COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA GRANTS HANDBOOK

COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA GRANTS HANDBOOK Table of Contents 1. General Information: This section provides information about the Resource Development Department and the services provided by this office for grants planning, development and administration at the College of Southern Nevada. a. Grant Development Administrative Policy 1 b. Mission, Goals, Objectives 1 c. Resource Development Staff 2 d. Business Services Grant Accounting Office 2 e. Services provided by the Resource Development Department 3 Page 2. Pre-Award or Development Phase This section provides more specific information on the process and procedures for planning and developing grant funding resources. a. Grant Development Administrative Procedure 4 b. Overview of Grant Development 6 c. Proposal Development Basics 8 d. Grant Proposal Format 9 e. Proposal Writing Tips 13 3. Transition Phase: Notification of Award or rejection Grant Acceptance: This section describes the steps in the grant acceptance process. a. Steps in the Acceptance Process 15 b. Grant Administration 15 Appendix: This section provides forms for processing of grant applications. Grant Funding Resources Glossary of Grant Terms and Acronyms Grant Concept Form Common Grant Application Form Proposal Transmittal Form Sample Forms Standard Federal Title Page form Standard Federal Budget Page form Standard Federal Grant Report Common Grant Application Format

General Information RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT GRANTS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY Impact Area Department Resource Development Relates to Procedure Grants Development Administrative Procedure Legal Citation(if any): General Subject Area Grants Coordination Author: Norma Bucelato Director, Resource Development Specific Subject Area Grants Supersedes Policy # NEW College of Southern Nevada Grants Development Administrative Policy Narrative It is the policy of the College of Southern Nevada to actively support and encourage project development and increase external funding streams to support quality educational and program needs that advance the mission, goals, and Strategic Plan directions of CSN. The Resource Development Department will provide the leadership to broaden the financial base and create critical need programs through expansion of grants and contracts from federal, state and local government, corporate, and private foundation funding sources. College departments are encouraged to participate in grant or contract proposals, in coordination with the Resource Development Department, to develop projects that are within the scope and mission of the department and the college, and that support the Strategic Plan objectives for external support initiatives. Supported by: Grant Development Administrative Procedure. Mission To further the mission of the College and support the President of the College by increasing the resources available through non-state funds enabling the development and delivery of new, innovative and expanded programs. Goal Increase the resources of the College while ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state and system regulations and policies. Objectives 1. Initiate new grant opportunities and increase amount of grants funds to the College by working with administrators, faculty and staff as well as outside agencies and partners. 1

2. Work collaboratively with program administrators and Business Services to ensure all grant programs are delivered in accordance with the terms of the grant, to include program objectives and budgets. 3. Foster partnerships and collaboratives that further the mission of the College and assist in the leveraging of resources. 4. Identify potential funding sources and initiate research for funding sources and notify project directors of available Requests for Proposals (RFPs). 5. Initiate and/or facilitate the development and submission of grant applications. Resource Development Staff: Norma Bucelato, Director 651-4485 norma.bucelato@csn.edu Robin Corbin, Admin. Ass't 651-4595 robin.corbin@csn.edu M. Thérèse Gaudreau, Admin. Ass't 651-4434 therese.gaudreau@csn.edu Business Services Grant Accounting Office Maintain accounts of all grant program budgets including: Review of grant budget prior to submission for reasonableness, completeness and accuracy of budget, positions and salaries, benefit calculations, indirect costs and matching requirements in relation to program purpose, objectives, and regulations and College and System policies. Establish grant accounts. Monitor and approve all grant expenditures. Conduct all invoicing and drawdown of funds. Provide fiscal reports in accordance with project reporting requirements. Joyce Bivona, Grants and Contracts Manager 651-4344 joyce_bivona@csn.edu 2

Services Provided by the Resource Development Department Pre-Award or Development Phase To achieve a proactive and well planned approach to external funding and ensure strong, competitive proposals, the College decides overall directions for external funding as they pertain to mission statement, Strategic Plan and annual goals, sets quality standards for design, and addresses sustainability and institutionalization of project activities. Develop Funding Sources Research funding sources Outline project requirements to include a summary of the College s commitment (e.g. facilities, equipment, match, partners, etc.) Develop calendar of prioritized applications Contact granting agencies for funding information Obtain internal/external partners Provide information and advice to faculty and staff on funding opportunities, project planning Project Development Facilitate organizational meetings with faculty and staff to discuss guidelines and design project outlines Design and Develop Proposals Submit Grant Concept Form to President s Cabinet Coordinate proposal action, calendar and priorities Consult with faculty and staff on content and design of grant proposal Write and/or edit grant applications Develop project budgets in consultation with Grants & Contracts Manager/Business Services and Human Resources Coordinate Grant Application Transmittal Ensure required formatting, assurances and deadlines are met Using Proposal Transmittal Form obtain required signatures Package and mail, deliver or electronically submit proposals Distribute internal and external copies File grant applications 3

