Program Evaluation Assignment

FUNDED!

1

FUNDED!
S U C C E S S F U L G R A N T W R I T I N G
F O R YO U R N O N P R O F I T

Richard Hoefer

1
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hoefer, Richard, author.
Title: Funded! : successful grantwriting for your nonprofit / Richard Hoefer.
Description: New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2017. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016055689 (print) | LCCN 2017013336 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780190687267 (updf ) | ISBN 9780190681876 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Proposal writing for grants. | Nonprofit organizations—.
Classification: LCC HG177 (ebook) | LCC HG177 .H635 2017 (print) |
DDC 658.15/224—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016055689

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Printed by WebCom, Inc., Canada

https://lccn.loc.gov/2016055689

To Paula Norine Homer and Sharon Elizabeth Hoefer,
bringers of music and joy to my life.

CONTENTS

Preface ix

1. Grantwriting and You 1

2. Grantwriting in the Age of Scarcity 24

3. Finding Foundation Funding Sources 37

4. Finding Government Funding Sources 49

5. Uncovering Need in Your Community 65

6. Finding and Creating Evidence- Based Programs 81

7. Logic Models 103

8. Program Evaluation 112

9. Program Implementation Planning 130

10. Budgeting 142

11. Agency Capacity and Capabilities 155

12. Final Details 171

Index 189

PREFACE

Congratulations on being interested in becoming a grant writer. It is a
very rewarding job but also one that has no clear career entry point. It’s no wonder that
most people have little idea how to get started as a grant writer. This book introduces you to
some of the current realities of the field and what you need to know to join us in our career.

Just so you know where I’m coming from and why this book means so much to me, let
me tell you about my introduction to being a grantwriter.

In the fall of 1980, I was a graduate student beginning an internship where I would learn
to write grants (so you can see I’ve been at this a long time!).

On Monday, my first day, I met my new supervisor, Judy. She handed me two pencils and
a yellow legal pad. Then she gave me a stuffed 10” × 13” brown manila envelope.

Judy instructed me, “I’d like you to start reading these materials. You’ll see that there’s a
request for proposals from the Labor Department in there, and a couple of pages of notes
that you can use to develop the 20- page, single- spaced, application.”

I smiled and told Judy, “Wow! This is exactly what I’m looking for in my internship.”
Her reply: “Great! Just be sure it’s done by Thursday at noon, because I want to look it over
before we have to overnight it to DC by 5 p.m.”

My joy turned to panic in a heartbeat. I must have looked as frightened as I felt.
Remember, this is on Monday, and I  have classes and other things to do before

Thursday noon.
Plus, I’ve never written a grant before. I gasped, “That’s not much time, is it?”
Judy just flatly responded, “No, it’s not. You better get started.”
I thought she would continue with, “but we will all pitch in and help you,” but she didn’t.

She just ended her sentence with a cold, hard period.
But then she said, “When you are done with that, here is this other folder. This is another

grant that we’re working on.” It was a big envelope, like the first, also stuffed with forms and
paper. Then she smiled and continued. “But don’t worry. It’s not due until the next Friday,
so you’ll have over a week to finish it.”

I was having second thoughts about this internship.

x • Preface

But then the conversation continued. (It wasn’t really a conversation, because I wasn’t
saying much.) Judy consoled me by saying, “You seem a bit upset. But you know what?
Don’t worry too much about it, Rick. I  don’t expect that we’re going to get either one of
these grants. But I figure it’s worth a shot. Just do your best.”

To get a second opinion, I  went to my faculty advisor and asked him, “Professor
Zimmerman, isn’t this is an unusual way to teach people how to do grantwriting?”

He told me, “No, it’s not unusual at all. That’s just the way it’s done. You just do it. You
learn by doing it.”

(By the way, Judy was right. We didn’t get either one of those grants.)
That was my introduction to writing grant proposals. No training, no class, very lit-

tle help— just a trial by fire. I  knew in my heart that this was NOT the right way to train
grantwriters!

Still, something good did come out of that initial grantwriting experience. Because of
what I went through that day, I dedicated myself to learning everything I could about writ-
ing grant proposals.

I knew that if I was going to become a decent grantwriter, I was going to have to work out
the details on my own. I was going to have to read everything I could and I was going to have
to work through lunches, dinners, and late into the night sometimes.

