Manchester College's Grant Writing Guidelines

General Procedures and Information

1. Plan Ahead. Proposal writing is an involved process. Although the rewards can be great, writing a proposal takes a large commitment in time and effort. It is essential to plan ahead, often a year before funds are required. Remember to build in time for reviews, re-writes and approvals. Foundations may have only one or two funding cycles per year. A decision can take several months.

2. Limitations: All proposals more than $500,000 originate in the President's Office. All other proposals must be routed through Jay Nussel, Executive Director of Development, in the Office of College Advancement (OCA).

3. Signatures. All grant proposals from Manchester College require the President's signature.

4. Grant Coordination. Before writing a proposal, provide the following information to Jay Nussel at 260.982.5211 in the Office of College Advancement:

A. Your name and phone number,

B. Foundation or group to which you are applying,

C. Project name and brief description,

D. Amount being requested,

E. Target date for submitting the application.

With faculty and staff becoming more active in grant-writing, Jay Nussel's office will coordinate and screen proposals. The primary intention of screening grant applications is to ensure that all proposals are well prepared and that multiple proposals are not sent to the same funding source.

5. OCA Assistance. OCA is available to advise you on how to research funding sources, work with foundations, and negotiate the grant-writing process. They can help you obtain background information and provide pointers on writing an effective proposal. OCA also has copies of supporting documentation that proposals often require, such as the letter designating Manchester College as a 501 (c)(3) not for profit organization (sometimes called the tax letter), lists of current board members with addresses and short biographies (if required), mission statement, financial statements, etc.

OCA also has a number of Foundation Directories and other grant-finding books that may be checked out.

6. Proposal Writing Resource. Each academic department and administrative office has received a guide to writing proposals, Getting the Most Out of Your Project and Proposal: A Guide from Beginning to End. Additional materials on writing effective grant proposals are available in OCA.

7. Research. One key to success in writing proposals is to do your research well. Printed directories about funding agencies are available in OCA, as well as suggestions for on-line resources. Many foundations have websites that provide current guidelines. You can find more information about on-line resources in the grant book given to your department. Other determinants affect grant success.

A. Foundations may limit their giving geographically. It is futile to apply to ones that do not include our geographic area.

B. Consider local foundations such as the Honeywell Foundation and the Community Foundation of Wabash County. The geographic areas they fund are to our advantage. Don't overuse local agencies, however. Never indicate that we expect their funding automatically or for our regular, on-going expenses.

C. Foundations may limit their giving to particular types of projects (seed money for new programs, capital campaigns, research) and specify projects they do not fund (religious organizations, annual campaigns, private individuals, etc.). Consider whether any of these limitations apply to your proposal.

D. Foundations limit their giving to particular causes, which may change over time. Some foundations were set up to fund very specific causes. For others, past funding for a particular type of project is an indicator of interest, but does not guarantee current interest.

E. Proposals must match the foundation's goals. The foundation typically has a certain problem that they wish to help solve; the proposal you write must show them that you are helping solve that problem. It is often possible and helpful to paraphrase their own guidelines and wording when describing your project.

F. It is essential to follow the guidelines and rules that the foundations set. You must provide them with the information they want, in the format they request. Some foundations may require advance visits. Some (e.g., the Lilly Endowment) only accept proposals from organizations they invite to apply.

G. Many foundations are happy to talk to you on the telephone before you submit an application to give you general information about whether your project is something they might be interested in funding. Others perform this screening process by having applicants submit an initial letter of inquiry. Foundations are usually happy to indicate whether you fit under their guidelines; it saves both you and them time and effort.

H. Foundations are required by law to disburse a minimum percentage of their capital every year. Foundations need to spend their money, and you are helping them do so in a way that solves a problem or addresses a concern that they have.

Information is available on the amount of annual funding that the foundation has provided in the past, as well as the average size of the grants they provide. This information is a guide to what they might be expected to fund in the future and what might be an appropriate amount to request. While some foundations are affected by rising and falling stock prices, others are not. As long as the amount you ask for falls within the foundation's general giving pattern, ask big. Don't assume that asking for a small amount increases the likelihood of funding - ask big! The rationale for the request is more important than the amount.

