Posted: September 13th, 2017

Grant Writing

Grant Writing

Course Description

This elective course has two main objectives. First, it will provide you with the skills and knowledge to seek, solicit, and receive grant awards from foundation and government sources to support public and non-profit programs and projects. Second, it will teach you how to manage grants effectively to provide the greatest value to your organization and to the granting agency.
In both of these goals is the implicit understanding that you will become not only a successful grant specialist, but responsible and ethical ones who understand the grant enterprise, its purpose, and the effects it can bring to bear for public organizations.

This is an activity-based course and a project-based course. The learning is hands-on, and as such, you will be evaluated for the practical knowledge you demonstrate in completing assignments and projects.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Specifically, the learning objectives include the following:

1. To provide an understanding of the history and development of grant making in both government and foundation settings.
2. To provide an understanding of differences in grants by type, including conditions and the method of allocation.
3. To convey knowledge of where and how to find information about available grants from public and private sources.
4. To help you determine how to evaluate a potential grant opportunity in light of organization goals and objectives.
5. To enhance your understanding of inter-organizational collaboration and intra- organizational team building around the grants enterprise.
6. To provide you with technical knowledge and skills necessary to compile a grant budget according to standards.
7. To provide knowledge of technical terms and concepts you will confront in the grant- seeking enterprise.

8. To learn how to write effective grant program narrative description
9. To learn how to organize and submit quality applications in a timely fashion according to agency expectations.
10. To understand key concepts associated with accepting and managing grant awards, including reporting and auditing requirements and program evaluation.
11. And most important, learning when to say ‘No’ to a grant opportunity.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Students will use grant search engine www.infoedglobal.com

In the class blackboard account various publications will be found that we will use for the class.

These books might be helpful but not required for this course:
Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox. The Only Grant-Writing Book You’ll Ever Need. Basic
Books, Perseus Books Group. 3rd edition. 978-0-465-01869-7.

Beverly A. Browning. Grant Writing for Dummies. Wiley Publishing. 3rd edition.
978-0-470-29113-

A laptop or notebook should be brought to each class.

Nature of Class Sessions: Three hour class sessions in the evening are always a challenge. Approximately one half of each class meeting will be spent in lecture and discussion and one half will be spent working on application of specific tools and techniques. Students are expected to summarize articles and lead discussion where readings are followed by blank lines. These will be assigned during the first session of the course, and each student will cover an equal amount of material.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

Course Requirements: Each student will complete 8 graded assignments as described below. Some of the assignments will be completed individually and others will be completed in groups to demonstrate the efficacy of cognitive styles matching in organizational performance.

Written Assignments and Projects:

***Note: It is advantageous to select a single program and use it throughout the written assignments (excluding management exercises) because the final project is cumulative. Students with ideas in mind may be asked to join groups and share their projects with students that have only general interests in grant writing in the topical area. The seeking exercise report is not program-specific. To prevent free-riding, I always ask groups to evaluate their members’ participation upon completion of each assignment; these scores will be used to weight individual grades.

I. Seeking Exercise Report Due May 29 10%

The class will be divided into groups of three/four (if necessary) on the basis of their cognitive styles and topical interests. Each group will conduct a funding search based on a topic they choose with my prior approval. The group will establish criteria for evaluating available funding and funding sources, and will then apply the rubric to generate a list of potential funding sources, listed in order of priority, for each topic. The report will include both federal and state government and foundation funding sections. Also, the report will include a concise narrative that describes the search process undertaken and how the criteria/selection were arrived at and executed. The report should divide funding sources into three categories: viable, possibly viable, and not viable, with justification for each. This is primarily a technical report, intended for use, not to be read, so it need not look pretty as long as it is usable. Developing a useful format is expected as part of the assignment. Page limit: 1 page

II. Background and Need Narrative Report Due June 5 10%

Students (or groups) will select a setting and a proposed program topic, again subject to instructor approval. Once approved, they will then develop a narrative statement of need, including statistics, charts, graphs, and figures, that adequately documents the need for the program in the locale of interest. Page limit: 10 pages, double-spaced including figures and tables.

