The Grant Process – Part II –
Sources for Funding Grants and Processing the Application
In part one
of our Grant Writing Series we focused on some of the rationale you can include
in your grant proposal to justify your need in using a POS register system in
your program. This article is a
follow-up to help you identify potential sources for funding and provide
assistance in completing the grant writing process.
Sources for Funding Grants
Sources for
grant funding may be found close to home, including local business and district
educational sources. You may also have
to expand your search to county, state, and federal government sources. Start looking within your own school district. Many districts have an Educational Foundation
that has been established to provide teachers with a local grant source for
educational enrichment. In addition,
research your county educational agency to view their Foundation opportunities.
Another source
close to home would be local businesses who may
provide funding to support schools in their service area. Possible source include banks, credit unions,
insurance agencies, retailers, or a service agency in your region.
Taking your
search for funding to the next level will involve researching various
government agencies along with corporate and independent foundations that fund
grants.
For a
listing of Government Grants available go to www.grants.gov. Here you can also register for grant
notification.
For
information on Perkins Act funds available for Vocational-Technical Education
Programs you can visit www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/CTE/perkins.html.
Look at the link to programs dealing
with Grants and Programs for Career and Technical Education.
To search
from various state, federal, corporate or foundation
sources look at www.grantsalert.com. This site provides sources dealing
specifically with technology. For a good listing of national foundations visit
Grants and Grant Writing – No Child Left Behind at www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic94.htm.
Check your
specific state government’s education web links. For example, the State of Michigan web link
is www.michigan.gov/mde. Select the tab “Grants”, then the PDF
“Reports of Grants Available” to provide a list of grants available to
applicants in the state. Keep in mind that even if you do receive approval for
a grant, it may not fully fund your project.
You may need to apply to multiple funding agencies to receive your funds
needed, or you may also need to provide funds from your program to make up any
difference.
Help in Processing Your Application.
Research
the web for tips on writing your grant.
There are dozens of useful sources to assist you in writing the grant
proposal and increase your chances of obtaining funding. Here are four of the links to assist you in
writing a grant:
Grants and
related resources for educators, including 10 Tips for Grant Writers, can be
found at www.teachernet.org/docs/grants/Howto/Tips A great source which
includes a link titled Grant Writing 101, is found at www.ACTEonline.org/techniques/members.
How to
Build a Strong Grant Proposal is highlighted at www.academicinnovations.com/cppropo.html
40 Tips on
How to Write a Grant Proposal at www.oakland.k12.mi.us/resources/funding/40tips
To summarize a few of the important
keys to remember in the grant writing process.
·
Give
your proposal an interesting and creative title. When competing with a number of other grant proposals,
anything you can do to make your project stand out will be essential.
·
In
your project description be sure to identify your need and the problem you want
to solve. Also include what efforts you
have made so far to solve the problem.
·
Complete
the items requested by the funding agency either in the application or the
requested outline.
·
Comply
with grant proposal deadlines and content requirements.
·
Identify
your overall goal for the project. Be
sure to describe the goal in terms of number of students involved, projected
costs, and specific outcomes desired upon implementation of the project.
·
Refer
to our article on Ideas to Include in Writing Grants for Equipment Funding when
completing the content section of your proposal.
·
Seek
help from other staff in the process.
Have someone familiar with grant writing read and review your proposal
to offer suggestions.
·
Inquire
if there a consultant in your district or county that specializes in grant
writing that you can use as a source of help.
·
Keep
your project description short, simple, and to the point.
·
Call
us (toll free) if you have any questions: 877-271-3730, or email: info@schoolpos.com
Best Regards,
Don Imman & Craig Cesarone