Pre-Award or Development Phase Process for Grant Proposal Development The material below describes steps for the development of proposals and management of projects. GRANTS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE College of Southern Nevada Impact Area-Department Resource Development General Subject Area Grants Coordination Specific Subject Area Grants Relates to Policy Grants Development Administrative Policy Legal Citation(if any): Author: Norma Bucelato Director, Resource Development Supersedes Procedure NEW Grants Development Administrative Procedure Narrative The Grants Development Administrative Procedure is designed to promote communication and cooperation among all parties involved in grant project development, ensure funding requests correspond with college goals and priorities, and ensure the College s accountability and compliance in Federal, State and private grant funding. The Resource Development Department serves as the coordinating office for externally funded grant projects, and initiates, facilitates, and expedites processes and activities to obtain external funding to further the College s mission, strategic directions and institutional priorities. This office provides leadership to faculty and staff in seeking grants through the identification of funding resources, development of project concepts, writing of grant proposals, directing processes for administrative review, and submitting grant applications for funding. Grant Application Process* Applications for externally funded grants from governmental or private foundation sources shall be initiated and processed in accordance with the following procedures: 1. Generate new project idea (in-house need or funding available) Project Initiator 2. Write and submit Grant Concept Form to Resource Development Project Initiator 3. Review Grant Concept Form for appropriateness Resource Development 4. Conduct initial prospect research Resource Development 5. Identify potential funding source(s) Resource Development 6. Submit Grant Concept form to Cabinet for review Resource Development 7. Create production schedule, task assignments Resource Development 8. Conduct proposal design meetings Resource Development/ Project Design Team 9. Name Project Director Project Design Team 4

10. Write first proposal draft, draft budget Resource Development/ Project Design Team 11. Submit proposal draft and budget to Grants &Contracts Manager for review and comment Project Design Team 12. Incorporate recommended changes into the final application Project Design Team/ Resource Development 13. Submit proposal, with Proposal Transmittal Form to Project Design Team/ President and VP Finance for review and comment Resource Development 14. Create final draft, with budget, attachments, and cover letter Project Design Team/ Resource Development 15. Send final version to President and/or VP Finance President/VP Finance for final review and signature 16. Mail, FedEx, or electronically submit application Resource Development 17. Monitor funding agency for response Resource Development *This process may be waived by President due to time constraints, or other project considerations. Grant Acceptance Process 1. When the Resource Development Department receives a notice of award, the President and Vice President of Finance are notified for formal acceptance of the award. The award letter is sent to the Grants & Contracts Manager for the establishment of the grant accounting file and systems. The Director of Resource Development and the Project Director maintain copies for the establishment of the grant program file. 2. Resource Development will provide technical assistance to the Project Director for grant implementation. 3. The Project Director shall be responsible for following all regulations pertaining to the grant project. The Resource Development Department will assist the Project Director in this process, and the procedures for purchasing, and reporting. Authority The authority to bind the college to the terms and conditions of an agreement has been delegated to the President and/or Vice President of Finance. Any employee who applies for a grant or enters into a grant contract on behalf of the College of Southern Nevada must have prior approval of the President and/or Vice President of Finance. College facilities and resources shall not be used in support of an unauthorized grant or contract. Definitions: Grants: Grants are funds or resources given to the applicant to support specific programs and projects including research, conferences, student services, travel, education, construction, equipment, and other programs and projects which do not result in a specific service or end product that is delivered to the granting agency. Grants are almost always given to projects or programs originated and defined by the applicant. 5

Contracts: Contracts are funds or resources given to the applicant based on a specific agreement for work requirements, services, or products specified by and delivered to the funding agency. Supported by: Grants Development Administrative Policy Grant Concept Form Grant Proposal Transmittal Form CCSN Grants Procedures Handbook CCSN Grants Project Directors Handbook Overview of Grant Development The development, transition and management phases of grant projects all require a high level of responsibility and accountability on the part of the key personnel; chiefly, the resource development staff, program supervisor (usually a dean or chair), project director and grants & contracts fiscal manager. The key to a successful outcome is: 1) A project team able to articulate a strong idea which can infect others with excitement; 2) Excellent communication among the players; and 3) Mutual support and collaboration within the design team. To support the development of strong grant project design and development, the proposal design and implementation teams must have strong skills in analysis, writing, budgeting, operations, assessment, stewardship of funding agencies and related tasks. The experts: The program supervisor and project director are the content specialists. Resource development staff have the expertise in grant development and administration and provide the technical assistance in developing proposals and budgets. The grants & contracts manager supports the project team in budgeting, financial reporting and invoicing. For everyone, the reward for this intense effort on development is a funded proposal and a wellrun project leading to future funding. Authority for aspects of development and implementation rests with various levels: The President or his designee the VP of Finance, reviews and signs all grant proposals and ultimately answers for their quality. The final proposal package is subject to a minimum of a two-day review period. The President may decline to sign a proposal that has not been developed to the quality standard or appropriateness expected at CSN. The Department Dean and then the Cabinet approves a grant bid early in the development process, using the Grant Concept Form supplied by the Resource Development Department. Executives have the authority to refuse a bid if they believe the concept is weak, it does not align 6

