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these busy times, you almost need to be certifiably nuts to take
on the task of grant writing while carrying on your typical daily
schedule. Only one thing makes it worthwhile, and that's a genuine
need to see kids succeed. Indeed, plunging into the grant-writing
process means tossing out the political nonsense surrounding schools,
ignoring the vested interests of colleagues, and weathering the
jeers of those who think you can't succeed. But if, like me, you
believe that the possibilities outweigh the problems, then grant
writing might just be for you.
Simply put, grant writing entails trying to get somebody to
give you money. Of course, that means you'll have to compete with
everything from homelessness to the heartbreak of psoriasis. Everybody
needs funding. Making your needs surface among the pack of suppliants
is key to your success. The real trick, then, is to use every
possible element in the art of persuasion.
Aristotle said a good idea should have credibility (ethos),
reasoning (logos), and passion (pathos). The most important of
these, it seems to me, is passion. Nothing signals success as
much as someone who believes totally in an idea and believes it
will help humankind. I don't suspect that Aristotle had to raise
money for his teaching sessions, but I do know that a great idea
for helping kids -- coupled with a passionate person who's willing
to give time and effort -- is a powerful combination.
As director of the Imaging
Lab at South Burlington High School in Vermont, I've depended
on grants -- including a coveted "Road Ahead" grant from Microsoft
-- to keep our program going. I'd like to share a few hard-won
lessons on the art of raising money.
Be succinct
My first step is usually to make a small sign for my computer
monitor that says: "It's for the kids, stupid." This brief message
tends to keep me focused as I attempt to do battle with the forces
of finance. 
The next step is to state the objective of your project in one
or two sentences. If you can't do that, you probably haven't put
enough serious thought into what you want to accomplish. Here's
an example: "The Millennium Project will increase the number of
female students taking technology courses." A sentence like this
clearly states your objective so that everyone understands your
proposal. You'll need a lot more than a vaguely defined feeling
that your idea will eventually help kids if you expect to get
a grant.
With the concept clearly defined and with a battery of information
to back you up, you're ready to take on the next task: getting
the support of the professionals around you. At my school, I like
to set up a project team of teachers and administrators to advise
me on writing the grant proposal and help shape the project as
it evolves.
Be realistic
So now that you have the idea, the drive to succeed, and the
backing of your colleagues, how does the battle begin? Think of
yourself as a medieval monk begging for sustenance. That might
be a stretch, but be ready to swallow some of your pride to get
the initiative under way. Be ready to hear the word "no."
To build confidence, I suggest going after what's possible --
not the impossible dream. And that goes for the work you do to
get the grant, as well as what you ask for. No one in his or her
right mind should consider doing a day's work in the classroom
and then putting together a federal grant at night. Yes, I know
a million dollars would really help your school, but let that
fantasy enter your mind only after a few hours of REM sleep.
What is realistic? For starters, go after local grantors --
especially those with ties to your community. Seek out those companies
that traditionally give money for community initiatives. Pepsi
and Coke dealers, high-tech companies, and local PTA groups are
all good places to start. If you're stuck, try the business section
of the phone directory. Also consider state grants, where you'll
have less competition than for national grants.
Some small national grants really are obtainable, though. Sources
like the National
Education Association's Foundation for the Improvement of Education,
for example, can give you the seed money to succeed. Believe in
the fact that nothing succeeds like a little success. Receiving
one of these grants will give you a good deal of self-satisfaction
and an innate desire to carry on. (In fact, watch out: You might
end up with one more compulsion in your life.)
Some suggestions before you approach the local people: There
isn't much altruism in the business community, so it's always
best to put yourself in a company's place and ask, "What's in
it for me?" That is, what will business people get out of their
partnership with you and your kids? If you can provide them with
a reason to support you, then your foot is already in the door.
Perhaps they're interested in the PR value, getting a picture
of their community involvement for their annual report, or even
getting some signage in your classroom. I would stop short, however,
of letting them put their company's logo on your kids' underwear.
(And believe me, some will want to!)
I always make it a point to leave business people with something
tangible. Our computer lab specializes in animation, so I always
have the students create an animated videotape of the company's
logo and leave it on my way out after a meeting. And I often take
kids with me to make presentations. As they say in Hollywood,
nothing sells a story like a kid or a dog. There have been times,
indeed, when I have given serious consideration to visiting the
local animal shelter, but so far, I've resisted.
I often mail company sponsors some information about our project
before I talk to them, and if I'm successful in getting a business
to help us, I mail the executives frequent updates on our success.
I am currently managing a grant for $175,000 that requires only
a final report to the giver, but I've made it a point to send
the chief officers monthly updates.
Be complete
Experienced grant writers have developed formats for the process
and the proposal, and you might want to follow suit to be certain
that you cover all of the essential elements. Whatever format
you follow, any grant proposal can be helped if you can make sections
compelling and slant them in the direction of the grantor's wants
or needs.
These are the basic sections that appear in most proposals:
• Abstract or introduction -- that two-sentence objective
can be the starting point.
• Needs assessment -- why the project is important.
• Plan of action -- who will do what, when.
