INTRODUCTION TO FEDERAL GRANTS

Transcription

1 The Grant Doctors 1 Dave Farley s INTRODUCTION TO FEDERAL GRANTS Online Training January 5, 2018 (Slides at thegrantdoctors.com)

2 The Grant Doctors 2 Every individual on the payroll should have a benchmarked professional growth strategy. Tom Peters

3 The Grant Doctors 3 Contents Section Slides Federal grant basics 4 12 Organizational readiness Searching for federal grants Federal application sections and application process After the application is submitted. Now what? Final thoughts Acknowledgement 55 Contact information 56

4 The Grant Doctors 4 Grant = Federal assistance agreements under which payments in cash or in kind are made to provide assistance for specified purposes. Source: GAO

5 The Grant Doctors 5 Federal Grants Entitlement/ Formula Discretionary/ Competitive

6 The Grant Doctors 6 Flow of funding 1 Congress and the president create the grant program, usually through an authorization statute. 2 Congress appropriates funds for the program. 3 OMB apportions the funds to the agencies. 4 Agency allots funds to the program. 5 Recipients are selected through a competitive process. 6 7 Agency obligates funds to support each selected project. Each recipient implements its project, expending funds according to its approved budget.

7 The Grant Doctors 7 Federal Grant Lifecycle

8 The Grant Doctors 8 What federal grants are NOT

9 The Grant Doctors 9 The federal government does not make grants to start a business, pay your bills, retire your debt, buy your house, etc. And, you don t (shouldn t) want it to make those grants.

10 The Grant Doctors 10 Free government money is a myth!

11 The Grant Doctors 11 LET S BEGIN

12 The Grant Doctors 12 Organizational Grant Lifecycle Pre- Award What s Next? Post- Award Closeout

13 The Grant Doctors 13 PHASE 1: PRE-AWARD

14 The Grant Doctors 14 Is your organization ready?

15 The Grant Doctors 15 Organizations ready for federal grants: Have operated at least 5 years Have clear visions, missions & purposes Have a leadership team with experience securing and managing non-federal grants Have engaged boards of directors Have written policies and procedures for: Program and financial management Personnel Property management Purchasing/procurement Records management Travel Have a reliable and accurate accounting system and internal controls Have partnerships with other organizations

16 The Grant Doctors 16 What s the problem? AND Why do you want a federal grant?

17 The Grant Doctors 17 What problem/issue do you propose to solve? Is the problem actual or perceived? Can the problem be supported with data? Is another group already addressing the issue? How is your solution different? Does the problem match current federal priorities? Is your solution potentially scalable nationwide? How will the program be sustained after grant funding? What other resources and funding sources will you use? If your program is already operational, how will federal funds expand the program & not replace other funds?

18 The Grant Doctors 18 Assumptions before proceeding 501(c)(3) or a public agency Has an EIN/FTID Satisfies readiness test Identified a problem and Has a viable solution Has a DUNS number (dnb.com) Is registered with SAM (sam.gov) Has a grants.gov account

19 The Grant Doctors 19 NOW WHAT?

20 The Grant Doctors 20 Where to find new grant notices Federal Register (federalregister.gov) Grants.gov Individual department websites (e.g., Education, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, etc.) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (cfda.gov) New grant announcements must generally be posted at least 60 calendar days prior to a grant s deadline but not less than 30 days before a deadline. 2CFR (b)

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24 The Grant Doctors 24 TIP: Federal Register search keywords grant fund award application

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30 The Grant Doctors 30 Always check the Federal Register AND Grants.gov

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34 The Grant Doctors 34 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Summary of the opportunity (online) Awarding agency name Funding opportunity title Announcement type Funding opportunity number CFDA number Key dates Open for 60 days but no fewer than 30 days Full text of funding opportunities Complete description of the funding opportunity Award information Eligibility information Application and submission information Application review information Award administration information Awarding agency contact(s) Other information if applicable

35 The Grant Doctors 35 Typical sections of a federal application Executive Summary Problem/Need statement Program description Implementation timeline/scope of work Budget and budget narrative Evaluation Organizational/Management capacity Sustainability Appendices

36 The Grant Doctors 36 Executive summary Problem/need statement Solution Organizational capacity Funding requirements (if permitted)

37 The Grant Doctors 37 Problem/need statement Describe the specific problem(s) or issue(s) your proposal addresses. Include supporting evidence Identify the factors contributing to the problem s existence. Describe the target population expected to benefit from your program (e.g., demographics, numbers, geographic area). Describe the implications of leaving the problem unaddressed.

