Tips For Getting Your School A Grant
Funds for Foundations and government departments that provide grants for School projects are not unlimited, and for this reason even perfect grant applications may be refused. This is not to say that a School ought not to put its best foot forward when applying for a School Grant. Just that the motto should be try, try and try again until you get it right. So, do not be discouraged. Follow our grant writing tips for schools, and your School will stand a better chance.
- Read the instructions, guidelines and hints that the Grantor provides very carefully, making notes as you go along. If you attempt to fit a grant program to your School’s requirements, then you are putting things back-to-front and this is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Your requirement must match what the Grantor has in mind – if it does not, move along and find another grant.
- Be as innovative and creative as you can when you apply for a School Grant. A touch of humor can spice up an otherwise boring subject and help the grant assessor maintain attention. Remember that the goal of School Grantors is not to subsidize normal operating costs – they are project orientated and more interested in helping find creative solutions for special needs. Stay away from risky schemes and put a new spin on old ideas.
- Be realistic. Include an evaluation plan that details how you propose to evaluate progress, with criteria and time scales too. A Grantor wants to know how you will report on progress made with the money that they give you. If your scheme could be of value to other Schools as well, include this in your Grant proposal and provide information on orders of magnitude. A Grantor will be more interested in a School Grant proposal if there are spin-offs for other institutions too
- Make sure that you also include a detailed budget. This must mention what the School will provide itself, in terms of funds, staff and other resources. The gap will be your motivation for the value of the Grant.
- If possible, refer to research finding and reports by other Schools that show that your ideas are feasible, not pipe dreams. A good School Grantor does not want to spend money on what they know already. You will find help here.
The key to writing a successful School Grant application is absolutely clarity – why not let a few colleagues critique your draft and feed back to you what they think you said. If your Grant application does end up being rejected, do not give up. Every journey begins with the first step and failures are opportunities in disguise to learn. Is this not what you tell the students in your class?
This information is from educationgrant.net, a website that provides free information on School Grants. You will find valuable information there, including Grant Writing Tips for Schools.