• Review of the current literature -- to show you're familiar
with the field (and not reinventing old wheels).
• Evaluation methods -- how you'll measure the project's
success.
• A budget -- what it will all cost.
• A section on sustainability -- how you'll keep the project
going.
A word on the budget: Like your project objective, your budget
should be specific, outlining, for example, the precise equipment
-- including model numbers -- that you plan to buy. It should
also mention the support your district is willing to provide,
such as teacher hours and specific building modifications. Keep
in mind that if your proposal is accepted, you can expect to wait
at least a year from the time you applied until the dollars start
coming in.
Keep in mind, too, that it is difficult to get a grantor to
fund staff positions, so don't ask for them unless they are truly
essential. Many small grantors believe that staffing is the least
a school can contribute.
Grantors, especially foundations, are especially interested
in how their money can make a difference in the lives of kids.
It's important that you use a valid evaluation tool so you can
lay claim, scientifically, to having accomplished your goal. My
suggestion: Keep complete records of your kids and how each part
of the project has created changes. Plot and graph benchmarks
they hit and maintain.
Equally important to grant sponsors is the replication factor.
If you become successful, then it only makes sense that others
should want to follow your lead. Addressing this concern in the
original proposal tells grantors that you have thought this through
and that your success will multiply -- thus maximizing their dollar
value.
Remember the kids
Most textbooks on grant writing advise being plain and direct
in your use of language, but my experience has been just the opposite.
Your introduction (or abstract) should entertain while illuminating
your needs.
To get the attention of the people who read the proposals, you
need to make yours stand out in the crowd. I remember visiting
a fishing derby when I was a kid. There were lines of would-be
anglers on each side of a Vermont stream. All of them were casting
the same wiggling worms at the underwater opponents. No one seemed
to get a hit. No one, that is, until a kid who had attached an
ugly orange piece of rubber to his hook unleashed this unlikely
missile into the water. Instantly, he pulled in an award-winning
catch.
What I learned that day was that in a sea of mediocrity, it's
best to be as different as possible. In a recent grant I began:
If you've seen the antics of animated M&M's selling chocolate
on TV, the gyrating Fox television logo, or the witty 3D characters
in Toy Story, then you know what we do in the Imaging Lab at South
Burlington High School. The Imaging Lab, a computer graphics and
video production facility, began with one computer in a paper
closet and has grown into a curriculum and facility that have
been extolled nationally in magazines, books, and on television.
The Lab has raised over a half-million dollars from gifts, grants,
and the sale of student products. Kids now have access to 24 high-end
Intergraph and SGI workstations and the software that is currently
being used by Hollywood to create films like Star Wars: The Phantom
Menace.
I followed this introduction with the other sections listed
above, and I got the grant. Describing your program in terms that
resonate with the reader's experience keeps that person in tune
with what's going on in your classroom. To personalize the request,
you should always include real-life stories. Every teacher has
tales from the classroom that can make a proposal come alive.
It is the stories that make your needs real for a reader. I've
used the following one to strengthen many grants:
JR was one of the most disagreeable characters to have ever
walked the halls of South Burlington High. His father -- who had
also attended the high school -- was a mean-spirited man with
a serious drug problem. One night when JR was a very small boy,
his father came home "high" on a variety of drugs and alcohol.
JR was sleeping with his mother when the father proceeded to "shoot
her up" with a lethal dose of heroin. JR watched her die. The
father was sent to prison and the youngster became, as one might
imagine, a serious problem child. He reacted to the death by becoming
unmanageable. By the time he reached high school, most counselors
and teachers had given up on JR. Most people were certain that
he would never be able to survive in a "normal" world and would,
indeed," ... end up like his father."
One day as he passed the Imaging Lab, JR was attracted by the
animations playing on the screens. He quietly walked into the
room and found himself in the company of students who were headed
for major careers in animation and computer science. He sat down.
He became enthralled with the computer. He connected emotionally
with the kids, and they helped him learn the basics.
This one moment of interest and success translated into a passion
for the Imaging Lab and his work. JR's grades improved; his work
became acceptable and then praiseworthy. Teachers were amazed
at the transformation. His caseworker still lists JR as the greatest
success story of the decade. JR went on to help teach computer
courses for students and teachers. He was asked to present his
material by the State of New Jersey Education Department for its
Education Summit.
JR went on to graduate from Full Sail University in Florida,
a feat even the most optimistic caseworker would never have dreamed
was possible. He's now back in Vermont, donating his time to help
other students in our lab. It's wonderful to see his commitment
to a program that gave him direction and purpose.
The story lets grantors know the human side of the equation.
Suddenly the money becomes earmarked for people, not computers.
Tim Comolli
is an English teacher and director of the Imaging Lab at South
Burlington High School in South Burlington, Vt.
For More Information
Two books by Christine Graham are especially helpful for beginners:
• Asking: A Hands-on Learner's Guide to Gift Solicitation.
Shaftsbury, Vt.: CPG enterprises, 1998.
• Keep the Money Coming. Sarasota, Fla.: Pineapple
Press, 1992.
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