Grant Writing Triage

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Creating a Grant Triage Flowchart

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  node [fontname="Helvetica", fontsize="11"]
  edge [fontname="Helvetica"]

  start         [label="START HERE", shape="box"]

  whatkind      [label="What kind of\n grant is this?"]

  individual    [label="Individual grants that\n could be available\n to our volunteers", shape="box", style="bold"]
  oneanddone    [label="\"One and Done\"\n Project Grants", shape="box", style="bold"]
  behemoths     [label="\"Big other\"\n Behemoths,", shape="box", style="bold"]

  start -> whatkind
  whatkind -> individual 
  whatkind -> oneanddone 
  whatkind -> behemoths

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Introduction

TOO MUCH LOVE

Sometimes there is too much love. Everyone loves us, and they send us lots of leads for financial and other grants, gifts, loans and new program opportunities. What do we do with all of these well intended gifts? Well, it depends...

GREAT OPPORTUNITY SORTING DEVICE

We need a great-opportunity-sorting-device. It will sort opportunities so we know which ones to pursue, and under what circumstances. In the text below, we have begun a flow chart in two different ways. The first is a list of questions sorted into categories, the second is a list of potential flow chart steps. Our goal is to combine the two.

First Questions for a Future Triage Flow Chart

IS IT FOR SOMETHING EXISTING?

Q: Does it fund a program similar to one we already have going?
Q: does it fund an ongoing project?
Q: Does it fund what we already do?
Q: Does it fund something we already have funded in another way?
Q: IS IT FOR SOMETHING NOW BEING DEVELOPED?
Q: DOES IT FUND SOMETHING WE ARE NOW STARTING, BUT NEW?


IS IT FOR SOMETHING NEW?

Q: Does it fund something close to what we do?
Q: Does it fund a new program?
Q: does it require new program development?
Q: does it fund something in exchange for us doing something for them?
Q: does it require us to describe ourselves differently?


IS IT FOR STUFF?

Q: does it fund through in-kind donations (like computers or other equipment)?
Q: does it fund capital improvements (like buildings, expensive durable equipment and other related infrastructure)?
Q: does it fund hardware grants?


IS IT FOR PEOPLE?

Q: does it fund people (labor costs, benefits, or professional development training for staff)?
Q: does it fund social services like education, and job training?


OTHER QUESTIONS

Q: does it fund a one-time-only thing?
Q: does it fund anything at all (instead providing another kind of support?)
Q: does it fund something we already have in our strategic plan? (no matter if it is already being done or not now)


WHAT ARE THE TIME RESTRAINTS?

Q: does it require immediate action?
Q: does it fund this year only?
Q: does it fund on a regular cycle, like annually or quarterly?
Q: Does it fund on a renewable basis?
Q: does it fund more than one quarter?
Q: does it fund a year?
Q: does it fund more than a year?


WHAT SIZE IT IT?


IS IT INVOLVING CALLOBORATION?

Q: are other organizations involved?
Q: are other organizations required?
Q: does it fund administrative-coordination support?


IS IT VERY DIFFICULT DIFFICULTY, TRACKING, REPORTING

Q: does it require only a brief letter requesting support?
Q: Does it require specific meeting attendance for us to qualify?
Q: does it require extensive reporting?
Q: does it require a full time position, merely to stay on top of it?
Q: does it require extensive record keeping, merely to write the grant

proposal?

NOTES: We may want to prioritize classes (teaching etc.) because so many grants are education related, and because it is an existing program.


Meta Triage

(could be folded into basic triage)

What category of our operations does this grant address?
Education
Environmental
Empowerment
of individuals
of organizations
Other?

Basic Triage Flow Chart

Yes/No style questions that could be answered by someone with limited knowledge of FG operations, to be fleshed out into a real-live flowchart:

How Long to Apply?
1-3 mos?
3-6 mos?
6-12 mos.
12+ mos.
What is funded?
People
individuals
staff
Stuff
Both
How long does funding last?
One time
Year/Fixed Time
Renewable
Size
Small (<$X)
Mid (between $X and $Y)
Large (>$Y)

Harder Questions Triage

Questions that require an understanding of FG's operations

Talked about having this be a more "greyscale" triage, instead of binary. But as we left on the whiteboard, it looked like this:

Tracking/Reporting
Existing Data/Process
Trivial additional Data/Process
Substantial new Data/Process
Collaboration
Yes
No
What type of program does it fund?
Existing operations
New Programs
1-time new project
Ongoing new project/program (will last beyond the funding)
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