Improving Your Odds at Getting Funded

www.illinoisresource.net

Improving Your Odds at Getting FundedDeveloping a Proposal Building Team

Presenters: Deborah Minor-Harvey & James Pfluecke, IRN Technical Assistance Providers


Step 1: Where Do I Begin?

Research Federal Funding Sources

• Illinois ResourceNet (www.illinoisresource.net)

• Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

• Grants.gov

• Federal Register/NOFA (Notice of Fund Availability)

http://www.illinoisresource.net/


Step 2: Answer Key Questions

• Does your organization have clearly defined mission, goals and purpose statements?

• Is your mission and strategic plan aligned with the problem to be addressed in the RFP (Request for Proposal)?

• Who is driving the grant-seeking process?

• Who will manage the proposal development process?


Step 3: Assess Your Organization’s Capacity• Board Governance

• Strategic Planning

• Management Systems

• Financial Management Systems

• Fund Development Plan

• Human Resources (Leadership, Management & Program & Administrative Staff


Step 4: Make Necessary Adjustments

If Necessary Take A Pass Until Adjustments Are Made….


Step 5: Study (really study) the RFP

• Funding Opportunity Description

• Eligible Applicants

• Objectives

• Evaluation Measures

• Key Questions to Be Answered & Assigned Points

• Grant Amount & Duration

• Target Group To Be Served

• Cost Sharing or Matching

• Application & Submission


Step 6: Assemble Your Proposal Development Team (Heavy Lifters)• Proposal Development Manager• Program Staff• Community Partners/Collaborators• Grant Writer


Step 7: Identify Proposal Development Supporters

• Funding Agency

• Professional Organizations Related to RFP Objectives

• Educational Institutions

• Board Members

• Clients

• Local Agencies

• Community Organizations

• Technical Assistance Providers


Step 8: Develop Project Time Line


Step 9: Develop Proposal Development Work Plan

• Assign Action Steps to Team Members According to Skill Set & Time Availability

• Have Proposal Development Manager Facilitate Work Plan Implementation

• Adjust Plan As Needed

• Maintain Clear Lines of Communication


Step 10: Assess Community Needs

• Reports from Program Staff

• Intake Forms

• Surveys of Target Population

• Community-Based Focus Groups

• Statistical Data (area organizations, educational institutions, local government agencies, planning departments)


• Take inventory of existing programs & services provided for the target population

• Identify service gaps

• Document research results

Step 10 continued:


Step 11: Conduct Strategy Development Sessions

• Brainstorm strategies that address the problem

• List all possibilities

• Identify opportunities for collaboration

• Reach consensus on strategy

• Develop program logic model

• Create draft budget


Step 12: Gather or Create “Off the Shelf” Documents• Two-page synopsis

describing vision & mission

• Problem assessment supporting data

• Goals, objectives & strategies

• Evaluation approaches & results

• Budget templates

• Board information

• Relevant forms


Step 13: Assemble Proposal Documents

• Empirical Data

• Program Logic Model

• Strategy Work Plan

• Budget

• Appendices

• Support Letters (if applicable)


Follow Instructions Follow InstructionsFollow InstructionsFollow InstructionsFollow InstructionsFollow Instructions

Step 14:


Step 15: Develop Proposal Submittal Checklist


Step 16: Submit Proposal

Do Not Wait Until the Last Minute


Step 17: Proposal is Submitted

Celebration Time!