical errors and make sure nothing is missing when you submit.
Submit.
Celebrate.

We will try to track a grant app, and show you.
Login on the same government grant website to track your application.