Volume 5, Issue 3 March 5

Dear Education Leaders,

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Volume 5, Issue 3
March 5, 2012

Quick Tips for Successful Grant Writing

by Don Peek

Here are 25 quick tips for getting more grant money: 1) Follow application directions carefully. All of them. 2) Stay focused on your need for grant money. Don't add fluff or filler to your application. 3) Use a grant database to find grants quickly and easily. 4) Before you write a grant, visit the grantor's Web site. 5) Be persistent. The more applications you complete, the greater your chance of getting grant money. 6) Determine your school's most pressing problems that could be aided using grant funding. 7) Apply for less popular grants for less money. The competition is not usually as great. 8) Don't try to artificially match your needs to a grant. It's usually a waste of time. 9) Before you write a grant, get in touch with the grant contact person. 10) Make sure you list all the money and resources on your application that you have available locally. 11) Write multiple grants for a single project to make sure you get all the money you need. 12) Competition can be fierce. Make sure your application is of the highest quality. 13) Complete every section of an application as if it were the only section. 14) If you are not good with budgets, get a partner to do the financial part of the proposal. 15) Don't focus on money. Focus on student achievement. 16) Collect all pertinent student data (economic status, failure rate, dropout rate, race, gender, etc.) before writing your needs assessment. 17) Apply for local and regional foundation grants. There is usually less competition. 18) Have very clearly in your own mind what your school needs before you begin to describe it to a grantor. 19) Develop a program that is measurable and replicable. 20) Have a strong evaluation component that precisely measures the amount of improvement the grant money helped you achieve. 21) Planning is extremely important in grant writing. Plan first, then write. 22) Read your finished proposal as a grant reader would. It might surprise you. 23) Establish a timeline for applying for grants. Never miss a deadline. 24) Get help from those with the data you need. Don't try to do everything yourself. 25) Make sure you let your computer check for spelling and grammar errors.

Naturally, I give tips for successful grant writing throughout the year. The above list is simply a compilation of many of the best ways to consistently get grant money. Put this list in front of you as your start the grant-writing process. Read over them every day or two to make sure you're following them. I can't guarantee that you'll get the grant money you're seeking, but you'll get more than you would otherwise.

It is easiest to find the grant money you need using the following grant databases: http://www.schoolfundingcenter.net (all school grants of all types) http://www.grants.gov (all federal grants for schools) http://www.foundationcenter.org (all foundation grants for schools) 50 state education agency sites (state grant listings for schools in that state)

Don Peek is former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. Learn more about The School Funding Center at the bottom of this newsletter.

Grant Name:
Annual Competitive Book Donation Program

Funded by:
Roads to Reading

Description:

Program Areas:
After-School, Library, Reading

Recipients:
Public School, Private School, Other

Proposal Deadline:
3/30/12

Email:
annual@pwirtr.org

Website:
http://www.pwirtr.org/annual_donation_prog.html

Availability:
All States

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Grant Name:
Educator Grants and Scholarships

Funded by:
Air Force Association

Description:
The Air Force Association (AFA) helps provide educational opportunities for America's youth. These opportunities were initiated to help ensure that future generations of Americans: *Appreciate the important role of aviation and space in America's future * Have the technical knowledge necessary to understand aerospace issues * Have the educational background required to pursue aerospace careers To accomplish their educational goals, the AFA communicates directly with the American public about the importance of maintaining a sound aerospace infrastructure and the importance of maintaining a strong Air Force to ensure national security. Another important part of their educational efforts is to support the educational objectives of the Air Force and CAP. As part of that support, the AFA recognizes outstanding contributions in the field of aerospace education. To support CAP's aerospace education programs, the AFA provides aerospace education grants for Civil Air Patrol units. Since 1996, the AFA has provided over $240,000 to CAP units and teachers to help fund their aerospace education programs.

Program Areas:
Science/Environment

Recipients:
Public School

Proposal Deadline:
3/31/12

Average Amount:
$250.00

Email:
ae@capnhg.gov

Website:
http://www.capmembers.com/aerospace_education/aem_specific/
educator_grants_and_scholarship_information.cfm

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Grant Name:
Academic Enrichment Grants

Funded by:
McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation

Description:

Program Areas:
General Education, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies

Recipients:
Public School, Private School

Proposal Deadline:
4/15/12

Average amount:
$10,000.00 - $30,000.00

Email:
info@mccartheydressman.org

Website:
http://www.mccartheydressman.org/academic.html

Availability:
All States

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Grant Name:
Music Is Revolution Foundation Mini-Grants

Funded by:
Music Is Revolution Foundation and Svengirly Music, Inc.

Description:
The Music Is Revolution Foundation administers a mini-grant program for Music Is Revolution activities designed by teachers to implement, support, and/or improve their ability to provide quality music education for their students. Mini-grants up to $500 are available to teachers for music education activities of all types. Only projects that clearly contain a music education focus that is, projects based on the concept of music education, through musical experiences, initiating students into a sense of their social, academic, and cultural identity, and humanizing them through the emotional, cognitive, and/or physical impact of music will be considered. Applicants are encouraged to include activities that expose students to genres and styles of music not likely to be experienced as a part of their normal daily lives, and to plan the project with input from students, parents, and school administrators, so that the project supports the imaginations of the students while maintaining relevance to the curriculum already in place.

Program Areas:
Arts

Recipients:
Public School

Proposal Deadline:
4/15/12

Average Amount:
$500.00

Email:
info@svengirly.com

Website:
http://www.svengirly.com/mir2/pdf/Mini_Grant_Application.pdf

Availability:
All States

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Grant Name:
Frances R. Dewing Foundation Grants

Funded by:
Frances R. Dewing Foundation

Description:
The foundation gives grants only to programs that deal directly with early childhood education. Within that context, support is given for the fine and performing arts and other cultural programs, social services, conservation and environmental protection, pre-school, elementary, and other education. Programs must serve children under 12. Giving limited to the U.S., with emphasis on the New England states in the Northeast.

Program Areas:
Early Childhood

Recipients:
Public School, Private School, Other

Proposal Deadline:
4/1/12

Average Amount:
$15,000.00

Telephone:
401-749-8550

Website:
http://www.frd-foundation.org/apply05.html

Availability:
All States

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In each issue, Don Peek recommends a Web resource, book, software program, or another useful tool of interest to the grants community.

This month's pick is Don's book: Successful School Grants: A Step-by-Step Guide. This book is good for the novice and experienced grant writer alike.
Successful School Grants
http://www.schoolfundingcenter.net/Successful_School_Grants.html

This is one of the best grant manuals for educators because it deals exclusively with education grants. It includes 140 pages of detailed information to help you submit the best grant application possible. It also has links to a host of sample winning grants.

The Education World Grants Newsletter is written by Don Peek, former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. The School Funding Center Grant Database attempts to list every grant available to schools across the United States. It is updated daily and currently contains more than 110,000 grant opportunities worth more than $6.5 billion.

If you are serious about getting grant money for your school, you may want to subscribe to The School Funding Center Grant Database.
12-month subscription: $397.00
6-month subscription: $249.00
2-month subscription: $ 99.00
When you order the 12-month subscription, you get a copy of Write Successful Grants for Your School: A Step-by-Step Guide, a grant-writing manual by Don Peek, free with your subscription.

Order your subscription today!

• Use a credit card to order your subscription online
• Call in your credit card order to 1-877-856-7400
• Mail your order to The School Funding Center, 449 Rusk Street, Pittsburg, TX 75686

Don't forget that you can do limited free searches in our huge school grant database by going to http://www.schoolfundingcenter.com.

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