CIS of Chicago knows a thing or two about grants. Follow this for tips and tricks to help your organization land the grant!

1. COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF CHICAGO
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015
CREATED BY CATHERINE HERZOG
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR CORPORATIONS AND GRANTS

2. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
What is the goal of this workshop?
→ Introduce you to grant writing
→ Learn how to find grants
→ Create a personal road map for applying to grants now and in the future
Our time together
→ Overview of grant writing
→ Overview of where and how to find grants
→ Breakout session: finding the right grant for you
→ Outlining a grant: from idea to execution
→ Workshop and Q&A
→ Final Questions and Survey

3. WHAT IS A GRANT?

4. WHAT IS A GRANT?
 A sum of money given by an organization for a particular purpose
 Come from governments, corporations, and foundations
 A way to fund your projects!

5. ARE YOU READY TO APPLY FOR A GRANT?
Ask yourself
 Do I have a specific program in mind?
 Can I get principal buy-in for this proposal?
 Can I get the materials I need to support this proposal?
Make sure you have
 A defined project
 A plan for implementing your project and tracking the results
 A persuasive, accurate author
 Principal support

6. KEEP IN MIND…
 If you don’t have buy-in or principal support don’t invest your time.
 If you don’t have the right tools and can’t get them, don’t invest your time.
 If you have support, make sure you have the skills and resources to write the grant.
You need all the components of a grant to be successful!

7. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE GRANT PROCESS
Putting together the puzzle
pieces of a grant

8. WHAT EXACTLY DOES A GRANT CONSIST OF?
→ Introduction / Executive Summary
→ Statement of Need
→ Program/Objectives
→ Goals and Projected Outcomes
→ Evaluation
→ Implementation Timeline
→ Budget
→ Key Personnel
→ Conclusion
Remember: every grant proposal
will have different sections and
requirements. Be prepared to
tailor your application to fit the
specific grant you are applying
to!

9. THE GRANT PROCESS
Find grants
•Review
•LOI?
•Proposal?
Develop
general
proposal &
budget
Submit LOI
or proposal
before
deadline
Agency
reviews
Grant
received or
declined
Carry out
project
Report on
final
outcomes

10. REMEMBER…
 Make sure you have all the information you need before you start writing.
 Use relevant statistics.
 Don’t do or ask for anything they don’t ask for. Follow instructions.
 Don’t guess – if you have questions, reach out!
 Don’t stretch the truth or exaggerate – be honest about your program the way it is!
 You might have to apply to more than one grant before you receive one.

11. FOLLOW THE MONEY: FINDING FUNDING SOURCES
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

12. WHERE DO YOU FIND GRANTS?
 Google Search!
 Grant Directories & Databases
 Company websites
 Newsletters
 Word of Mouth
Google can be a great way to
find grants. You just need to
know what to look for!

13. RESOURCES
ONLINE RESOURCES
→ foundationcenter.org
→ getedfunding.com
→ www.teacherscount.org/grants/
→ www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources
NEWSLETTERS
→ Strengthening Chicago’s Youth (SYC)
scy-Chicago.org
→ Foundation Center RFP Bulletin
foundationcenter.org
ASSOCIATIONS
→ Form of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
givingforum.org/resources
→ Forefront (previously Donors Forum)
myforefront.org
RELATIONSHIPS
→ Current funders
→ Partner organizations
→ Educational nonprofits

14. IS THIS GRANT A GOOD FIT?
 Purpose
What is the focus of their giving? (i.e. animal welfare, education, women’s issues, healthcare)
 Fields of Interest
What specific subjects do they fund? (i.e. dog fighting, literacy, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS)
 Geographic Focus
Where do they give? (i.e. internationally, nationally, Illinois, Chicago)
 Demographics
Who do they want their grant making to impact? (i.e. minorities, children, women, refugees)
 Application Information
How do you apply? (i.e. submit an LOI online, send a letter, fill out an online form)
 Financial Data
How much money do they give away? What is the average grant size?

15. IS THIS GRANT A GOOD FIT?
Funder Name Meemic Foundation
Website www.meemic.com/the-meemic-foundation
Contact Person foundation@meemic.com
Purpose
• Educational initiatives
• For classroom projects, field trips, assemblies, professional development
• For teachers/school employees
Fields of Interest • Arts, STEM, literacy, social sciences, digital literacy, information literacy
Geographic Focus • Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois
Demographics • Students grades K-12, higher education
Application Information • Applications submitted online; deadlines 3/31, 6/30, 9/30, 12/31 annually
Financial Data • Grants up to $500 are available

16. I’M NOT SURE IF THIS GRANT IS A GOOD FIT!
 Visit their website
 Look at their 990
 Ask your peers
 Email them!
A 990 form can be found
online and lists who grants
were given to and how much
was given.

17. BREAKOUT SESSION
• Find a partner and share the details of your project.
• Brainstorm what types of agencies might be interested in funding your project.
• Go to GetEdFunding.com and create a login.
• Spend time trying to find a grant for your program. Use your partner for help if you get stuck!

18. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: OUTLINING YOUR GRANT
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

19. THE PIECES OF A GRANT
→ Introduction / Executive Summary
→ Statement of Need
→ Program/Objectives
→ Goals and Projected Outcomes
→ Evaluation
→ Implementation Timeline
→ Budget
→ Key Personnel
→ Conclusion
Remember: every grant proposal
will have different sections and
requirements. Be prepared to
tailor your application to fit the
specific grant you are applying
to!

20. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION
1. What is the problem you want to address?
2. What is the solution your program proposes?
3. What is the funding you need to implement your program?
4. Why is this program the one that will address the problem?