Did I make mistakes along the way? I certainly did. (If we ever have the chance to talk,
ask me about my encounter with the associate dean of the School of . I still shudder
when I think about him.)

But I also learned a lot about what I needed to know.
By the end of my 8- month internship, I  had written successful grants for hundreds of

thousands of dollars, and I  was hired as director of fundraising for that organization until
I left the area.

And since then, I’ve gotten better. On my own, or in teams, I can count many millions
of dollars’ worth of funding over the course of my grantwriting career. I’ve also taught other
people how to write grants, in person and through the University of Texas at Arlington’s
continuing education program.

Before we go any further, let’s figure out how to spell the term. Is it “grantwriting,” “grant
writing,” or “grant- writing”? My preference is to make it all one word with no punctuation.
You’ll see it different ways with different authors, but in this book, it’s going to be spelled
“grantwriting.”

I hope you’ll be like others who have been able to learn from my experiences. This book
in your hands now is an introduction to the profession of grantwriting, and to the art and
science of grantwriting.

Use this knowledge to help the causes, organizations, and client populations that are
dear to you. You can make a huge difference to so many people— take it one step at a time
and get better over time. The world needs you and your skills.

Sincerely,
Dr. Richard Hoefer

P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter list to stay up on the latest trends, ideas, and practices. Go to
www.richardhoefer.com, enter your e- mail address, and you’re set!

http://www.richardhoefer.com

FUNDED!

C H A P T E R   1

GRANTWRITING AND YOU

I was once at a going away party for several nonprofit employees. These
were good workers, had been at the agency many years, and were not leaving because of
other job offers. I  sat down next to a person I  didn’t recognize who seemed to be on the
verge of tears. I asked her if I could help, somehow. She looked at me, with tears welling in
her eyes, shaking her head ever so slowly. “If only I were better at my job this wouldn’t be
happening. These people, my friends, are being laid off because the grant I  wrote wasn’t
funded. We have no money to continue their program. I just want to be a better grantwriter,
but I don’t know how!” How well would you handle this situation, even knowing that not
even the best grantwriters have a 100 percent success rate?

Being a grantwriter is an exciting job:  the work is constantly changing, you meet with
a variety of people, and using your skills well can literally be the difference between your
employer thriving or dying. This is not a job for the easily discouraged, however, or for
those seeking a 9– 5 job. It IS a job for those who wish to make a difference in the lives of
clients on a vast scale. When you can write successful proposals you have a skill that is vital
to nonprofit organizations.

Of course as a grantwriter you do more than just write. In the process of developing a
proposal you have to learn how to gather information from many sources, keep current on
cutting- edge ideas relating to various topics you may write about, learn the tricks of the
trade to have top- notch proposals, use excellent people skills to ensure you have harmo-
nious working relationships with the people in the agency you’re writing for, and many
other tasks.

Being a grantwriter can bring you great personal satisfaction as you help an agency
achieve its goals by helping ensure it is adequately funded. Many grantwriters simply enjoy
the intellectual challenge that putting together a proposal represents. It’s also a wonderful
feeling to be awarded a grant, as a validation of your work and skills.

This chapter covers a lot of ground: the majority of it is an assessment to help you under-
stand how you and grantwriting might fit together. We then look at the skills, education, and
training you should have as a grantwriter, at the pre- writing, writing, and post- writing stages
of proposal development. Once you know what skills are important, you’ll want to explore
how to get those skills and how to get your first experience as a grantwriter. Many people
want to know more about being a grantwriting employee compared to being a freelancer, so
that topic is explored as well.

2 • FUNDED!

ASSESSING WHETHER GRANTWRITING IS
A GOOD PROFESSION FOR YOU

All of us have special skills and abilities that help us be good at some jobs and not at oth-
ers. In this vein, it is important to understand that being a grant writer is not a job for
everyone! It takes a certain disposition and set of attributes in order to make it a good fit
for you. This is not meant to be a discouraging comment but simply to say if you don’t fit
a particular job right now, it’s good to know the challenges you may face to become excel-
lent at the tasks required.

Some people decide they want to become a grantwriter because they have heard it can
pay well (see myth 4, in chapter 2). Other people decide to write grants because they like
to write. This is important, of course, but not sufficient. Some people get into proposal
writing because they’ve been told to do it by their supervisor or in order to get a job in the
nonprofit sector.

