So you wanted to write that grant, but it just didn’t happen. It’s ok! There’s always next time. What can you do to ensure your school gets the supplemental funding you need through grants?
A recent survey by GetEdFunding reveals the five top reasons many people don’t write grants. Let’s look at each reason, and I’ll offer some resources and strategies to help you be more successful next time.
My Mission: to help 100 charter school leaders write successful grants in the next 5 years
#5 We do not have personnel to undertake the grant writing process
Charter schools run on lean staffing structures. It can be hard to imagine adding grants to someone’s already-heavy job description. Here are some ideas for finding help:
Create a Grants Committee to share the load. (See Do I really need a Grant-Writing Committee? for more information.)
Work with a Grant Writing consultant. (Contact me for more details at peggydowns@gmail.com.)
Find a volunteer Grant Writer among your parents or board of directors. (Discover an online training course from Ed2Go here: Get Grants!)
#4 We often don’t find out about grant opportunities until it is too late to apply
Decide what type of grant project you would like to develop, and then start looking. Set up email alerts or register with a subscription database for grants. Appropriate opportunities will be delivered to your mailbox. Here are some places you might want to start:
#3 The grant application process is intimidating
I thought so too when I started working with grants. But the truth is, grant writing is a skill that you can learn and, as a school leader, you have mastered far more complicated tasks. You can do this!
Here are some online training resources from Ed2Go to help build your skills:
If you prefer to learn from books, check out these resources:
Charter School Grants by Peggy Downs
Grant Writing for Teachers and Administrators by Bruce Sliger
#2 Hard to identify appropriate opportunities
This is part of the learning process. Once you understand where to find grants and how to read the application, you’ll learn to spot the grants that work best for your school. I recommend spending some time on my favorite free grants database to learn what type of grants are available.
In addition, check out these blog posts to learn more about grants:
#1 Lack of time
I can certainly understand why this is the number one reason people don’t write grants. You are juggling a hundred different priorities, and every one of them is important. I’ve developed a strategy to help school leaders delegate more efficiently. If this seems like a strategy you could use, check this out.
This FREE PDF will help you decide when (and when NOT) to delegate, and how to manage outcomes and responsibility without wasting your time.Don’t let the next grant deadline pass you by. Decide what you want and prepare to be successful. What program will you develop to support your students? What grant will you go for next? Contact me with any questions as you explore grants. I’d love to help!
You can see the original blog post from GetEdFunding at:
Peggy Downs works with school leaders who want to leverage grants to dramatically increase funding, impact, and credibility for their schools. More info and a ton of free resources are waiting for you at:
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