with the Strategic Plan, the match is too great or any one of a number of areas covered on the Grant Concept Form. Tips for Securing Approval for Your Proposal Discuss your proposal concept with the Resource Development staff early to obtain assistance in researching funding opportunities. Many grant programs are funded annually, and while your project may not be funded this year, staff will know the objectives and can better match funding resources to your program concept. Discuss your program concept with your Department Chair and/or Dean to gain their support and input in the development of the project. Make sure the Resource Development Department has a copy of the RFA/RFP. Know the approval process and be sure to secure the necessary approval prior to any proposal development. 7

Proposal Development Basics The Grant Proposal Process Pre-application (idea) Stage Develop an original idea that meets need and is aligned with the Strategic Plan Document the need with data on both College and community Do a literature search for backup of need and methodology, best practices Define specific, measurable project goal(s) and objectives and evaluation methodologies Develop a plan of action/methodology Draft a concept paper or preliminary proposal (Use the CSN Grant Concept Form) Research the funding sources (Contact the Resource Development Department for assistance) Identify potential funding sources Discuss project with program officers of funding source(s) Get appropriate guidelines and application forms (if required) Check deadlines Application (Writing) Stage Review RFP (Request for Proposal) guidelines, selection criteria thoroughly Put together proposal design team Develop proposal outline, production schedule Write proposal first draft Prepare draft budget Obtain support materials Edit, Edit, Edit! Review, refine, rewrite proposal Get college approval(s) Submit grant application Post-application (Negotiation) Stage Wait for agency evaluation and final selection Receive official notification award letter Notify Resource Development immediately Establish account number and signature authority Carry out project (if funded) Submit progress reports/final report Get peer reviews or staff comments (if not funded) Resubmit and keep trying (if not funded) 8

Grant Proposal Format Read the proposal guidelines carefully. Follow guidelines specified in the Request for Proposal (RFP)/Request for Application (RFA). Proposals that do not meet the guidelines will not be reviewed. If the guidelines are not specific, this basic format, which is used by the US Department of Education, may fit your needs. 1. Cover Page: Organization name, contact information. Use prescribed form of funding agency. 2. Abstract: Umbrella statement of your case and summary of the entire proposal (one page) includes: Problem: a brief statement of the problem or need your agency has recognized and is prepared to address (one or two paragraphs). Solution: a short description of the project, including what will take place, how many people will benefit from the program, how and where it will operate, for how long, and who will staff it (one or two paragraphs). Funding requirements: an explanation of the amount of grant money required for the project and what the plans are for funding it in the future (one paragraph); and Organization and its expertise: a brief statement of the name, history, purpose and activities of your organization, emphasizing its capacity to carry out this proposal (one paragraph). The abstract should be composed after the full proposal is written, as it is an executive summary of the proposal. If the RFP/RFA specifies a word length for the abstract, adhere to it! If not, keep it to one page. 3. Table of Contents: List of sections and page numbers for easy reference of the reader. Done after full proposal is completed. 4. Organization Background a. Short explanation of agency, its focus, clientele, expertise and experience with grant program area/previous work. (See sample CSN background statement) Project Narrative: Double-space the narrative. Most Federal agencies now limit the number of pages, size of margins, typestyle and spacing and will reject proposals that do not meet their requirements. 5. Statement of Need: 1.) Why this project is necessary. Present the facts and evidence that support the need for the project and establishes that your organization understands the problems and can reasonably address them. 2) Identification of need (in line with RFP focus). Should be succinct, yet persuasive. Assemble all the arguments and present them in a logical sequence to convince the reader of their importance 3) Documentation (Data with backup of source) 9