None of these reasons are “bad”— but they may not be enough to keep a person in the
position for the long haul. One of the facts that people who are just getting started don’t
know is that there is a large turnover in most grantwriting and development positions— the
average tenure in a grantwriting position is just about two years. The next few pages present
a self- assessment of where you currently stand in terms of having grantwriting be a good
fit for you. Take the time to complete it in a thoughtful and sincere way— it will help you
decide if this is the right profession for you or not.

It may be helpful to know that grantwriters often specialize in one area of writing. If
you’re going to move to the top of the field, you’ll want to know a lot about a small area of
grantwriting. That way you can become very well known and also get to know the main
foundations and government agencies that provide funding in that area. For instance, if you
were to specialize in the area of human services, that would still be broad in scope. At least
you wouldn’t try to write grants to support an opera house, but human services are still a
very broad field of endeavor. True specialization and the ability to become an expert come
from narrowing your focus at least somewhat. If you specialized in writing grants to provide
services for HIV/ AIDS treatment and services, as well as prevention, you would have a
viable career. As funders change their priorities within the field, you could still broaden
your focus but keep a firm foundation on what you started with. In this way it can be very
advantageous to get your degree in an area where you can write grants. You may find a bach-
elor’s degree in sociology with lots of writing required is a very good preparation for becom-
ing a grantwriter, especially if you combine that preparation with an advanced degree in
social work.

Grantwriting and You • 3

WHAT TH I S A SS ESSMENT I S DES I GNED T O DO

This assessment is designed to help you determine if you CURRENTLY have what it takes
to become a skilled and successful grant writer. You’ll be asked questions to help you decide
if this is for you. While many different types of people ARE grant writers, not all of them
thrive in the position. Many happy and successful grant writers share similar traits and per-
sonalities. But even people who have the correct temperament and background may not
have all the skills needed yet. So this assessment looks also at the skills you currently have
and, based on your answers, will suggest areas where you may wish to augment your skills
and knowledge.

This assessment is based on practice wisdom rather than on scientific verification
techniques— so if you don’t get the results you think you should have gotten, and you
still want to work on becoming a grant writer, don’t despair! Going through the ques-
tions will raise issues that you may find useful to think about. You’ ll learn a lot about
grantwriting, too.

4 • FUNDED!

BEING A GRANTWRITER ASSESSMENT
INSTRUMENT

The assessment is divided into several parts. Do all the parts, in the order they are written,
answering all the questions, in one sitting. If this is not possible, do as much as you can, and
return to complete the assessment as soon as you can. This will give you the “truest” reflec-
tion of your current situation.

A SS ESSMENT PART 1: TEMPERAMENT

To what extent are these statements true for YOU? Check the most appropriate response
in each row.

Very
Untrue Untrue

Neither
True Nor

Untrue True
Very
True

I am motivated by idealism

I am very pragmatic and practical

I think it is fun to track down specific facts and
figures to support my ideas

I enjoy reading dense technical reports to learn
the latest in my field

I can read and easily remember mundane details
in a lengthy document

I make it a priority to read a variety of
nonfiction materials, such as newspapers,
weekly and monthly magazines, websites,
and official documents

It doesn’t bother me to work in a stressful
environment

I encourage honest feedback even when it is
negative, if it will lead me to being able to do a
better job

Even big setbacks don’t get me down for long

If an idea doesn’t work out at first, I try to use the
best parts of it in a different way

Number of boxes checked in each column
(0 to 10 possible)

Multiply number boxes checked by: 0 1 2 3 4

Column Subtotal

PART 1 Score
Sum all five columns for total
temperament score:
(0 to 40 possible)

Grantwriting and You • 5

A SS ESSMENT PART 2: WR I T I NG

To what extent are these statements true for YOU? Check the most appropriate response
in each row.

Very
Untrue Untrue

Neither
True Nor

Untrue True
Very
True

Proposals should showcase my
writing style

Grants should hardly ever use
bulleted lists

Grant proposals should test theories
more than achieve concrete service goals

It isn’t easy for me to use dry facts and
figures to engage readers’ imaginations

I firmly believe that getting things
80–90% right in a grant application
allows me to get more done; anything
more is overkill

Jargon and technical words are
absolutely vital to show I understand
grant objectives

I believe that technical documents such
as grant proposals are inherently dull

“Marketing” and “selling” are not
appropriate approaches to grantwriting

It is more important to show how
organizational or personal goals will
be achieved than funder goals

I carefully construct my sentences
and paragraphs even if it takes more
time than I have

Number of boxes checked in
each column
(0 to 10 possible)

Multiply number boxes checked by: 4 3 2 1 0

Column Subtotal

PART 2 Score
Sum all five columns for total
writing score:
(0 to 40 possible)

6 • FUNDED!

