From the September 1997 edition of Microsoft's K-12 Connection Newsletter

DRAWING WATER FROM A STONE

As a former grant writer and curriculum specialist at Greynolds Park Elementary, I vividly recall the routine challenges of seeking out and landing sponsors for special programs or needs. I was hired in 1995, thanks to the farsighted efforts of David Multz (then principal at Greynolds Park), who "creatively" funded a full-time position for a grant writer and curriculum specialist. Previously, no one person had been solely dedicated to the task, and in the five years before I came on board, the school had received only one grant, for $2,500.

Multz's "investment," however, quickly paid off. In just two years, our grant writing efforts yielded over $400,000. To read the details about our fundraising efforts and see a complete list of awards, see "Fundraising at a Florida Elementary School".

That's the good news: Patience, persistence and some skill can yield tremendous success. You already know the bad news: The familiar fear and dread with which many educators approach funding, feeling that they are coming "hat in hand," to the community, asking for help.

I suppose the best advice I have ever received from a veteran fund-raiser was "Don't worry, the worst that can happen is that they say no." I also was told never to take rejection personally. Although both of those little bits of advice seem simple, opening mail from a prospective donor and reading "Thank you for your recent request, BUT. . ." can lead to a sense of defeat and a questioning as to whether all the effort is worth it. When this happens, my advice is to remind yourself that the funds are for a truly worthwhile cause and that your task is to help corporations see how important and lasting their generosity can be.

Successful Grant Writing
Good grant writing is both an art and a science. Typically, the hard and fast rules for writing a particular proposal are well documented in the request-for-proposal document. While it is important to follow the rules of the request for proposal, I have learned over time that there are strategies that can increase your chance of success and make the grant writing process easier.

• Write in one voice. To generate initial ideas for your proposal, it is a good idea to brainstorm with a committee. The document, however, should be written in one voice, not a chorus. The committee should agree on the content of the final proposal before it is submitted to the prospective funding source. A word of caution - ask the committee to restrict its comments to the content of the proposal, because it is time consuming and unnecessary to obtain consensus on diction and style. Work with an outside editor on revising the copy, and don't forget to have the final document proofread (by several people, if possible).
  
  
• Set a realistic time frame. Creating successful, persuasive documents takes time. If possible, put the draft down upon completion and return to it later. After a few days, you may see things that did not occur to you upon first, second, or even fifth read.
  
  
• Follow the submission guidelines described in the application. Always follow the formatting and style instructions that the grant provides. Remember, your reader has the difficult task of reading dozens (or even hundreds) of proposals and has developed a process for locating key information within the packet quickly: Don't mess with it.
  
  
• Justify the amount of money that you request. Since the requested dollar amounts will be determined by the scope of the proposed project, justifying the dollars should be the last item of the proposal that you complete. Carefully account for all possible expenses associated with the proposed project and, if required, include a plan of how the project will be continued after the term of the grant funding. If you are writing a proposal for a grant that provides matching funds, be sure to find out whether in-kind contributions can be included to offset your share of the matching funds. Always ask for the complete amount of money that the grant allows or slightly less, but justify all money in the budget statement.
  
  
• Propose projects that you believe will work for your student population. Align your school and student needs with your pedagogical philosophy. For example, if school-to-work transition is an emphasis at your school or district, you might look for federal, state and business partnership grants that will help you prepare your students for the workforce. Your grants could propose creating real-world experiences for students, including career shadowing, internships, workplace seminars and interviewing techniques.
  
  
• Keep a copy of all your work. Make backups of all your disks and photocopies of your application materials. Your grant material might not be returned to you, and you may want to refer to specific sections at a later date. Also, you may be able to use the application again. There is nothing wrong with pulling out a well-written grant proposal, "dusting it off" and reshaping it to meet the objectives of a new funding source.
  
  
• Get letters of endorsement. Whenever possible, include letters of endorsement from those who can help implement your grant. For example, ask for written commitments from your local business partners. Their letters should endorse the purpose of the grant as well as the school or district that is submitting the proposal, and they should include a strong statement of need. (see example of letter of endorsement, below)
  
  

The Sky's the Limit

Special events are one way to generate interest in your technology program and gain financial support. Well-planned special events attract publicity and improve the visibility of your program in the community. Here are a few examples of successful events held at Greynolds Park:

• A penny drive for technology. Within only one week, 1,400 students collected $3,000 that went into a fund for special software purchases. A multipurpose school golf cart was used to take the pennies to a nearby bank. When confronted with a mountain of pennies, bank employees were hysterical. Nicole, then a Greynolds Park student, rode in the golf cart and commented later "I'm glad that I was the one who got to deliver the coins--I feel sorry for the kids who have to put them into wrappers." Sherrae Dixon one of the teachers in charge of the penny drive, said she was "overwhelmed by the mountains of pennies that kept arriving daily. Although it was great to see, I could not believe how large and how heavy a mountain of 3,000 pennies actually is." The penny drive was a resounding success.
  
  
• Administrators go the extra mile. Students will pay to see a whipped cream pie thrown at an administrator. At Greynolds Park, kids paid a quarter to watch as several selected children threw pies. The affair raised about $2,500 after administrators deducted cleaning expenses. Though the janitors weren't happy campers, the kids and their parents had a ball.
  
  
• Daily yogurt sales. Committed parents, determined that a state-of-the-art technology program be a part of teaching and learning at Greynolds Park, spend a minimum of three hours a day and preparing and selling yogurt to students after school. Just imagine what $150.00 per day will do to help your technology fund!
  
  
• Good publicity. Last year a team of Greynolds Park parents, teachers and community business partners were determined to get the word out that Greynolds Park was indeed a special school where exciting teaching and learning were happening. The group invited David Lawrence, publisher of The Miami Herald, to participate in a Town Hall forum at the school. After spending the morning speaking with the group and questioning them about the school, the students and the community, Lawrence toured the school and spoke individually with students. He was quite impressed and encouraged the team's efforts, even offering the names of prominent community leaders who could also be invited for a visit.
  
  

In a personal letter to each member of the team, Lawrence said, "It was an invigorating couple of hours. I was reminded anew of the difference that good people make. Each of you. All of you. You are building something special. And I promise you that it makes a real difference in so many young lives."

• Collaborate with your school community for ideas.
• Be open to others' viewpoints.
• Write clearly and professionally.
• In your proposal, emphasize ideas, not needs.
• Select an outside editor to help with revision. Allocate adequate time; move all deadlines up 10 days.
• Take pride in your project.
• Have fun with your project.
• Remember that enthusiasm and success seem to go together!

• Establish an awards program to recognize the outstanding students and on-site supervisors associated with your technology program.
• Sponsor a career day or a career conference for students at the school with which you are affiliated.
• Hold a business forum at your school that features talks from local business leaders and elected officials.
• Arrange a lunchtime briefing with the local business press, allowing them the chance to talk with officials from your technology program and members of your business advisory board.
• Sponsor a "business tour" week where high school students go on field trips to local businesses.
• Get the high school newspaper to devote an issue to choosing a career, including some features on the technology program.

Do It! Move It! Make If Happen!

You can't accomplish anything without the help of other people.
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Improving education through technology is a task that cannot be shouldered by educators alone-all the stakeholders in the education community must share in the responsibility of "making it happen." By reaching out to businesses, corporations and individuals, schools can deliver on the promise of technology.

Expedite the Treasure Hunt
Funding resources are often geared to meeting specific needs. To see a set of funding resources that originally appeared with this article, click here.

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