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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is the best place to look for educational grants?
A: The best website to look for and track education grants is found at SchoolGrants.org
(
here).
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Q: Where can I find a grant for…?
A: Try looking at SchoolGrants.org (
here).
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Q: What are the "best tips" for writing a grant?
A: In no particular order, except #1 and #2:1. Be sure to plan TIME to write
a grant—last minute grants are rarely funded.
2. Be sure to read and follow ALL of the specs. Organize, Organize, Organize!
4. Do not assume that the reader will understand the jargon/terminology that
you use. Explain it, or don't use it. 5. Think in terms of what the reader
will want to know—justify EVERYTHING!
6. Think in terms of what the funder will get for their money. They want to
know that they will make a difference, and they will want to showcase your success
with something.
7. Use tables, graphs or figures whenever possible…it breaks up the textual
monotony for the funder's and they appreciate it.
8. Personalize by using words like "we" and "us."
9. This is persuasive writing, so convey emotion where possible (sadness, excitement,
etc.).
10. Don't be afraid to ask questions of the funder's Program Officer, in charge
of the grant application process. They get paid to help you, and it pays to know
them. They generally are not annoyed by lots of specific questions that will help
you to not make mistakes.
11. It pays to have your writing constructively proofread for clarity and content.
For a lengthier discussion of these tips and others on successful grant writing,
see Reference
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Q: What are the standard things that a funder wants
to know?
A: The standard things a funder wants to know, in order, are:
1. Why do you need funding? Why is your need any different than anyone else's?
(Needs Assessment)
2. What do you propose will help your need? (Goals and Objectives)
3. How do you plan to implement your program/project? (Project Design)
4. How long will it take to implement? (Timeline)
5. How will you know if you achieved your Goals and Objectives? (Evaluation)
6. Who will be in charge of your program/project and how well qualified are
they? (Personnel, Appendix: Resumes)
7. What will you need to implement the program/project? (Budget Narrative)
8. How much will you need to implement the program/project? (Budget)
9. Who supports this effort? Are you alone in this endeavor? (Appendix: Letters
of Support) Some funders do not allow you enough room to provide all of this information,
but do your absolute best to cover it and anything else they ask for.
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Q:Why does the district require
that grants be approved before submitting
A: In the past, grants have been applied for which committed the school(s)
or district to in-kind contributions for which could not be provided, and that also
implemented curriculum not in harmony with the state standards, the schools improvement
plan, or the district's strategic plan. Most school districts and universities throughout
the nation have a similar process--School District #25 is no different.
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Q: Who is required to fill out the form: "Gaining Approval
to Submit a Grant"?
A: Any district employee(s) who will be submitting an application on behalf of the
school(s) or district for which there is a possibility of receiving money, goods,
services or the like, is required to fill out the form; regardless of whether the
term "grant" is applied to the application.
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Q: Who is exempt from filling out the form: "Gaining Approval
to Submit a Grant"?
A: Certain Title Programs are exempt from filling out the form. Also, a district
employee who will receive a check, made out to them personally, as the result of
an application, is exempt from filling out the form. (
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Q: How long should it take me to fill out the form: "Gaining Approval
to Submit a Grant"?
A: No more than 15 minutes. If additional information is needed, the applicant will
be contacted.
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Q: What is the purpose of the form: "Gaining Approval
to Write a Grant" and is this form required?
A: No. The "Gaining Approval to
Write a Grant" form is not a required form.
The form is recommended for any district employee(s) who would like to write a lengthy
grant and want some assurance that the grant will be accepted for submission by
the district upon completion. The purpose is to negate any district employee(s)
from writing lengthy grants that will not be approved for submission.
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Q: How do I get approval to submit a grant, if the grant
application is an online application? A: The process is much the same
as paper (hardcopy) grants. Instead, you will attach a hardcopy of the information
to be sent to the granting agency to the "Gaining Approval to Submit a Grant" form.
Once you are approved to submit the grant, you will be contacted to upload the information
online.
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Q: Why would the district deny a grant application?
A: The district MAY deny a grant application for several reasons:
1) it contains in-kind contributions that do not exist or cannot be utilized (such
as some federal or state funds);
2) it requires the implementation of curriculum not in harmony with the state standards,
the schools improvement plan, or the district's strategic plan;
3) it does not follow the guidelines set forth by the granting agency; or 4) if
it will require landscaping changes or alterations to a building.
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Q: What if my grant contains any landscape changes or alterations
to a building?
A: If your grant will require any landscaping changes or alterations to a building,
you will also need to fill out the form "
Volunteer Construction"
and attach it with the "Gaining Approval to Submit a Grant" form. This form is used
by the Maintenance Department to assess the level of impact the changes or alteration
may have.
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Q:How do I apply for a grant from the district's Education
Foundation?
A: You may apply for a grant from the district's Education Foundation by visiting
and following the instructions listed on the foundations website located
here. When applying for Education Foundation grants, it is also necessary
to fill out the form "Gaining Approval to Submit a Grant," since the Education Foundation
is separate from the school district and is treated just as any other foundation.
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Grant Helps
Federal Web Locator
One-stop shopping for federal agencies, which includes federal grant funds.
http://www.infoctr.edu/fwl/
Grant Makers in Idaho A list of a few grantmakers in Idaho.
http://www.fundsnetservices.com/idaho.htm
Idaho Community Foundation
Providing grants to a plethora of sectors throughout the entire state of Idaho.
http://www.idcomfdn.org/
School Funding Services Grant of the Week
Each week School Funding Services, a division of New American Schools, features
a new grant on their website.
http://www.schoolfundingservices.org/
School Grants
Shares grant information with PK-12 educators.
http://www.schoolgrants.org/
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Grant Writing
Grant Examples
School Grants: Sample Proposals
A number of successful educational grant proposals.
http://www.schoolgrants.org/Samples/samples.htm
Grant Writing Tips
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The basic tutorial has guidelines and tips that apply to all types of grant writing,
not just for EPA grants
http://www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/grant.htm
National Science Foundation: Grant Proposal Guide
This government site provides guidelines for writing proposals for federal grants
from the National Science Foundation.
http://www.nsf.gov/nsf/nsfpubs/gpg/start.htm
National Institutes of Health
This government site contains grant writing tip sheets.
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/grant_tips.htm
School Grants: Grant Writing Tips
You will find hints that will help you as you begin to write your grant proposals
located in this section of the SchoolGrants site.
http://www.schoolgrants.org/tips.htm
Virtual Classroom: The Foundation Center
A wealth of free information about grant seeking, grant writing, foundations,
and more
http://fdncenter.org/learn/classroom/index.html
Grant Proposal Process: Northern Idaho College
Focuses on how to seek, write and manage grants.
http://www.nic.edu/grants/process.htm
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Grant Forms
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Education Foundation
District 25 Education Foundation
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