A SS ESSMENT PART 3: OTHER GRANT

WR I T I NG ELEMENTS

To what extent are these statements true for YOU? Check the most appropriate response
in each row.

Very
Untrue Untrue

Neither
True Nor

Untrue True
Very
True

I have a strong professional identity

I like developing lists of things to do
and checking items off

I enjoy interacting with subject
area experts to stay up on the latest
developments

I believe program staff members
should be consulted to better
understand their viewpoints about
possible grant proposals

My organization skills are
exceptionally strong

Number of boxes checked in each
column (0 to 5 possible)

Multiply number boxes checked by: 0 1 2 3 4

Column Subtotal

PART 3 Score
Sum all five columns for total other
grantwriting elements score:
(0 to 20 possible)

Part 1 Score

Part 2 Score

Part 3 Score

TOTAL Score

Grantwriting and You • 7

HOW T O I NTERPRET YOUR S C ORE

As mentioned earlier, this assessment is designed to help you determine for yourself
whether you have what it takes to become a skilled and successful grant writer. You might
have noticed that the questions weren’t totally about your knowledge of how to do things
required to write a grant (such as develop a logic model or put together a budget). Although
these are things that you absolutely must know, they are relatively easily taught and learned.
The focus here is on items such as what you enjoy doing, what you are good at, how you
process and retain information, what your attitude is toward your work, and the like.

With that in mind, look again at your scores. The higher your score, the more likely
it is that you will do well as a grant writer because you have the right personality traits
and approach to the job. My experience indicates that a minimum score of 70 is a good
starting point.

But suppose that you don’t have a score of 70 and you still think that you would
be a good grant writer. If this is true, it is important to look at the subtotals. Is one of
the three areas very low? If so, you have pinpointed an area where you may need some
additional preparation.

For example, if you have a low score in “Part  1:  Temperament” it may be because you
don’t currently enjoy reading technical reports to stay up on the latest trends and ideas in
your field, and you don’t make it a priority to read a variety of nonfiction materials. You also
may not have thought that you remember details in a lengthy document. Scoring low on just
these three items can bring down your score quite a bit. But with knowledge and practice,
these are things that you can change about how you live and work.

If you have a low score in “Part 2: Writing” it may be that you currently have a more
typical academic style of writing where you have to show command of the esoteric
jargon of your field, you would almost never use bulleted lists, and you would want to
test theory rather than provide and evaluate ser vices. All of these aspects of your writ-
ing can be changed so you can become a much more vibrant and practically oriented
grant writer.

Another issue that arises around writing is that some potential grant writers have
what I  call “English major’s malady ”— a sense that their personal style is an overarch-
ing concern and that getting the writing “exactly so” is more important than getting the
grant turned in on time. Again, these attitudes can be changed to better fit the demands
of the grantwriting job.

The last set of questions, “Part 3: Other Grantwriting Elements,” is a more varied group
of items. All of them relate to ways you like to act. It may be that you have not been really
sure of what kinds of things a good grant writer should like to do or what skills they should
be able to learn. Once these have been pointed out to you, you now have a great deal more
information than you did before so that you can make a more informed decision as to
whether you should pursue a career in grantwriting.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NE X T?

If you believe you have what it takes to become a skilled grant writer, and you are excited
to build on your current attitudes, beliefs, skills and knowledge, then you should move

8 • FUNDED!

forward with your dream. The rest of this book can help you launch your career with solid
knowledge and an action plan. Someone who can consistently present new ideas to poten-
tial funders in an engaging and convincing way can truly help make the world a better place.
You’ll also be in demand for your skills and ability to raise significant amounts of funds for
an organization.

WHAT SKILLS/ EDUCATION/ TRAINING
SHOULD YOU HAVE?

As reflected in the assessment, grantwriters need a variety of skills. There is no “best way”
to acquire these, but it is important to know what you’re in search of before you start the
process, or to know where you could use a bit more background.