Six points to consider in Need Statement Decide which facts or statistics best support the project. Be sure the data is accurate. Give the reader hope. The picture you paint should not be so grim that a solution appears hopeless. Determine whether it is reasonable to portray the need as acute. You are asking the funding agency to pay more attention to your proposal because either the problem you address is worse than others or the solution you propose makes more sense than others. Decide whether you can demonstrate that your program addresses the need differently or better than other projects that preceded it. Show that you know the work being done in your field but do not be critical of the competition. Demonstrate collaboration with other organizations and community people doing work in your field. Avoid circular reasoning. In circular reasoning you present the absence of your solution as the actual problem, i.e. we don t have the equipment, we need the equipment, so the solution is the equipment. Demonstrate the need of the community and the benefits of the solution to the targeted audience. 6. Project Description Statement of Work Project Methods or Design Nuts and bolts of how the project will be implemented. a. Goals: overall outcome of the project, conceptual and more abstract. b. Objectives: more specific, measurable outcomes. Objectives are tangible, specific, concrete, measurable and achievable in a specified time frame. c. Methods: describes the specific activities that will take place to achieve the objectives, encompassing the How, When and Why. Include an Activities Timeline milestones, benchmarks for each objective. d. Plan of Operation: Include: 7. Personnel a. Key personnel for the project- grant funded and institutional commitment. Provide job descriptions, resumes for those already employed by organization b. Staff time and commitment Hiring of staff for grant programs must follow the policies of the CSN Office of Human Resources including salaries for positions, recruitment and screening of candidates, faculty overload and/or extra compensation policies. The Office of Human Resources should be consulted for budgeting of personnel prior to submission of any grant application. Services to meet objectives a. What services will be offered, how will you select and retain participants, how will services be offered and monitored. Organizational Placement a. Where does the program fit within the organization, organizational chart. 10

Financial Management a. How is the budget, invoicing, drawdown of funds managed, chart of accounts, expenditure authority, monitoring of expenditures. Institutional Resources a. Commitment of the organization to the project, including what cash or in-kind resources the institution will provide to manage, fulfill the project objectives (including commitment of upper administration, facilities, equipment, staffing, etc.), location within organization, collaboration with other organizations, 8. Evaluation: Evaluation should be built into the project as a sound management tool. a. What measures will be used, in quantitative and qualitative terms, to determine accomplishment of goals and objectives b. Benchmarks that are realistic, incremental-monthly and quarterly, quantitative and qualitative c. Use a chart form with objective, outcome, measurement/data source, responsible person(s), and timeline. Check the RFP to see if it requires that an outside evaluator be used to conduct the evaluation of the project. If so, identify and budget the cost. Evaluation has become an increasingly important component of grant-funded projects with the advent of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), which requires all federal agencies and grantees to manage their activities with attention to the outcomes of these activities. 9. Budget: Use all forms provided by the RFP/RFA. CSN policy includes the review of the budget by the Resource Development and the Grant Accounting Office prior to any grant application submission. By seeking the assistance of these offices during your budget development, you can avoid the last minute changes that may occur because of lack of information on the College budgeting and accounting policies and process. The major direct cost categories usually include: Personnel Salaries and Wages Personnel Fringe Benefits General Operating (Supplies and Materials) Travel Participant Support Equipment Contractual Other Equipment: Check the RFP to determine if equipment purchases are allowable and check their definition of equipment. Most Federal agencies define equipment as having an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more unless the grantee organization defines a lower equipment acquisition cost. CSN defines equipment as having a cost of $2,000 or more. 11

10. Budget Narrative: Most grant applications require a separate budget explanation. Read the requirements in the RFP and follow them closely. The Budget Narrative should explain the various figures in the budget, detail personnel positions and their FTE, fringe benefit categories and rates, increases if multi-year budget, mileage rates, travel particulars including purpose of travel and explanation of rates used, specific equipment to be purchased, stipends or participant support specifics, matching amounts and sources, etc. 11. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are the costs incurred by the College as a part of the expense of operations that are not directly a part of the grant proposal. Such costs include administrative costs of Business Services, Human Resources, etc. and facility space, maintenance and other general operational costs of the institution. Most Federal grants and State grants allow the granting agency to charge indirect costs to the grant. Indirect costs should be requested on all grant applications for which they are allowable. CSN does not currently have a Federal negotiated indirect cost rate and therefore uses the standard 8% indirect cost rate allowable by the State of Nevada and the US Department of Education. The Indirect Cost funds go directly to the College and are not expendable for any specific purposes under the grant program. 12. Authorized Signatures The President and Vice President of Administration and Finance are the only authorized representatives of the College for signature on grant applications. The Statement of Work in proposals becomes the legal contract for services by the funding agency. Make sure that they included in the development process and understand what the organization is committing to long before the proposal is ready for submission. All grant applications must be coordinated with the Office of Resource Development for submission for signatures and final packaging and submission. Forms In addition to budget forms, RFPs/RFAs may include other forms (such as Federal Assurances) that need to be completed. Resource Development has the Federal Assurance forms and will process for signatures. Appendices Use appendices carefully. They are not always read, and as noted above, may not be allowed. Very important items should be included in the proposal, not the appendix. Sources: Proposal Writing Short Course, excerpted from The Foundation Center s Guide to Proposal Writing, 3 rd ed. (New York: The Foundation Center, 2001), Jane C. Geever, J.C. Geever, Inc. http://www.fdcenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop2.html 12

