Six Easy Steps to Winning Federal Grants: Grant Writing Boot Camp Heidi Arthur, Vice President, SAE and Associates Carole Boye, President and CEO, Community Alliance
SAE Who We Are > Behavioral health program specialists Populations with Serious Mental Illness and Co-Occurring Disorders Youth with SED, Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare Criminal Justice Older Adults HIV/AIDS Veteran s Services > Over $135 million in Grant Awards since 2007 SAMHSA, VA, ACF, DOL, DOJ, CDC, HRSA, etc 2
Community Alliance Who We Are > Largest Psychiatric Rehabilitation Agency in Nebraska > Located in Omaha > Serves adults with Serious Mental Illness > Programs: ACT, community support, homeless outreach, housing, etc. > Recent SAMHSA Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration grant awardee 3
SAE Behavioral Health Consulting Services > Program Development and Grant Writing > Strengthening Organizational Operations Expert analysis of organizational operations to maximize efficiency, correct challenges, and improve desired outcomes > Developing External Partnerships Assist clients in developing partnerships with organizations and agencies that will expand their visibility and reach 4
Webinar Overview I. Urgent Strategies for Immediate Grant Writing Projects II. Advance Planning Strategies for Future Grant Writing Improvement 5
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GRANT WRITING STRATEGIES FOR IMMEDIATE PROJECTS 7
Six Strategies for Immediate Grant Projects > 1. Follow the rfp > 2. Use a project work plan > 3. Describe real needs in your community > 4. Review the logic of your plan > 5. Emphasize your greatest strength(s) in every section > 6. Don t go it alone 8
Follow the RFP > Plan thoroughly before you write > Write for your reviewer > Avoid extraneous detail > Break out the proposal questions and answer every item use headers for clarity 9
EXAMPLE: Describe the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) that will be used and justify its use for your population of focus, your proposed program, and the intent of this RFA. Describe how the proposed practice will address the following issues in the population(s) of focus, while retaining fidelity to the chosen practice: demographics (race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, geography, and socioeconomic status; language and literacy; sexual identity (sexual orientation and gender identity); and disability 10
Use a Project Work Plan Program Planning Content Draft Review Draft 1 Review Draft 2 Audit/Score Review Final Draft Submission Planned Planning Worksheet Complete Draft Due Peer Review Complete Draft Due Peer Review Complete Draft Due Peer Review Complete Review Complete Draft Due Admin Review Complete 11
Describe local needs > Compare local need to available national data > Describe your local target population s unique needs, reinforced with literature about the target population and broader data > Identify subgroups cultural competence > Use surveys, focus groups, and key advisors to clarify needs 12
Review the Logic of Your Plan > Avoid discussing needs your project won t be addressing > Align the approach with the real needs of the population > Walk your reviewer through the case for the project make the plan come to life 13
Emphasize your greatest strengths in every section > Needs section ---reinforce your assets even as you describe the gap you propose to fill > Approach section--describe your system of care and it s strengths > Organizational Capacity section-- seals the deal > Evaluation reiterate organizational infrastructure strengths 14
Don t go it alone > Use a writing team > Assign reviewers outside of team > Organize the effort --in writing > Consider all support options interns, line staff, administrators, consumers > Leverage your partnerships 15
ADVANCE PLANNING STRATEGIES FOR GRANT WRITING READINESS 16
Six Strategies for Grant Writing Readiness 1. Establish a grant writing committee 2. Determine your funding priorities and strategies 3. Identify the right grant programs 4. Document the needs in your community/agency 5. Build your organizational capacity 6. Identify strong partners 17
ESTABLISHING A GRANT WRITING COMMITTEE 18
Interdepartmental Grant Writing Committee >Executive Director >Development Director >Clinical Advisors >Director of Quality Assurance >Consumer Representative 19
Typical Application Team > A leader/convener > Development Department Representative > Clinical advisor(s) staff and consumer > An Evaluator > Finance > Administrator > Decider 20
Determine Funding Priorities and Strategies 21
