How to Apply for a Grant

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How to Apply for a Grant

You now have a compelling problem/need statement written, so you’re well on your way to applying for that grant. But the funders are going to need a lot more information than what you put in those few paragraphs.

Now you need to find out more of the specifics that you’ll need to put into the actual grant application. At this stage you will need to complete two things:

  1. Choose one of the funders identified in the first part of the course to do some additional research on and create a list of required items to apply for that grant.
  2. Develop goals and objectives for the program that can be used in the grant application.

Part 1

Research the application requirements for two of the funders identified at the beginning of the course. In a Word document, write 1–2 paragraphs on why you believe each funder has the requirements they do, what, if any, differences there are in application requirements, and what might account for those differences.

Part 2

You will develop clear goals that define what the Resource Center intends to accomplish through the development of the tutorial program, as well as establish measurable objectives that will highlight your organization’s progress toward established goals.

The goals and objectives provide an assessment of the tutorial program’s success to both the organization and the funder. When goals and objectives are not clearly defined, it can not only have an impact on the program’s outcomes, but it can also impact negatively program staff, participants, and funders.

Based on the problem statement you created, you’ll want to answer the following questions:

  • What are the key areas of the nonprofit are you seeking to change?
  • Who (which segment of the population or community) will be affected or involved with the change?
  • How will the change be measured (an increase or improvement, or a decrease and reduction)? And by how much?
  • When will this change take place? Months? Years? Or by what specific date?

Use the template, Worksheet 4.1A – Goals and Objectives in Winning Grants Step by Step to develop goals and objectives by focusing on outcomes. First, develop a general goal for the program, then describe the objectives that tie to that goal. Use one of these tables for each goal you have:

Goal:

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Direction of change

Area of change

Target population

Degree of change

Time frame

Follow this standard form as objective statements are developed: To (direction of change) + (area of change) + (target population) + (degree of change) + (time frame).

As you fill out these Goals and Objective tables, keep the following questions in mind:

  1. Are the goals stated as results? Doo they relate to the problem statement? Do they represent the key changes the organization hopes to see?
  2. Are the outcome objectives stated as results that relate to a program goal? Are they stepping stones to achieving success (the goal)? Can everyone understand them?
  3. Can progress in meeting the objectives be measured and assessed?
  4. Do the objectives describe the population and a specific time frame for change?

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

  • Research the steps to apply for a grant.

  • 46 Winning Grants Step by Step

    Public-funding applications may ask for goals and objectives to be stated in specific formats and/or to be presented in logic model format. Be sure to follow formatting directions to the letter.

    As described in Step 1, a logic model is a graphic representation of the program and its outcomes. If a logic model is required, there may be a sam- ple provided the RFA. If not, there are many free downloadable templates and sample logic models available online.

    Tips for Writing Good Goals and Objectives

    Do . . . • Include at least one goal for the project and one or two outcome

    objectives.

    • Make sure that the goals and objectives tie back to the problem statement. This is critical.

    • Include all relevant groups in the target population in the goal(s). When writing objectives, it’s fine to specify an outcome for a particular population or community.

    • Allow plenty of time to accomplish objectives. Things always take longer to implement than planned. It is better to undercommit and overperform than to overcommit and underperform.

    Don’t . . . • Overpromise what can be accomplished. Limit the number of goals to

    one to three per program and no more than three objectives per goal. An organization will need to keep track of – and report to the funder on – all the objectives tied to the goals, so keep it manageable with a small number of the most meaningful objectives.

    • Confuse outcome objectives with strategies or activities. Running a food pantry is an activity. To ensure that at least 3,000 households reduce their risk of hunger over the course of the year is an outcome objective, as it describes the result expected to be achieved.

    • Forget to budget for evaluation activities (Step 6) if measuring the objective(s) will have costs associated with it.

    Use Worksheet 4.1A to prepare to write proposal goals and objectives by focusing on outcomes. Start by writing down the goal of the program. Then describe the objectives that tie to that goal. Use the filled-out Worksheet 4.1B as a guide. If an organization has more than one goal for its program, use a separate copy of Worksheet 4.1A for each goal. Limit the objectives to no more than three per goal.

    Co py ri gh t © 2 01 9. J os se y- Ba ss . Al l ri gh ts r es er ve d. M ay n ot b e re pr od uc ed i n an y fo rm w it ho ut p er mi ss io n fr om t he p ub li sh er , ex ce pt f ai r us es p er mi tt ed u nd er U .S . or a pp li ca bl e

    co py ri gh t la w.

    EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 4/28/2021 2:23 AM via STRAYER UNIVERSITY AN: 2218317 ; Tori O’Neal-McElrath, Lynn Kanter, Lynn Jenkins English.; Winning Grants Step by Step : The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing, and Writing Successful Proposals Account: strayer

     

     

    Step 4—Defining Clear Goals and Objectives 47

    •On theWebWORKSHEET 4.1A:Goals and Objectives ExerciseGrantseekers should complete this worksheet for themselves. For guidance refer to Worksheet 4.1B, which contains sample goals and objectives based on the Eating Is a Right program.

    GOAL:

    Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

    Direction of change

    Area of change

    Target population

    Degree of change

    Time frame

    Follow this standard form as objective statements are developed: To (direction of change) + (area of change) + (target population) + (degree of change) + (time frame).

    Winning Grants Step by Step, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Co py ri gh t © 2 01 9. J os se y- Ba ss . Al l ri gh ts r es er ve d. M ay n ot b e re pr od uc ed i n an y fo rm w it ho ut p er mi ss io n fr om t he p ub li sh er , ex ce pt f ai r us es p er mi tt ed u nd er U .S . or a pp li ca bl e

    co py ri gh t la w.

    EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 4/28/2021 2:23 AM via STRAYER UNIVERSITY AN: 2218317 ; Tori O’Neal-McElrath, Lynn Kanter, Lynn Jenkins English.; Winning Grants Step by Step : The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing, and Writing Successful Proposals Account: strayer

     

     

    48 Winning Grants Step by Step

    •On theWeb WORKSHEET 4.1B:Objectives Worksheet Completed for the EatingIs a Right Program GOAL: To provide access to 144,000 healthful meals for individuals and families in Alyson’s south side.

    Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

    Direction of change Increase

    Area of change Residents of the city of

    Alyson’s south side

    Target population Families who are hungry or at

    risk of hunger

    Degree of change 9,000 boxes of food totaling

    144,000 meals will reach at

    least 3,000 households

    Time frame One full year

    Winning Grants Step by Step, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Co py ri gh t © 2 01 9. J os se y- Ba ss . Al l ri gh ts r es er ve d. M ay n ot b e re pr od uc ed i n an y fo rm w it ho ut p er mi ss io n fr om t he p ub li sh er , ex ce pt f ai r us es p er mi tt ed u nd er U .S . or a pp li ca bl e

    co py ri gh t la w.

    EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 4/28/2021 2:23 AM via STRAYER UNIVERSITY AN: 2218317 ; Tori O’Neal-McElrath, Lynn Kanter, Lynn Jenkins English.; Winning Grants Step by Step : The Complete Workbook for Planning, Developing, and Writing Successful Proposals Account: strayer

 
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