Blog

Grant Proposal Assignment

Please use the attached Needs Assessment and Technology Plan to complete the Grant Proposal.

Project 3 – Grant proposal
Funding is available from institutions at all levels of the public and private sectors. Institutions may include (but are not limited to) federal, state, and local governments, private organizations, corporations, and foundations. For this assignment, you will develop a grant proposal to request funding for the technology plan you developed in your second assignment.

You will need to locate a potential funding agency to submit your proposal. Ask your
colleagues/Principal/Media center coordinator if they have any ideas about the best funding opportunities for technology. Your administrator can also be a great source of funding! Use the internet to locate possible grant agencies. Be advised that some of them will require you to pay to be able to see the grant requirements. Do not use those! You shouldn’t have to pay to gain access. I cannot provide you with the name of a specific grant agency, as each of you will have a different plan for technology, and there are thousands of organizations that offer specific grants. It is your job to locate the ideal grant for your project.

Although you will need to follow the specific requirements of the funding agency that you selected, you must first develop a general proposal with the following elements:
· Introduction and Statement of Need – What are the needs for the project? (this section must be
developed from what you discovered on your first assignment) Is it a serious problem or a lack
of a needed service? Present the facts that back up the needs of your project. Present the proposed
solution to your problem. Who will benefit from the project, and how? Define your audience. This
section is very important, and I will pay special attention to how well you develop it.

• Goals and Objectives – What is the expectancy of future accomplishments? Define your goals.
  Use the SMART principles (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound). These goals
  should reflect those discovered in your needs assessment and developed in your technology plan;
  however, they might not be the same ones that you developed for your 2 previous projects. This
  will depend on the requirements of your grant agency; however, as project 2, you should
  present goals for teachers, goals for students, and goals for your institution. Describe how you
  will achieve EACH of those goals if you get your grant awarded.
• Your role as leader of the project – how will you ensure that the project stays on track?, How
  will you manage your human resources?, What kind of leader will you be (refer to the discussion
  on “school leadership and management”)?, How will you hold yourself accountable if something
  goes off track?,
• Methods – What methods will you use to assess the effectiveness of your project?, How will you
  collect data to make sure the equipment/resources you are requesting will be used properly? ,How
  will you achieve the goals that you are proposing? This section must be developed in detail in
  order to understand this process.

• Evaluation Plan – Describe how you will evaluate the goals/objectives you are proposing. In
  addition, include the name of at least an external evaluator (this person can be your principal or
  the director of Instructional technology in your school) and explain your decision. Create
  evaluation questions and define measurable outcomes; these outcomes may be divided into short-
  term and long-term, or might be defined by the number of people the project will affect.
• Budget – Present the direct costs, the salary of the personnel who will participate in the grant, the
  travel expenses (if any), the cost of the equipment you will utilize/purchase, and the cost of your
  supplies. Describe how you will manage your budget. Make sure not to exceed the amount of
  the allocated funds offered by the grant you are seeking!!!
• Grant agency guidelines. In this section, you need to list and complete all the requirements that
  the Agency is required to include in your proposal. Each Agency has their own guidelines and
  needed elements to submit a proposal. Once you have identified and selected the agency and the
  funding grant you are going to apply for, you will need to read in detail all those guidelines, and
  comply with them. Those might include several sections, text formatting within your document,
  or even external documents to accompany your application. If you need to file and submit a form,
  fill it out and without sending it, take a screenshot and include it in your assignment.
• 2-minute elevator pitch written script- Act as if you were talking to the person who is going to make the decision regarding the grant.   Present the project and talk about why it is needed. Talk about how you will use the budget if awarded. Talk about the benefits of the project (focus on the goals that you will achieve if the grant is awarded to you)

The sections listed above should be clearly identified in your document.

The following resources should be used to help you to identify possible sources, and to develop your
grant proposal.
Developing grant proposals:
Vernier Software and Technology. (2007). A guide to grant writing.
http://www2.vernier.com/free/grant_writing_guide.pdf

https://castor.house.gov/uploadedfiles/castor_grants1.pdf
Learn how to develop a grant proposal writing process
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-develop-a-grant-proposal-writing-process-2501979
Developing a budget for a grant proposal
https://www.grantadviser.com/budget
Possible funding agencies and resources to find funding. These are just a few, there are
hundreds of funding agencies, you need to select which one is most appropriate for you. In addition,
consider talking to your Principal and/or superior, they might have helpful advice on this area:
http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Federal-Programs/Pages/Outreach-Overview.aspx
https://gosa.georgia.gov/programs-initiatives/innovation-fund

Grant Proposal checklist (300 points)
· Introduction and Statement of Need: Clearly states need and supports it with relevant data. (30
points)
· Goals and Objectives: Clearly states goals and objectives. Describes measurable outcomes. (40
points)
· Your role as leader. Describes in detail your role. (30 points)
· Methods: Describes how objectives will be achieved (e.g., activities, procedures). Includes
timeline. Includes description of qualified personnel to implement proposed work. (40 points)
· Evaluation Plan: Describes process to evaluate achievement of objectives. Describes plan for
data collection, analysis, and reporting. Includes description of qualified personnel to conduct
evaluation. (40 points)
· Budget: Budget is complete and accurate. Budget is sufficient for achieving objectives. Includes
brief narrative to justify the need for each budget item. (40 points)
· Compliance with funding agency requirements: Your grant proposal addresses the specific
requirements of the funding agency regarding formatting, content, and external documentation (if
applies) (20 points)