Help me learn how to write a grant!

August 19, 2016 9:37 AM

I'm an underemployed librarian up for a job I'm really interested in. I'm very qualified and had a great phone interview... catch is, it includes grant writing and I've never done this. Tell me how to learn to write grants! Do I take a course or is it doable to teach myself?

I was a SAHM for almost 8 years and am currently working as a circulation clerk. New job would be several steps up in terms of fit, quality of work, and pay, so I'm hoping to learn this quickly!

posted by percor to Work & Money (15 answers total)

You could teach yourself from a book. The main thing I learned from a grant writing class is "follow the instructions of the grant to the letter." There are how-to guides for writing grants specifically in a library context that you could follow.

Caveat lector: I have not yet written a successful grant. I have also had few opportunities to try.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:59 AM on August 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have written two successful grant proposals in the last few years. I didn't use a book, but that--or a class--is a good idea. In my experience, most grants have pretty clear directions about what they want. As blnkfrnk said, follow them carefully. Don't try to be clever. Use the wording of the original as much as you can. For example, if it says the grant is for "innovative approaches to displaying books," use the word "innovative" in your application and say why it is innovative. I've also been on committees to give grants and making the fit obvious to the reader is extremely helpful.
posted by pangolin party at 10:19 AM on August 19, 2016 [4 favorites]

Try writing a few grants - they are generally publicly available. Follow the instructions to the letter, but also refer back to the strategic plan/mission of the granting agency to make sure you are hitting the buzzwords. You can also ask to see successful grant applications to get a feel for how they look. I have written several grants - they are not difficult to do if you understand that is bureaucracy (no innovation - creativity in your application is bad, use the applications words and not synonyms even though it is dull, dull, dull) and you are basically trying to get hit all the "qualifications" the grantor is looking for. It is pretty detailed-oriented, involves a lot of proof-reading and referencing various documents and time consuming. The importance of metrics and measuring impact is huge - that is a skill to emphasize (because metrics proving your success make it more likely you will get the next grant). Talking about data analytics is impressive - again, tying into the evaluation of the grants success.

A grant-writing course would look good on your resume of course, but I don't know any librarians that have actually taken a course - we all just dove in because it needed to be done. But Certification inflation is a reality and would help fill an older resume.
posted by saucysault at 10:28 AM on August 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm a librarian and I've written a handful of successful grants. In terms of demonstrating to the hiring committee that you would be able to perform this part of the job, you could sign up for a Library Juice Grant Proposal Development Course that runs in September. It's rather expensive to pay out of pocket, but it looks like it covers the same material my grantwriting class in library school covered (and is much less expensive than that was!). It is absolutely doable to teach yourself, but there's a bit of a learning curve in navigating the bureaucracy and it's nice to have some experience with the steps before you're actually writing a for-real grant that 'means' something. I'd also highly recommend Herbert Landau's Winning Library Grants: A Game Plan for a good overview of the grantwriting process.
posted by stellaluna at 10:30 AM on August 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

Coming from a very different field - the physical sciences in the US - my experience is that the very best way to learn to write grant proposals is to volunteer for review committees. (Not sure if this even exists as an option in your field, and it may be impossible without appropriate certification and contacts.) The second best way to learn grant proposals is to read as many successful and unsuccessful proposals as you can find, ideally along with the reviewers' comments. I'd pester everyone you know who's doing similar work to share their past proposals with you. Most who aren't direct competitors will be happy to do so. If you don't know anybody in the field, now's the time to start going to conferences and local events in order to meet them.

Getting the formal requirements right is something that's trivial, if often overlooked. "Don't ignore the instructions" will get you into the top 60%. Getting the tone right and correctly estimating both the technical background and the interests of the average reviewer are much more subtle. Building a model for the person who is likely to read your proposal and writing for them, rather than for yourself and your colleagues, is a skill that can be honed.

