Grant funding is there to help students succeed.
Each year, educators, schools, and school districts across the nation are awarded millions of dollars in grants. To help you navigate the grant-application process, CompassLearning’s Education Policy Advisor Melanie Pritchett has compiled a few points to keep in mind when applying for those coveted grant dollars.
Do your homework: Before you even start writing, carefully research the grant program. Look up the legislation and/or guidance documents for the program you are going after so that you are clear on what the federal government, state department, or district is trying to accomplish. Ask questions — citing the research, naming the researchers who helped develop the policy that funded the grant program, and showing how your grant program will incorporate that research methodology will add credibility to your application.
Present a compelling case: Conduct a needs assessment and compile student achievement and demographic data that supports your need for grant funding.
K .I.S.S. — Keep It Short and Simple: Answer question(s) directly and succinctly. Simply respond to what the grant is asking for and resist the urge to “birdwalk” away from the original question. Be thorough but to the point. If you can say it in a paragraph or two, don’t feel like you need to write a 10-page narrative with a lot of extraneous “filler” information.
Connect the budget to specific activities: Grant reviewers want to know your program’s specific activities and what they are going to cost. Create a one-to-one correspondence between the budget schedule in the grant and what you are going to do.
Have a concrete plan for evaluation: Be specific about how you will evaluate whether or not your grant program is working.