Proposal Writing Tips Start early Keep informed about funding opportunities that become available. Check with the Resource Development Department on funding resources. Develop your project idea, therefore when the Request for Proposal (RFP)/Request for Application (RFA) is announced, you will have a head start on developing your proposal. The period of time from the announcement of the RFA/RFP to the due date ranges from about four to six weeks. If you re developing a proposal for a program that occurs annually, review the previous year s announcement, since the guidelines typically change little from year to year. Obtain copies of previously funded proposals for the program, and review them for ideas about successful strategies. Identify members of the proposal development team. Complete the CSN Grant Concept form and contact the Resource Development Department to assist you in all phases of the application, including writing of program narrative and budget. Follow the instructions Read the RFP/RFA thoroughly and be sure to follow all the instructions! Check eligibility first! Examples of instructions include page limitations, font size, inclusion of appendices, allowable costs, whether the forms can be duplicated or replicated, whether the proposal should be single- or double-spaced, number of copies to be submitted, how to bind the proposal, and color of ink to use in signing forms. Applicants who do not follow the basic instructions run the risk of having their proposals rejected from the pool of eligible proposals. Organize for clarity Follow the format included in the application. Provide all the information asked for in the instructions and in the order requested. Don t make reviewers hunt for information, even if this means repeating information or referencing the reader to a previous section. Sections should include introductions to orient the reviewer. Include a table of contents, a clearly written abstract, and strong topic sentences. Make it easy to read Make sure you do not have any typographical errors in your proposal. Use lots of white space in the document to break up the text to make it easier to read. Use headings, charts, and graphs to break up the narrative. Don t right-justify the text; it makes it difficult to read. Communicate clearly Include what you plan to do and why; how you will do it and why that is the best approach; who will be involved and why they are qualified; what the institution needs to accomplish the tasks; what the timetable will be; how you will know the goals have been met. Avoid jargon and "bureaucratese." Use plain English and define your terms. Remember, often times the reviewer is not an educator. Get feedback from others Check the clarity of your writing by having friends or family who are not familiar with your topic read the proposal; if they understand it, it s passed the "Grandmother Test" and should be understandable and clear to your reviewers. 13

Pay attention to the budget Account for all relevant items in the budget. Do not introduce elements in the budget that have not been discussed in the proposal narrative. When reviewers have problems with the budget, they are likely to mistrust other information in the proposal. Carefully review the RFA/RFP to be sure you know what costs are allowable. Stay within the funding range identified by the funding agency. Make sure your budget numbers add up. Watch out for rounding errors in spreadsheets. Meet the deadline Make sure your proposal is not late! Plan ahead and allow sufficient time for review at all stages. Your grant may not be the only one due from the College that day. If a proposal is late, it won t be considered. Read the RFA/RFP deadline information carefully. Does it say the proposal must be delivered by the deadline or postmarked? Allow at least five working days before your submission deadline for the internal review process so that there is sufficient time to make changes prior to final signatures and submission to meet the granting agency deadline. Finally, again, do not develop or submit a proposal without the approval of the Resource Development Team. The policies established in this Grants Handbook for the review and approval of grant proposals are meant to assist you and the College in developing the programs that are most needed by the College, its faculty and students. The Resource Development Department is responsible for the final packaging and submission of all grant proposals. Sources: Grants and Contracts Weekly, April 6, 1992 Kirits, N. J. (1980). Program Planning and Proposal Writing. The Grantsmanship Center News. Los Angeles, CA: The Grantsmanship Center Aid for Education Report, December 3, 1997 Aid For Education Report, March 31, 1998 Aid For Education Report, April 14, 1998 The Grant Connection, November, 1996, The Metropolitan Community Colleges Grant$, Maricopa Community Colleges Personnel Los Rios Community College Grants Handbook 14

Transition Phase: Notification of Award or rejection; the move from development to implementation To process the award quickly into the system, announce positive results and debrief on negative results, negotiate amendments and move knowledgeably and seamlessly from pre-award to postaward activities. Steps in the Acceptance Process Once the College receives the award letter, necessary approval for acceptance must be secured. For the grant to be accepted by College, notification from the funding agency must be received in writing. The recipient of the written notification varies by funding agency and program. For example, the written notification may be sent directly to the project director, the college president, or the Grant Accounting Office. The letter notifying the College of the intention to award the grant is immediately forwarded to the Resource Development Department for any necessary negotiations and proposal revisions, as well as initiation of the CSN Grant Acceptance Form. The award letter is copied to the responsible administrator at the college and the original is filed in the Business Services Grant Accounting Office along with the grant proposal and Statement of Work. Grant Administration Once the grant award is accepted, the role and responsibilities of the Resource Development Department becomes one of grants administration. The Resource Development staff will work collaboratively with the program administrators and Business Services to ensure all grant programs are delivered in accordance with the terms of the grant Statement of Work, which include program objectives, outcomes and budgets. 15