38 The Grant Doctors 38 Program description Describe the proposed solution. Why was this approach selected? Provide evidence. Research-based? Describe demand for the service. How was demand established? Identify gaps in local services contributing to the need for your program. Discuss outreach, communication and education efforts. Discuss partnerships or collaborations with other organizations.

39 The Grant Doctors 39 Scope of work (example 1) Project Tasks Conduct leadership practices needs assessment Responsible Party(ies) Project director, Master trainer Timeline October 2017 December 2017 Principals provided oneon-one coaching based on their individual training plan Principals attend virtual meetings and online training opportunities to reinforce learning. Master trainer Monthly, January 2018 September 2019 Principals Ongoing, every three months

40 The Grant Doctors 40 Scope of work (example 2) Milestones Project Tasks Conduct initial organizational assessment Responsible Party(ies) Project director Y1 Y2 Y3 X Complete core trainings ABC Training Consultant X X Ongoing professional growth activities for staff ABC Training Consultant X X

41 The Grant Doctors 41 Budget and budget narrative Personnel Fringe benefits Travel Equipment Supplies Contractual Other Indirect Category Y1 Y2 Y3 Total Personnel Fringe Benefits Travel Equipment Supplies Contractual Other Total Direct Costs Indirect Total Costs

42 The Grant Doctors 42 Evaluation How do you know if your program is impactful if you don t evaluate? Goals Objectives Outcomes Federal evaluation measures (GPRA)

43 The Grant Doctors 43 Organizational capacity Why are you so awesome? Describe mission, history and services. Provide background and experience of key organizational leaders and project staff. Discuss financial/accounting controls. Describe experience managing federal, state or other public grants. Describe board of directors involvement.

44 The Grant Doctors 44 Sustainability Part I How do we keep the ball rolling?

45 The Grant Doctors 45 Sustainability Part I (cont.) Internal funding assessment Blended funding Scalability Income generation New frontiers

46 The Grant Doctors 46 Sustainability Part I (cont.) We ll apply for another grant.

47 The Grant Doctors 47 Appendices Audited financial statements (including A-133 if applicable). IRS determination letter (for nonprofits). Federal Indirect Cost Rate agreement (if applicable) Letters of commitment/support. Résumés of the project director and other key personnel. Evaluation tools. Budget narrative (sometimes, not always) Other documents required by the funder.

48 The Grant Doctors 48 MANAGE YOUR CALENDAR!

49 The Grant Doctors 49 NOW WHAT?

50 The Grant Doctors 50 If your proposal is funded Pre-award capacity review/risk assessment Financial stability Quality of management systems History of performance Reports and findings from audits Ability to implement statutory, regulatory and grant requirements Award conditions for high-risk grantees if applicable Pre-award conference call Finalize award amount Adjust budget and match amounts if necessary Review evaluation and data collection requirements Discuss grant terms and conditions Drawdown information and other details Grant Award Notification

51 The Grant Doctors 51 If your proposal is NOT funded Request a copy of the reviewers score sheets and comments. Request (or download) copies of successful proposals for programs similar to yours. Start the planning process for the next round of funding.

52 The Grant Doctors 52 Final thoughts Read the NOFO carefully and thoroughly Are the funder s priorities and your goals aligned? Look at past funded projects and geographic distribution Attend the funder s application workshop/webinar (if available) Don t skip any questions Make your application reviewer-friendly Pay attention to details such as: page limits, margins, font, font size, etc. Use the NOFO/RFA s evaluation criteria to compare your responses to the agency s expectations Have an outsider proofread your application DO NOT miss the deadline!

53 The Grant Doctors 53 Just because you can apply for a federal grant doesn t always mean you should apply.

54 The Grant Doctors 54 Please clap. Credit: Jeb Bush

55 The Grant Doctors 55 Acknowledgment Many thanks for the influence he unknowingly contributed to these slides: Bold colors BIG fonts Lack of uniformity. Same = boring. That s why we adopted his style.

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