Grant+Writing

You feel you have a great idea but need money for materials, so you decide to write a grant, but will your grant be funded? Answer the questions below to determine if your grant is likely to be funded or not.

== The Top Ten Reasons Educational Grants Aren't Funded ===1. Poorly Written - It's not clear what the applicant wants, it rambles, and/or there are spelling or grammar errors.=== ===2. Did Not Follow Instructions - The applicant didn't follow the instructions such as meeting word requirements or the submission deadline.=== ===3. Lacks Evidence - The applicant didn't give any support explaining how his or her project will meet goals or help reach standards.===

4. Disjointed - The goals or activities do not match the need.
===5. Budget Issues - The amount requested seems excessive or unfounded, or budget includes items that aren't allowed to be purchased with that particular grant.=== ===6. Objective Issues - The objectives are not clearly stated or do not meet those of the funding organization.===

7. Goal Issues - The goals are not specific or measurable.
===8. Evaluation Issues - The evaluation methods are weak or unclear. Try to use more than just anecdotal evidence. Numbers are important!===

9. Not Innovative - The proposed activity isn't original.
===10. Student Population Issue - The goal of the grant will achieve very little educationally or may only affect a small number of students.===


 * If there's an evaluation rubric for the grant, evaluate your proposal against it and see if you score high. If not, revise your proposal.**

===Looking for grant money? Alicia Vandenbroek, the librarian at Shackleford J.H, has created an excellent resource online:===

==Data, Data, and More Data! Data is important in justifying need. Here are some resources you can use for collected data:==


 * __Your District Website__ - Often your district website will contain demographic information. You can also check with your PEIMS clerk.**


 * Polaris or other aggregating software - If your district is like ours, they use a website to store and aggregate test data.**


 * National Center for Education Statistics - Find enrollment data and other data for your school from this government website.**


 * US Census Bureau - A good place to find information about the population in your area.**


 * ERIC - Looking for research that supports your activities? Try the ERIC database available from EBSCO. Some schools subscribe to this database as do most colleges and some public libraries. Ask your librarian if they have EBSCO, and if they do, request the username and password.**


 * __The Almighty Internet__ - You can usually find stats and research on the Internet if you're willing to dig for it. You might want to go to Google.com and click on the Advanced Search button in the lower right hand corner of the Google screen. Try different search terms if necessary, and ask your librarian for help. They love that. :)**