APPENDIX Grant Funding Resources Glossary of Grant Terms and Acronyms Grant Concept Form Common Grant Application Form Proposal Transmittal Form Sample Forms Standard Federal Title Page form Standard Federal Budget Page form Standard Federal Grant Report Common Grant Application Format 16

Grant Funding Resources (This is not meant to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive list) Federal Resources Federal Register http://www.ed.gov/legislation/fedregister Daily publication of all Federal Agency notices Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov List of every federal agency grant programs USA.gov www.usa.gov Federal Government s website with links to all Federal Agencies FedWorld.gov http://www.fedworld.gov Department of Commerce, NTIA Link to government information, search for websites, by keyword Government Printing Office/Nat'l Archives http://www.access.gpo.gov Government Printing Office access to all government publications. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) http://www.nces.ed.gov The primary Federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/ Search Databases for Funding Notices of Funding Availability http://ocd1.usda.gov/nofa.htm Listing of all Federal Notices of Funding Availability Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/ links to all federal granting agencies GrantsNet http://www.grantsnet.org/ source for research of funds for training in the sciences and undergraduate science and technology education. GrantsSmart http://www.grantsmart.org/database to search private, community and corporate foundations by name, location, assets or keyword. The Foundation Center http://fdncenter.org Search for basic information on Private Foundation and Corporate grantmakers; and provides information for grantseekers Society of Research Administrators http://www.srainternational.org/newweb/grantsweb/index.cfm Links to federal and private funding sources, and other policy information efunding Solutions http://www.schoolfundingcenter.info/ Site is dedicated to helping educators locate every funding source available to them in the United States. Our database contains more than 100,000 grants. Also has proposal writing guidelines. Federal Agencies American Association of Community Colleges http://www.aacc.nche.edu 17

US Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/grantapps/ (currently available grant applications) OR http://www.ed.gov/offices/ocfo/grants/forecast.html (Forecast of U.S. Department of Education grant programs). Health Resources and Services Administration http://www.hrsa.gov Federal Agency for Health Occupations grants. DOL US Department of Labor http://www.doleta.gov Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) http://detr.state.nv.us/ Nevada Labor Department, some grants available, also data on Nevada occupations projections and wages. Nevada Department of Education http://www.nde.state.nv.us/ Housing and Urban Development (HUD) http://www.hud.gov HUD Office of University Partnerships http://www.oup.org/ National Endowment for the Arts http://http://www.arts.endow.gov/guide National Endowment for the Humanities http://www.neh.gov/grants/grants.html National Institute for Literacy http://novel.nifl.gov/nifl/grants_contracts.html National Institutes for Health http://www.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding.htm National Science Foundation (NSF) http://www.nsf.gov NSF Advanced Technology Program -specifically for Community College funding - http://www.her.nsf.gov/her/due National Telecommunications Information Agency http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/otiahome.html US Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hhs.gov/grants/index.shtml Department of Justice http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm Additional Grantwriting Resources GrantProposal.com http://grantproposal.com Formats for proposal writing Grantwriting Tools from the Web www.enc.org/professional/funding Links to comprehensive grant sites, proposal writing tips, funding sources and federal resources. Basic Elements of Grantwriting www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html Corporation for Public Broadcasting elements and guidelines on writing a proprosal. Writing a Successful Grant Proposal www.mcf.org/mcf/grant/writing.htm Minnesota elements and guidelines on writing a proprosal. National Science Foundation Guide for Proposal Writing www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9891/nsf9891.htm Definitive guide for the NSF proposal EPA Grantwriting Tutorial www.epa.gov/seahome/grants/src/grant.htm Purdue University grant writing guide with a mock grant practice section. Proposal Writer's Guide- University of Michigan Sponsored Projects Office http://www.research.umich.edu/proposals/pwg/pwgcomplete.html Tips for Successful Grant Writing Checklist www.cahe.nmsu.edu/employee/grants/appendixb.html This grant resources guide has been collected by the Office of Resource Development, Community College of Southern Nevada. You may contact resource development staff for more information at 651-4485. 18

