Grant-Writing – WRIT 401

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course presents the principles and strategies of preparing funding proposals.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

There are many individuals and organizations that desire to give away millions if not billions of dollars to worthy causes.  There are exponentially more entities vying for those funds than there are providers.  Thus, grants from government and private funding sources are highly competitive.  Only the very best proposals are successful because they demonstrate a profound understanding of the funding source and its mission, which should dovetail perfectly with the purposes of the grant seeker.  The course objective is to prepare the student to be equipped with the skill sets to pursue individual and/or institutional grants from funding sources.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Each module includes required readings from one or both texts and presentations to watch before beginning the assignments for the module. The assignments require students to apply the textbook and presentation content.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will discuss and interact with 2 Discussions based on various topics. For each Discussion the student is expected to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. Each thread must be 500-600 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge and evidence of engagement with course readings and presentations (including citations from assigned readings). For Discussion Assignments the student will reply to at least 2 classmates threads. Each reply must between 100-300 words. Where applicable, references must be cited in current APA format (CLO: A, B). 

Self-Selecting Organization Assignment

From the provided list the student will select an organization to represent for the semester. This will be the student's primary organization for the entire semester. Once an organization has been chosen, complete the Self Selecting Organization Template. The file must be named and saved as “WRIT401_SelfSelectingOrg_Lastname_FirstName” and submitted as a Microsoft Word document (CLO: C, D, E). 

Grant Prospect Worksheet Assignment

Using the Foundation Center Online (FDO), available through the links on the Jerry Falwell Library website, the student will find three (3) funders that align with the chosen organization. For each funder the student will complete a Grant Propect Worksheet, using information found on the FDO website. The file must be saved and submitted as a single document named: “WRIT401_GrantProspects_Lastname_FirstName” and submitted as a Microsoft Word document (CLO: C, D, E). 

Proposal Submission Checklist Assignment

Using the FDO the student will pick two foundations that align with the organization’s mission and purpose. The student will imagine that they are preparing to submit a grant to each foundation selected. The student must create a proposal submission checklist as a guide to help prepare the application and attachments. This checklist may include: required documents, proposal narrative sections and budget, guidelines for formatting, submission and/or additional potential documents unique to the foundation. Each checklist should be 1-2 pages long and cover all the specific submission requirements identified by the two chosen foundations (CLO: C, D, E). 

Preparing to Write a Grant Proposal Assignment

Develop a real or imagined funding need for the chosen organization. Using the template provided write a brief but specific narrative which goes through the process of identifying and defining the grant project.

  • What is the need or problem your organization is trying to address?
  • What do you hope to achieve?
  • Design your program or project.
  • How much will it cost?

The narrative must be at least 500 words long and include major headings and be formatted using the template provided (CLO: C, D, E). 

Problem Statement Outline Assignment

By describing and documenting the significance and the causes of the problem statement with research including data, demographics, regional indicators, newspaper reports, etc, the student will be using facts to demonstrate the need or problem that has been identified. Complete the Problem_Statement_Outline_Template by outlining the problem, and then listing and documenting both the significance and the causes. Finish by addressing the method for solving the problem (CLO: C, D, E). 

Needs Assessment Narrative Assignment

Using the problem statement outline as the framework for the needs assessment narrative develop an essay which identifies and documents the need being addressed for the organization. Reflect on the current problem or condition statement from the outline and how the problem is significant using documentation both formal and informal. Consider also the causes and be sure they are also clearly identified and documented. Finally, the problem statement should focus on the current problems of the beneficiaries in the organization, not the lack of the proposed method. The narrative must be 500–750 words (not including the title page and references) align with current APA formatting, and include a minimum of 5 sources (e.g., statistics, demographics, facts, stories, quotes, etc.) (CLO: C, D, E). 

Goals and Objectives Outline Assignment

Before the student can begin writing the program goals and objectives section of the narrative it is helpful to first outline the the project description, also known as “project narrative, project goals, objectives and methodology.”  As the student outlines the project on the template document he/she should consider the following questions:

  • What are the goals of the project
  • What will the project’s objectives/outcomes be? (Are they SMART?)
  • How are the outcomes going to be achieved? (Activities or Methodology)
  • What will the timeline for the project be? (CLO: C, D, E)

Goals and Objectives Narrative Assignment

This is the plan to show the funder what will be done with the money being requesting in the grant proposal. The student should be sure to include the following when writing the narrative:

  • Reference the statement of need as the goals and objectives are explained. The project goals should directly tie to the needs statement.
  • Goals: What are the goals of the project? Be sure to state what will be different about the identified need.
  • Objectives: Create specific and measurable intermediate steps that must be taken to achieve the goals. Be sure they are SMART.
  • Activities: Describe the methods and actions needed to meet the objectives. Some activities may be used for multiple objectives. Explain why these activities were chosen and indicate the timeline for implementation.

The narrative must be 500–750 words align with current APA formatting (CLO: C, D, E). 

Project Budget Assignment

The student will create a budget using the provided templates as examples. The project budget should be created using Excel. The student may request any amount from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $50,000. Itemize the expenses under major budget headings such as: Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Materials, Supplies, and Equipment, or other headings as needed. The budget should reflect all costs associated with the project. Compare the budget to the narrative activities and look for any budget items that don’t relate. The budget should include only those costs that will be incurred during the 12 month project period. Be sure to include project dates or period of performance. Refer to the instructions document for more detailed information (CLO: C, D, E). 

Budget Justification Assignment

The student will create a budget justification, not to exceed two pages, detailing all of the expenses in the project budget. This justification should be organized with the same headers used in the excel project budget, with a short explanation for each header explaining project costs. The student must show how each budget line item relates to the project and how the budgeted amount was calculated.  See the budget justification template as an example (CLO: C, D, E). 

Common Grant Application Assignment

The student will complete the Common Grant Application and write a proposal narrative describing the project or program following the guidelines in the application. Read the entire Common Grant Application before beginning. Pay attention to the instructions in each part of the application. The student should be able to find all of the information needed from the organization’s website.  DO NOT contact the organization, use only information that is publicly available on the website (CLO: C, D, E).