So, You Didn’t Win the Lottery?

Wynn SmithSection ChiefKerry Mebane

ConsultantEducational Technology

Implementation and Planning Services

Instructional Technology DivisionNCDPI

So, you need funding?1. Where to begin…

2. Putting it all together…

3. Funding Resources…

Where to begin….

Things to Consider:

• The Problem

• The Solution

• The Funding

• Current Goals/Objectives, Initiatives

• Administrative Support

• Sustainability

• Odds of Winning

Step 1: The Team: Collaboration = SUCCESS!

• Stakeholders

• District level staff or others with buy-in

• Field experts

Step 2: Research

• What solutions already exist?

• What are possible funding sources?

Step 3: Know the RFP

• RFP’s guidelines

• Required format

• The Team

• Go to the source

Step 4: Plan the Proposal

• An Introduction• A Statement of

Need• Goals/Objectives

• Evaluation• The Budget

The Introduction Piece:

• A clear picture

• Who benefits?

• Past successes

• The Needs Assessment

• Beware: “educational jargon”

The Statement of Need Piece:

• Problem/solution

• District/funding source priorities

• Honest/strong

• Needs of stakeholders

• A compelling argument

• Beware: “reader knowledge”

The Goals/Objectives Piece:

• Establishes outcomes

• States success

• Logical steps

• Is demonstrable

• Beware: “non-measurable objectives”

The Evaluation Piece:• Success?

• Data?• Method?

• Evaluator?• Reporting method?

• Results?• Beware: “evaluation plan unrelated to

objectives”

The Budget Piece:

• Entire Cost

• Funding sources

• “Real” figures

• Sufficient

• Sustainability

• Beware: “district policies”

Putting it all together…

Step 5: Writing the Draft

• A goal

• A couple of objectives

• Critique/revise

• Divide the work

Common Pitfalls:• educational jargon• long/sleepy sentencing• over dramatization• passive voice• disjointed writing• typos and grammatical errors• immeasurable objectives• poor budget• lack of research base• procrastination• wrong funding source• Ignoring the RFP

Step 6: Final Draft

• Edit

• Team input

• Review the RFP

• Beware: “excessive revision”

Funding Resources…

Resources• Grants for School District Hotline1-800-229-2084• School Funding Services:

www.schoolfundingservices.com• A comprehensive list maintained by Sheryl

Abshire: http://www.cpsb.org/Scripts/abshire/grants.asp

• Preparing a Successful Grant Proposal: Educational Research Servicehttp://www.ers.org

• Additional Resources:http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/div_it/grantwriting.htm