Glossary of Grant Terms and Acronyms ALLOWABLE EXPENSES Expenses defined by the granting agency as allowable in accordance with the applicable cost principles under the grant program. ASSURANCES All Federal applications require certain assurances including Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility matters and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements. AWARD LETTER The written correspondence sent by the funding agency notifying the College that a project has been funded, the length of the funding period, and the amount of the funding. CSN does not establish an account until this written notification of grant award is received and accepted. BUDGET The financial plan for operation of the project that includes an estimate of the income and expenditures associated with operating the project for an identified period of time, often a year. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) Contains information about Federal grant and loan programs available to Americans from Federal agencies. Each program is assigned a CFDA number. When submitting proposals to Federal agencies, the CFDA number must be included, and because it is used in the audit for grant identification purposes, it must be accurate. CATEGORICAL FUNDS Federal or state funds specified for or restricted to a specialized area. CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) Defines the regulations pertinent to administration of Federal grants and agreements with Parts specific to Institutions of Higher Education. COMPETITIVE GRANT Funds that are received through submission of a proposal in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP)/Request for Application (RFA). Competitive grants include those that are received directly from the primary funding source, as well as those that are received from a secondary source from flow through dollars (i.e., federal dollars that are allocated to the state and, in turn, distributed by the state to grant recipients through a competitive grant process). CONFLICT OF INTEREST Using a vendor that is a member of your family or a personal friend. Transaction must be "arms length." COST SHARING Synonymous with Matching Funds. CONSULTANT An individual who is external to the organization who has expertise in a given area and who is hired by the organization to provide assistance in solving a problem that is in his/her area of expertise. Federal and State agencies generally restrict the amount allowable for consultant contracts. CONTRACT FOR SERVICES Funds that are received through a contractual agreement to provide specified services, such as training courses or an educational program. Typically, a simple proposal is prepared that includes a cost justification for the services provided. 19

COVER SHEET/TITLE PAGE The top sheet of a grant proposal that is usually a standardized form, that includes summary information about the proposal. This form usually includes signature lines that must be completed prior to submitting the proposal. Most Federal forms are now available on-line as word processing documents. DEADLINES Due dates for submission of proposals and grant reporting requirements. When submitting proposals it is important to note whether the deadline is the due date for receipt at the agency or for postmark of the proposal. DIRECT COSTS Expenses that are associated with the operation of a project and that are itemized by categories that are described by specific uses of allowable costs (e.g., salaries, fringe benefits, travel, supplies). Each Federal program may define direct costs. For example, the US Department of Education uses a modified total direct cost base (direct costs less stipends, tuition and related fees and equipment) to determine how indirect cost rates apply. DISCRETIONARY FUNDS federal agency grants that are competitive DUNS # Most Federal and State grant applications now require a DUNS (Dun & Bradstreet) number. The CCSN DUNS # is 94-558-0843. EDGAR Education Department General Administrative Guidelines: establishes the US Department of Education uniform administrative requirements for grants and agreements to institutions of higher education and includes the pertinent Code of Federal Regulations. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES Defines in a federal RFP who is eligible to apply for the funds EQUIPMENT Tangible, nonexpendable, personal property with a useful life of more than one year. CSN defines equipment as having an acquisition cost of $2,000 or more unless the granting agency defines equipment as having a lesser value. FEDERAL I.D. # OR FEDERAL ENTITY NUMBER: The identifying number assigned to an organization by the Federal government. The College of Southern Nevada Federal I.D. # is 88-6000024. FISCAL YEAR (FY): Refers to the 12-month period for financial operations for an organization or government. The CSN fiscal year corresponds to that of the State of Nevada (July 1 June 30), while that of the Federal government runs from October 1 September 30. Funding periods for projects funded by an organization or government generally correspond to the funding entity s fiscal year or may be defined as the program operational year. FISCAL AGENT The lead agency which conducts the budget monitoring, accounting and drawdown of funds when a consortium of several entities is conducting the grant program. FORMULA FUNDS Federal grant funds that are provided to States through a formula for distribution for a specific purpose. Some of these funds are then competitively awarded to institutions. 20

FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE): The amount of time spent in an activity or position that is calculated as a percentage of a full time position on an annual basis (e.g., a person who is hired for a 12-month period on a half-time basis is considered to be.5 FTE; a 9-month employee working fulltime is 0.75 FTE). GEPA US Department of Education General Education Provisions Act. Section 427 requires each applicant for funds to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability or age. GPRA The Government Performance and Results Act requires all federal agencies (and grantees) to manage their activities with attention to the consequences (outcomes) of these activities. GRANTEE The organization that is the recipient and administrator of a grant. GRANTOR The agency which awards the funds to carry out a project. INDIRECT COSTS Costs incurred by the College as a part of the expense of operations that are not directly a part of the grant operations. Such costs include maintaining the physical plant, library resources, and general administration. These costs are generally calculated as a percentage of the total direct costs of the project. CSN does not have a negotiated Federal indirect cost rate and generally uses the US Department of Education standard indirect cost rate of 8%. LEA Local Educational Agency (school district). MATCHING FUNDS Cash or "in-kind" support contributed by the grantee to carry out the project. Some programs require a match, and the amount of the match and what is allowable as match (in-kind, cash) varies by program. Matching funds must be auditable. NON-COMPETITIVE GRANT Federal or state dollars allocated on the basis of a formula. Receipt of the funds may or may not require submission of a proposal. These grants are often referred to as formula-driven grant funds. OMB CIRCULAR Office of Management and Budget guidelines. Certain OMB Circulars are pertinent to Institutions of Higher Education. OMB Circular A-110 provides Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and other non-profit organizations. OMB Circular A-21 establishes principles for determining costs applicable to grants, contracts and other agreements with educational institutions. The principles deal with the subject of cost determination and define cost allowability, direct and indirect costs. PASS THROUGH FUNDS Federal funds that are received by a state or local agency for a specific purpose that then conducts its own grant process to award the funds to other individuals, organizations, or agencies. 21