Let’s first look at the skills that are needed as you move through the typical grantwriting
process. Then we’ll talk about the desirability of having some specific substantive knowl-
edge and specializing in a particular field of nonprofits.

PRE- WR I T I NG STAGE

Even before you begin to write a grant, during the “pre- writing stage”, you need to prepare
yourself by knowing your organization and finding grantwriting opportunities.

KNOW YOUR ORGANIZATION

While it may not be obvious, you cannot write a proposal that is going to be competitive if
you don’t know the organization that you’re working for. In some ways, your proposal is like
a personal recommendation. You are telling the funder that the organization you’re working
for is a good bet for spending the money and getting results. Just as with any recommenda-
tion, you have to really know the strengths and weaknesses of who you’re writing a referral
for to be convincing.

Here are some things to know about your organization:

• History— How did it start and why?
• Current projects— What is the organization currently known for? What type of

programs does the organization currently run?
• Personnel— Who is on the leadership team, particularly the executive director? Who

is on the board of directors? What types of staff are on board already? What are their
skills?

• Systems— How strong are the financial systems in the organization? Can the agency
handle the reporting and evaluation requirements of the grant?

• Aspirations— Where would the organization like to be in 5 or 10 years? What does it
want to be known for?

Grantwriting and You • 9

FIND OPPORTUNITIES

Before you begin to write a proposal, you must have a proposal to write for! Thus, the
skill you’ ll use earliest in the process is searching for and finding appropriate fund-
ing opportunities, both in the world of foundations and among government funding
opportunities. The interesting thing about grantwriting is that almost all organizations
giving away money tell you what they want to fund. Of course, you need to be savvy
about how to decipher the information they provide, but it is their interest as well as
yours to make a close match before you invest the time to write a proposal and they take
the time to review it.

WR I T I NG STAGE

Once you’ve completed the pre- writing stage, you move to actually preparing your grant
proposal. The skills you need here include research, program design, information gathering
and collaboration, and written communication.

RESEARCH

Research is involved in almost all parts of grantwriting. One of the key elements of writing
a proposal is making a case that a need or problem exists. This takes considerable effort and
a firm set of facts to be convincing. Research is also vital for offering a solution to the prob-
lem. What will help make that problem decrease or disappear? What scientific research do
you base that on? Designing and implementing a program can be challenging. What infor-
mation do you have that shows your proposed program will work with the population you
have in mind? How strong is the evidence in favor of this approach compared with another
approach that also looks good? As the grantwriter, you’ll be expected to have ideas that are
solid and link back to credible evidence.

PROGRAM DESIGN

One of the beautiful aspects of being a grantwriter is the opportunity to create a program.
One of the most horrific aspects of being a grantwriter is the need to put together a pro-
gram. A program is a set of activities to bring together funds, people, and other elements,
such as information and equipment, to solve problems. For example, if you want to solve
the problem of 6- to 8- year- old children not knowing how to read, you might design a pro-
gram that involves volunteers reading books to children and helping them learn to read for
themselves in an after- school program. As a grantwriter, you need to imagine how the set
of activities should be put together in order for it to be effective in solving the problem. As
you can guess, you have to do your homework to find out what has been tried in the past,
with what level of success, and how previous efforts can be improved and adapted to fit your
intended client population.

10 • FUNDED!

INFORMATION GATHERING/ COLLABORATION

A grantwriter almost never works on a grant entirely alone. So a skill that you need to have
is the ability to gather ideas from other people to determine what is feasible and what is
desirable. For instance, as a grantwriter you may come across some program ideas that are
research- based, have worked with your organization’s desired client population, and so on,
but you may find that the director of programming isn’t enthusiastic about the idea. This
may be for many different reasons, but if you don’t have support from the key staff members
of the agency, you shouldn’t go ahead with the proposal.

You also need the ability to take different people’s ideas and work them into a single
proposal. You are the one who understands what is required in the proposal better than
anyone else so you need to guide the discussions and provide the impetus for collaboration
among all the people who are involved, from the front- line staff to the CEO. As you listen to
everyone, you also have to choose what to accept and what to reject without making people
mad or disengaged from the process.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

If you want to be a good grantwriter you absolutely must be able to write well. You don’t
need a master’s degree in English, but you have to be able to convey ideas through writ-
ing extremely well. Your command of formal or academic English should be strong, simply
because that is the language that funders use and expect …