III. Budget Exercise Report Due June 10 10%

This is an individual effort. Each student will select a program of interest and seek approval from the instructor. Once approved, the student will use the grantor regulations to conceive a general program description that will serve as the basis for the budget. The assignment is to generate an accurate, acceptable budget document and budget narrative using Microsoft Excel. The budget must be provided electronically in Excel format to assess the use of formulas. Page limit: n/a

IV. Program Narrative Exercise Report Due June 12 10%
Again as individuals (or assigned groups), students will draft hypothetical program narratives for proposed programs given an organization, an RFP, a program idea, and other general information. Students may select the program, but it will be subject to instructor approval to ensure
consistency of workload across groups. This assignment calls on students to work interactively with an idea and the details of the organization and the RFP to blend intuitive and sensing personality characteristics in developing a superior grant application program narrative. Page limit: 12 pages, double-spaced.

V. Examination June 17 10%

An individual exercise, students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of key concepts and facts covered in class prior to the exam date. Questions will be mostly short answer, but will require the student not only to recall facts (rote knowledge), but to demonstrate their knowledge by applying them to more reflective meaningful-integrated and critical thinking questions.

VII. Indirect Cost Proposal Exercise Due June 19 8%

Students will be provided with the necessary data and documentation to develop an indirect cost proposal. Using the provided data and knowledge of indirect cost rate agreements with the federal government, students will prepare a hypothetical indirect cost proposal. Due to the complexity of these exercises in practice, this exercise will be greatly simplified to provide familiarity with the content and process for developing and submitting the proposal. The assignment will be conducted and graded individually. Page Limit: n/a.

VIII. Grant Management Reporting Exercise Due June 24 12%

Again using hypothetical data to be provided, students will compile and submit to the instructor a set of quarterly federal grant reports. Included in this assignment will be technical reports as well as financial reports and requests for reimbursement. Students will compile data and complete the documents using actual federal forms where applicable. This assignment is to be completed individually. Page limit: Technical report (5 pages double-spaced); forms (pages: n/a).

 

The final course assignment is an optional group effort. Either individually or in teams/groups (as determined during the first class), students will demonstrate their skills by submitting to me, by 6:59:59 p.m. Central Time, a complete electronic application package consisting of a cover letter, forms, application narrative, budget, and other required documentation. The application will be evaluated for quality as though it were an application for funding. Students are expected to use the programs on which previous assignments were based to make this a combination/revision/addition exercise rather than a start-from-scratch effort.

 

If appropriate, these grades will be determined through scaling. A grade of “A” will not be awarded to any student who performs well in course requirements but who does not actively contribute to class discussions by asking and answering questions. Also, each student will be responsible for leading discussion on a series of readings throughout the semester. Participation in these activities will be weighted heavily.
* Readings and assignments are to be completed in advance of the dates indicated. The reading requirements and timelines are tentative and subject to change at the Professor’s discretion.

Introduction

• Course Introduction, Organization, Student Information
• Cognitive styles and organizational teams
• Student Team Selection
• Overview of the subject and topics
• Introduction to the applied projects

 

Introduction to Grants, Grant Types, and History of Grant Making
The Search: Developing a Sound Process; Tools for Seeking Government and
Foundation Resources
*****By May 22 you should have logged into SPIN and signed up for a Genius Account****
www.infoedglobal.com
Planning and Preparation

Logic Models – ( Melanie Call May 27 & 29)

Developing Grant Budgets

***Seeking Exercise Due May 29
The Application Narrative (Part I: Unstructured Proposals & Need)
The Application Narrative (Part II: Structured Proposals, Work plan, etc.
Forms and miscellaneous documents
*****Budget Exercise Report Due June 10
Grant Application Submittal &The Decision Process

 

Basics of Grant Management

 

Evaluation for Grant Programs and Grant Applications

 

Grant Making from the Funder’s Perspective

 

Grants-Related Research: Effects on Recipients and Capacity-Building

• Hall, Jeremy L. 2008. “The Forgotten Regional Organizations: Creating Capacity for
Economic Development” Public Administration Review, 68:1, 110-125.
• Hall, Jeremy L. 2008. “Assessing Local Capacity for Federal Grant-Getting” American
Review of Public Administration, 38(4): 463-479.
• Hall, Jeremy L. 2008. The Changing Federal Grant Structure and its Potential Effects on State/Local Community Development Efforts. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting, and Financial Management, 20 (1): 46-71.
• & &

***Completed Grant Proposal Due June 26 by 6:59:59 p.m. (Central Time) in lieu of Final Exam***
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