8. Allen County Public Library. The Allen County Public Library has established an excellent grant research center, including on-line foundation directories that are up-to-date and easier to manipulate than printed directories. We recommend this resource as the starting place for proposal research. The librarians are very helpful, and the library lets you print free copies of source information.

9. Glossary of Proposal Writing Terms. A glossary has been included with the guide to writing proposals that has been given to each academic department and administrative office.

Steps in Completing a Grant Proposal

Step 1

Preliminary Information and Approval. Faculty must get their department chair's approval before beginning a grant proposal. Staff must obtain their supervisor's approval. A sign-off sheet is attached that can be used throughout the grant process. You should be prepared to answer the following questions, which appear on the sheet:

A. What are the purpose and goals of the grant?

B. How does the grant support Manchester College's mission statement and current strategic plan?

C. What stakeholders are involved? Have they been involved in planning?

D. How will the grant improve/expand services?

E. What are the specific activities associated with the grant?

F. What outcomes are anticipated?

G. How will the outcomes be evaluated?

H. What population of students will benefit from the grant? How many?

I. What other groups will benefit from the grant (groups in the community, etc.)? How many people will benefit?

J. Are any matching funds required from Manchester College? If yes, list how much and any other restrictions.

K. Does the grant require collaboration with other institutions? If yes, explain.

L. What demands on the College resources (e.g. clerical, copying, printing, postage, office space, utilities, special accounting procedures) will the proposal require?

M. What other resources besides College resources (space, personnel, etc.) will be required to fulfill the grant?

Step 2

After the preliminary proposal has been approved by the department chair or supervisor, the grant writer must meet with his/her Vice President. The same sign-off form will be used as a basis for discussion when seeking the Vice President's signature of approval.

Step 3

The person writing the grant proposal meets with Jay Nussel in OCA to:

A. Outline ideas for the proposal.

B. Discuss research and resources.

C. Develop a timeline for completing the proposal.

D. Discuss who is responsible for completing each part of the grant.

E. Develop a budget for the proposal.

F. Refine evaluation methods. They are frequently an area of weakness in grant proposals.

Keep in touch with OCA during the grant writing process:

• for help with questions you have
• to take advantage of OCA reading and review
• to receive general support and encouragement

Step 4

Identify and research organizations/individuals to whom the proposal will be submitted.

Step 5

Draft the grant proposal.

Step 6

Develop the Budget. Tip: Use an excel spreadsheet (in the required format) so your budget can be revised and updated easily for your final report to the granting organization.

Step 7

Get feedback from 2-3 people on the draft proposal and budget.

Step 8

Obtain letters of support.

Step 9

Collect supporting materials.

Step 10

Obtain any required supporting documents.

Step 11

Meet with Jay Nussel to review and ensure all materials are in proper order before submitting the proposal for approval.

Step 12

Submit the proposal for approval to appropriate Vice President. Expect a thorough reading, and possible request for re-writing. Allow at least a week. It's a good idea to check the VP’s calendar to make sure s/he will be on campus at the time the approval is needed. If the Business Office needs to sign off, add additional time.

Step 13

Write/obtain cover letter with President's signature (if needed).

Step 14

Submit proposal for approval to the President. Again, allow at least one week for approval and check to be sure the President will be on campus.

Step 15

Prepare copies as required by the funding organization.

Step 16

Mail or deliver the proposal at least five days before the deadline. You may want to obtain documentation of delivery from the post office, FedEx, etc.

Step 17

The proposal process is not over when the proposal is delivered. Expect to follow up with a funding source. Check their guidelines for preferences on how (or if) they would like to be approached.

Step 18

Tell your Vice President, Chair, and OCA when you learn the results. Good Luck!

Good grant application forms and the grant writing process itself can help you refine your project. Whether your grant proposal is funded or not, you will have clarified your needs, sharpened your goals, and improved your chances for accomplishing the good work that you propose. Expect that rejections will occur; with feedback, they will make your next proposal stronger.