PRE-APPLICATION or PRELIMINARY APPLICATION A preliminary screening process used by organizations to identify potential fundable projects. Pre-applications, while shorter in length than a full proposal, generally follow a prescribed format identified by the funding agency. PROJECT PROGRAM OFFICER The individual at the Federal or State agency who is responsible for overall administration of the program and for monitoring the project, providing technical assistance, and ensuring that the project is carried out within the framework of the program. PROPOSAL An application submitted to a funding agency requesting funding for a specified period of time to carry out a specified project. RFP/RFA (Request for Proposal or Application): An announcement by an agency that proposals or applications will be accepted to accomplish specific goals. As a general rule, the amount of time from the release or "letting" of the RFP/RFA until the due date for submitting requests for funding is 45 days to six weeks, but the amount of time can vary. STATEMENT OF WORK When a grant proposal is awarded the content of the application, your proposed goals, objectives, and plan of operation become the statement of work that you are legally obligated to fulfill. SUBCONTRACT Funds received from a primary grant recipient to support the costs associated with carrying out a portion of the project. Typically, it is not necessary to submit a proposal to receive a subcontract, although submission of a budget often is necessary. UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS Agencies may allow institutions to submit proposals for projects that are not part of the agency s identified programs or funding priorities. 22

COMMON GRANT APPLICATION I. COVER SHEET (Please use this format to create a one-page cover sheet.) Organization Name: Tax exempt status: Year organization was founded: Date of application: Address: Telephone number: Fax number: Director: Contact person and title (if not director): Grant request: Period grant will cover: Type of request (general support, start-up, technical assistance, etc.): Project title (if project funding is requested): Total project budget (if request is for other than general support): Total organizational budget (current year): Starting date of fiscal year: Summarize the organization s mission (two to three sentences): Summary of project or grant request (two to three sentences): II. NARRATIVE (maximum of five pages.) A. Introduction and Background of Organization (Incorporating the following points:) 1. Briefly describe your organization s history and major accomplishments. 2. Describe your current programs and activities. 3. Who is your constituency (be specific about demographics such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation and people with disabilities)? How are they actively involved in your work and how do they benefit from this program and/or your organization? 4. If you are a grassroots group, describe your community. If you are a state, regional or national organization, describe your work with local groups, if applicable and how other regional and/or national organizations are involved. 23

B. Describe Your Request (Incorporating the following points:) 1. Problem statement: what problems, needs or issues does it address? 2. If other than general operating support, describe the program for which you seek funding, why you decided to pursue this project and whether it is a new or ongoing part of your organization. 3. What are the goals, objectives and activities/strategies involved in this request? Describe your specific activities/strategies using a timeline over the course of this request. 4. How does your work promote diversity and address inequality, oppression and discrimination within your organization as well as the larger society? 5. Describe systemic or social change you are trying to achieve: How does your work address and change the underlying or root causes of the problem? III. ATTACHMENTS/REQUIREMENTS (Supply everything checked below by funder who prepared this copy.) A. Evaluation 1. Briefly describe your plan for evaluating the success of the project or for your organization s work. What questions will be addressed? Who will be involved in evaluating this work staff, board, constituents, community, consultants? How will the evaluation results be used? B. Organizational Structure/Administration 1. Briefly describe how your organization works: What are the responsibilities of board, staff and volunteers? 2. And if membership organization, define criteria for membership. Are there dues? 3. Who will be involved in carrying out the plans outlined in this request? Include a brief paragraph summarizing the qualifications of key individuals involved. 4. Provide a list of your board of directors with related demographic information. 5. How is the board selected, who selects them and how often? 6. Include an organizational chart showing decision-making structure. C. Finances 1. Most recent, completed full year organizational financial statement (expenses, revenue and balance sheet), audited, if available. 2. Organization s current annual operating budget (See attached budget format). 24