Also, I may well be biased by the obvious incompetence of the small number of professionals I've met in the business, but taking a class on grant-proposal-writing seems a lot like taking a class on writing fiction. A few of them may be legitimately valuable, but it's worth asking why someone who's really good at getting grants would decide to make their living offering classes to other people instead of making their living by getting grants. (Classes and workshops run by professional organizations and taught by people actually working in the field are an entirely different beast, and can be fantastic.)
posted by eotvos at 10:38 AM on August 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: There's a class run by the American Grant Writers' Association, http://www.agwa.us/onlinegrantwriting- would this be worthwhile?
posted by percor at 10:48 AM on August 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

You can also look at past state library grant applications and awards.
Here is the site for California

Maybe check your state and use that as a template...
posted by calgirl at 10:54 AM on August 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

I took a college-level grant writing course, and it was great to have feedback and evaluation from the instructor, but I don't feel I actually learned anything from her per se.
First, she had me read the book Finding Funding, by Charles Achilles. Then I wrote a lot of practice grants from places like grantsreform.ny.gov, as well as grants I could actually use if I got them, from the State Community Arts Partnership. I actually got 3 of the arts grants for the Performing Arts organization I was on the board of!

NB I did have some indirect experience with grants beforehand; I had always helped my slightly disorganized boss prepare materials for any grants for which she was the principal investigator (PI), and I did a lot of work designing, sending out, and processing application packet materials for the mini-grants we gave to classroom teachers. But I'm willing to bet you're not starting completely from Square zero, either.

So, I guess what I'm saying is the formal class could definitely be an asset, especially as something to put on your resume. And especially if your employer will pay for it and you have the time to do it without running yourself into the ground. But it's also something you would need to absolutely HAVE to have. In your shoes, I might start out by reading through a book or two on the subject.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:39 AM on August 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I help researchers in a different field to write grants. The areas that I stress with each application are, in order:
1. why is this project crucial
2. what will you do
3. how will you do it
4. why is it important that this work is done in this organization (ie does the organization have the necessary infrastructure and supports)
5. now that you've shown that the work should be done, why should you do it?

In my experience, the best grants are drafted early and revised often, with the input of different stakeholders/experts.
posted by monkeymonkey at 11:45 AM on August 19, 2016 [4 favorites]

Grant writing? Is that all? The most important thing is the budget and certification requirements. Forget all these people who tell you to focus on prosody, it's budgets and certifications - not necessarily experience - that wins. If you don't have grant writing that's actually okay. The real key is being able to ensure your organisation is ready to do the grant and cover contingency expenses. You have lots of opportunities right now to practice grant writing. First, find a local foundation with a grant and make a list of all the documentation they need. Try writing some answers to the long form questions about a grant they might offer. Must places sadly do not provide completed grants to look at. But the documentation - certifiers - such as all the required insurance, years of operation, health and safety record, references, they count more than prosody.
posted by parmanparman at 12:00 PM on August 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have written a few dozen grants (most successful), worked for grant-making organizations, and taught grant writing. The overwhelming majority of my experience involves community/social services and economic development agencies/issues. These quick points are based on that background—I don't know how much will apply to library-related funding requests.

Document the need for the funds/program. E.g., if you're requesting funds for an after school program, address why your program is better than whatever kids are currently doing after school.

Include measurable, meaningful goals. E.g., having 100 kids attend your after school program is NOT, in and of itself, a meaningful goal. A decrease in truancy or increase in referrals for needed services for attendees are both measurable and meaningful.

Provide evidence that your organization can deliver.

And, as already mentioned, follow the instructions.
posted by she's not there at 12:03 PM on August 19, 2016 [5 favorites]

I'm a librarian who had to answer the question about grant writing experience negatively in my first out-of-MLIS-program interview and I still got the job. I answered it by saying that I hadn't helped write a grant but that I knew the organization had received x,y, and z grants and that it was clear that I would be among great grant writers and really looked forward to learning. I also emphasized my experience with project planning and finances.

