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Q:  My school wants a grant.  What should we do first?

A:  Congratulations for taking on this task!  While there are many grants available, grant money is not just given away to anyone who asks for it.  It is money that is invested in innovative programs involving collaborative partners that offer replicable solutions to universal problems.

Here are some basic steps (developed from the Polaris Grant Workshop Materials) to use in your school or office to help you determine where your needs are (this is vital before beginning to apply for grants of any size):

Step 1

  • Identify 1-3 broad problems that affect a population that you serve.
  • Reflect on your school or office goals relative to the HCPSS Mission and Goals

Step 2

  • Choose one broad problem from step one.
  • Make a list of the likely causes of the problem.
  • Choose one cause or several closely related causes (this is the real problem).

Step 3

  • Brainstorm a realistic program or project that provides a clear solution to the real problem.

Step 4:

  • Make a list of the resources that you would need to solve the problem: staff, space, materials, equipment, supplies, etc.
  • When you add up the cost of these resources, you have an approximate budget.

Note:  The grant identification, application, and approval process takes quite a bit of time- it could be up to a year - so plan accordingly.  If you need any assistance with this process, please contact us.


Q:  How can I organize all of the information I have to collect to begin to write a grant? Suggestions, please!

A:  Grant writing can be really confusing, especially at first when many of the important decisions have to be made.  A Grant Proposal Planning Chart can be a helpful tool to get you started, especially if you are working with a group.  The chart helps you organize your needs, identify current programming, including gaps and weaknesses, and brainstorm proposed solutions and expected outcomes.  Feel free to download the form and save it to a file so you can use it to get started on the writing process.


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