21. CIS OF CHICAGO’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION
1. What is the problem you want to address?
Every 26 seconds in America, a student drops out of school. CPS students face high dropout rates and students who
fail to graduate high school are more likely to remain caught in a cycle of poverty.
2. What is the solution your program proposes?
CIS of Chicago integrates support programs into 122 Chicago public schools each year to help at-risk students.
3. What is the funding you need to implement your program?
We are seeking $10,000 from the ABC Foundation to help us bring violence prevention programs into schools.
4. Why is this program the one that will address the problem?
Studies show our work contributes to higher math and reading scores and helps students stay on track. We have the
results and qualitative and quantitative data to support our work.

22. STATEMENT OF NEED
What a need statement says…
 What is the problem you are trying to address?
 What are the causes and symptoms of this problem?
 Who does it affect? What statistics and research back up this data?
What a need statement DOESN’T say…
≠ We don’t have a ton of money
≠ We want to hire someone
≠ We lack the resources to implement this program
Your need statement discusses the nature and cause of a problem you want to fix.

23. STATEMENT OF NEED
A need statement should…
 Be simple. Avoid jargon. Remember to KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid.
 Relate to the mission of your program.
 Focus on people not on your organization/school.
 Define the problem, its causes, and symptoms
 Have a sense of urgency.

24. CIS OF CHICAGO’S STATEMENT OF NEED
1. What is the problem you are trying to address?
Only 66% of CPS students will graduate from high school.
2. What are the causes and symptoms of this problem?
87% of students are from low-income households. They are exposed to high rates of violence, lack
adequate healthcare, and are isolated from cultural resources and opportunities. There is a lack of social
emotional support. This makes educational achievement more difficult.
3. Who does it affect? What statistics and research back up this data?
When students drop out, they will make less money, be more likely to be a victim/perpetrator of violent
crime. High school dropouts are 140 times more likely to be incarcerated by the age of 34 than peers who
graduated.

25. PROGRAM AND OBJECTIVES
 What you are doing that no one else is doing?
 How does this specific program address the identified need?
 What are your activities/methods?
 What are your goals and objectives?

26. PROGRAM AND OBJECTIVES
1. What is the goal and overall work of your program?
CIS of Chicago connects students with integrated services that schools lack the resources to implement.
2. How does this specific program address the identified need?
We connect students to programming that helps them develop resiliency, creativity, self-expression, and bolsters academic success.
3. What are your activities/methods?
We have a network of 150 community organizations who offer free programming to CPS schools; we also have 5 trained social
workers embedded in 5 CPS schools to directly case-manage students.
4. What are your goals and objective?
1. Goal: link high need CPS students in 122 schools with prioritized programs. Objective: 50,000 students will participate.
2. Goal: Work with 150 community partners to deliver programming. Objective: 1,000 programs will be connected.
3. Goal: Directly case-manage individual students at 5 partner schools. Objective: 200 students will be case managed.

27. CREATING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Types of Objectives
 Behavioral
 Performance
 Process
 Outcome
 Product
Strong Objectives are SMART
 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable
 Relevant
 Time-Defined

28. BE SMART WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING OBJECTIVES
→Specific: who, what, where, why, and how?
→Measurable: the numbers that you want to reach
→Achievable: consider the resources needed to reach this goal.
→Relevant: make sure the goal is consistent with the mission.
→Time-Sensitive: set a realistic deadline

29. EVALUATION AND RESULTS
1. How will you know when and if you hit your goals?
2. How will you track your goals, objectives, and activities?
3. Will you have qualitative and quantitative data?

30. EVALUATION AND RESULTS
1.How will you know when and if you hit your goals?
CIS of Chicago generates reports from our database to identify: # of students being connected; # of
programs being connected; # of schools being reached; types of services connected.
2.How will you track your goals, objectives, and activities?
CIS of Chicago collects data from schools, community partners, and students. We use post-service
evaluation forms; surveys; staff observations; and student attendance, behavior, and grade data.

31. BUDGET
1. Expenses
1. A breakdown of the required funding and how it will be spent.
2. Narrative
1. A description of where and how the money will be spent.
Points to remember…
 If there is a funding limit, don’t ask for more money.
 Describe the need for the items in the narrative.
 Budget should be realistic, not idealistic.

32. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BUDGET
Your budget should include all dollars for PEOPLE, PLACES, and THINGS
1. Personnel
2. Travel
3. Equipment
4. Supplies

33. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BUDGET
1. Personnel
Community partner team, school partner team, fundraising team, administrative team
2. Travel
Travel to and from schools and meetings
3. Equipment
Computers for new staff members, new printer.
4. Supplies
Office supplies, stamps, envelopes.

34. LET’S TAKE A LOOK…
Item Budget Amount Notes/Justification
3 laptops $600
Three laptops at $200 each are needed to help students
learn…
Notebooks for students $25
Basic office supplies are needed since students lack the
funds to provide their own.
Chaperones for field trip to digital
coding lab
$500
An additional adult is necessary to help chaperone this
field trip.
Bus rental for field trip $200
Subtotal $1,325

35. FINAL THOUGHTS
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP DECEMBER 2015

36. THINGS TO REMEMBER
 Make sure you have everything you need before you start writing!
 Don’t get frustrated if you can’t find the right grant right away.
 You might need to apply to several grants to win one (we use a four to one rule).
 Keep your writing and budget simple and easy to read.
 Have someone else proof read your grant before you submit!

37. FOLLOW US!
 @CISofChicago
 Facebook.com/CISofChicago
 LinkedIn: Communities in Schools of Chicago
 YouTube: CISchicago1988