When I started writing grants myself, I used "The Only Grant-Writing Book You’ll Ever Need", by Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox.

Good luck!
posted by zem at 12:16 PM on August 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

Grant maker here.
A few tips:
1) research the grant making organisation as much as possible so that you understand their objectives in providing funding.
2) make sure your program or project aligns with the grant program as closely as possible. Funding is allocated to projects that meet the grant makers' priority or focus area.
3) don't change your project to suit a grant program. Assessors can tell when you've tried to make it fit. It's better to find a different grant that is a better fit
4) make direct contact with the grant making organisation. The organisation will have staff whose job it is to assist you, explain the requirements and give you the best chance of success. Call or email that person and ask them as many questions as you can think of. Some agencies will review your draft and provide feedback.
5) check for spelling, grammar and calculation errors. Get a colleague to proof your grant application and explain your project back to you. If they can't understand the idea of your project you need to revise your proposal.
6) provide support materials where allowed. Things like photos, video, websites, testimonials are very valuable to your proposal
7) plan back from the due date of the grant program so that you have enough time to prepare and collate your application. Late applications are generally not accepted.

Good luck with your new job!
posted by sconbie at 8:43 PM on August 19, 2016

I took a grant writing class with Grant Writing USA because our State Library paid for it. It was fine, but I had written dozens of grants as a librarian & for non-profits long before taking a class. If you can do other types of technical writing, you can write grants.

What kind of library is this? If its public (or academic, depending on your state's plan), chances are some of your grants will be LSTA grants which have lots of hoops to jump through, but are pretty straightforward if you follow all the instructions. When you write a grant, don't be afraid to ask the grantor's program officier if you are unclear on something-- that's why they are there. In your proposal, be clear, concise, jargon-free, & honest in the narratve. (I also read & rate proposals; it is very easy to tell if the writer is using language to obscure lack of knowledge.) Be realistic about what can be accomplished in the timeframe with the grant & the library's resources. Never submit a grant without having it read & critiqued by more than one knowledgeable person.

There are a lot of tips for grantwriting here, but you need to prepare for an interview, not actually write a grant...

If you think you will be writing LSTA grants, ask your State Library for its LSTA 5-year plan, current grant guidelines & a completed project's application & reports, esp any received by this library. These may be on the SL web site. Reading those will give you an idea of expectations & how to frame your answers. You can mention that you've read these as a way to demonstrate your initiative & willingness to learn.

Minnesota foundations often use The Minnesota Common Grant Application--https://www.mcf.org/minnesota-common-grant-application-form. You can look at it to see types of info smaller foundations want. Your state may have something similar. Look at the sites of the big foundations in your state that fund library-type projects to learn their requirements.

You can do this. In the job interview, ask questions that show you understand the grantwriting process. Are you responsible for finding the grants/funding sources (way harder than the actual writing, IMO) as well as writing the grant? Who do they see as funders? Only LSTA or a broader range of funders? What dollar amounts are typical for their grants? What percentage of your time is spent on this? Are you expected to 'just fit this in' or is there time for this in your day (figure out a better way to ask this, but I've worked in/with enough libraries to know that the time required for this is vastly underestimated.) Is it a team effort? Who writes the progress & final reports, you or the library staff actually doing the project? Are the grants for supplemental programs or operating (very difficult, esp for a government agency)? What grants have they received recently (& for how much?)

Good luck. I am glad you are back in libraries!
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 10:17 PM on August 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

My mom writes grants and recommends Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Writing Grant Proposals By Susan Howlett. (There're three copies at what I assume is your library system as well as four books on getting library funding specifically, which would probably be worth reading up on, the subject term is "Library fund raising -- United States.") She thinks it's a great idea to take a class with American Grant Writers' Association (and join it, if you start grant-writing).
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:46 PM on August 20, 2016 [1 favorite]