Grow Strategically rather than Chasing the money > Respond to local needs > Build to promote strategic advantage > Enhance to meet evolving expectations 22
Identifying The Right Grant Opportunities For Your Agency 23
Anticipating funding notices > HHS Funding Forecasthttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/hhsgrantsfore cast/ > www.grants.gov > National Council Technical Service Updatehttp://www.thenationalcouncil.org/cs/m ember_benefits > SAE website www.saeandassociates.com 24
Tracking > Grant Committee monitors notices > Prepare summaries for committee review > Track notices of interest for annual review 25
Reviewing opportunities >Eligibility >Feasibility >Likely competition / odds of winning >Strategic goals, congruence with needs 26
DOCUMENT THE NEEDS 27
Prepare needs material > Use interns, junior staff > Agency Data supports planned services > Local needs can be documented in advance > Target populations are identified > Data sources are identified 28
Focus Groups and Surveys Great role for interns Can be part of group and individual practice Opportunity for peer leadership Can be ad hoc or formal Include staff, consumers, stakeholders 29
Consider Clinical models and Approaches Based on Needs > Clinical input regarding population needs informs priorities > Evidence based models appropriate for the target population identified 30
BUILD YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY 31
Experience Analyze your organizational boilerplate to highlight your fit with your funding goals--avoid unsupported platitudes Elicit organizational details to highlight links to the community and to targeted populations Highlight connections to grassroots providers and to local community providers--be creative and specific Gather bios and resumes from staff and partners with stellar backgrounds--get specific, include trainers 32
Make Your Proposals Stand Out > Determine what your strengths are and what makes your approach unique > Promote your assets > Minimize your challenges 33
Know Your Challenges > Wealthy local area > Lack of service array for targeted population > Limited capacity to meet linguistic and cultural needs of the targeted population > Small numbers > Limited data > Lack of prior outcomes > Strong competitors 34
Highlight your Strengths > Overwhelming local needs > Critically underserved population > Amazing array of comprehensive services in house and/or via strong partnerships > Integrated care capacity > Consumer engagement or consumer driven services > Person-centered, culturally competent approach > Evidence-based services > Strong IT capacity and data regarding prior outcomes 35
Consider Sustainability Plans Look toward new/future reimbursement options to leverage expected, new, and/or existing Medicaid coverage (e.g. coverage for care coordination, billable medical services) Partner with health home networks, managed care, hospital systems, etc. Incorporate evaluation elements that will support your goals 36
Planning for Evaluation Choose an evaluator with SAMHSA expertise, when possible: should have expertise with programs serving those with SMI CANNOT be involved in the plan development or proposal writing 37
Strategies that pay off : Assess clinical options for evidence-based interventions Hire staff whose cultural/linguistic expertise matches the needs of your target populations Build strong consumer participation into your service delivery Incorporate cost tracking into your CQI process 38
CHOOSE YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS 39
Partnering Considerations > Comprehensive service array > Address agency gaps strategically > Connect with designated health homes and/or primary care > consumer/peer/family driven organizations > Recovery supports > Cultural brokers > Grassroots linkages 40
Federal Grant Readiness Checklist 41
Readiness Checklist > Grant writing committee convened > Annual grant priorities clarified > Targeted populations identified > Evidence-based models identified > Partners connected > Intra-agency improvements made: Consumer involvement, cultural competence, CQI, etc... > Grants identified and monitored 42
Contact Information Heidi Arthur, L.M.S.W. Vice President SAE & Associates 280 Madison Avenue Suite 1208 New York, NY 10016 Phone: 917 664-1581 Fax: 212 684-4481 harthur@saeandassoc.com www.saeandassociates.com Carole Boye, MPA President & CEO Community Alliance 4001 Leavenworth Street Omaha, Nebraska 68105 Phone: 402-341-5128 Fax: 402-505-9849 cboye@commall.org www.community-alliance.org w.saeandassociates.com 43