Grantsmanship

Updated: August 16, 2004

Grantsmanship
Contract Development
and Resource Development

Helping Extension professionals strengthen their skills in project development, proposal writing, and project management.

Summary Checklist for Pursuing Soft Money

Are You Ready?
Proposals for projects and projects themselves can become bogged down in last minute questions that do not have immediate answers. Resolving these questions can cause delays that weaken a proposal or prevent a proposal from being completed and submitted. This checklist focuses on groundwork that should be done ahead of time.
Part A: Look at the Big Picture first
A simple one-page summary

Develop one-page summaries of your proposed project. ideas so you can be ready when funding opportunities appear. Discuss proposal ideas with others and seek input from those who will be directly involved or affected, and from those who can provide moral and community support.

Project title

People involved and their responsibilities:

Project organizer:

Primary writer(s):
Fiscal officer:

Other people involved:

Describe the overall project idea in 25 words or less.

How does this project fit with your organization's priorities and your program goals?

Who will benefit from this project and how will they benefit?

How will these benefits will be measured?

Submission deadline (if there is one):

Funding source (if there is one):

Part B: Rate various aspects of the proposal process and writing environment

As you develop a project idea, discuss the proposal with those who will be directly involved and those who can provide moral and community support. Then, mark the following items according to your best assessment of your present situation.

1. The top-of-community mind: What is the level of community need & importance that this project will address?
1 - unknown	2 - low	3 - some	4 - high
2. Circle where you have found the indicators you are using to show community need, interest, priority, support.
News stories	Town meetings	Agency experience	Community assessments
3. What is the Extension organization's experience with the proposed project content?
1 - none	2 - limited	3 - some	4 - much
4. What is this office's or professional's history with the project's content?
1 - none	2 - limited	3 - some	4 - much
5. Is the program currently available in the community?
1 - no	2 - very limited	3 - several options	4 - many options
6. Are you aware of others in the community who may be interested in applying for funds for the same type of project?
1 - no	2 - somewhat	3 - thoroughly
7. What do you know about projects similar to yours that other agencies are developing?
1 - nothing	2-a little	3 - much	4 - everything
8. How does your proposed project differ from other current or proposed projects?
1 - no difference	2 - slightly different	3 - very different	4 - unique
9. Briefly describe five ways your project is unique and/or differs from the others. A. B. C. D. E.
10. What is your commitment to the project?
1 - very little	2 - nice idea; would like to see it happen	3 - will contribute some personal & organizational resources to it	4 - will give it as many resources as it needs to have to be successful
11. What commitment do your co-workers have to the project?
1 - very little	2 - nice idea; would like to see it happen	3 - will contribute some personal and organizational resources to it	4 - will give it as many resources as it needs to have to be successful
12. What is your supervisor's commitment to the project?
1 - very little	2 - nice idea; would like to see it happen	3 - will contribute some personal organizational resources to it	4 - will give it as many resources as it needs to have to be successful
13. Do you have time available to prepare the full proposal?
1 - no	2 - only with great effort	3 - adequate	4 - ample
14. How compatible are Extension's mission and values with those of the organization that is providing the funding?
1 - nothing in common	2 -l little in common	3 - similar mission; many shared values	4 - an exact match
15. How compatible is the proposed project with Extension's current priorities?
1 - nothing in common	2 - little in common	3 - similar mission; many shared values	4 - an exact match
16. What do you know about the Request For Proposals (RFP) or Notification of Funding Availability (NOFA)?
1 - have not seen the entire document	2 - glanced through the document	3 - glanced through document; read key sections	4 - thoroughly read, highlighted key parts and marked pages
17. Are you working with OSURF (OSU Research Foundation)?
1 - no	2 - will do it	3 - contacted them	4 - working closely with them
18. Have you established needed community partnerships?
1 - no	2 - working on it	3 - almost done	4 - yes
19. Have you established working relationships with key state specialists and community leaders?
1 - no	2 - working on it	3 - almost done	4 - yes
20. Do you have needed managerial personnel available?
1 - new personnel needed; need outside expertise	2 - new personnel needed; can train internally	3 - currently available; need to be trained	4 - currently available and adequately trained
21. Do you have needed supervisory personnel available?
1 - new personnel needed; need outside expertise	2 - new personnel needed; can train internally	3 - currently available; need to be trained	4 - currently available and adequately trained
22. Do you have the personnel needed to implement the project available?
1 - new personnel needed; need outside expertise	2 - new personnel needed; can train internally	3 - currently available; need to be trained	4 - currently available and adequately trained
23. Do you have needed support staff available?
1 - new personnel needed; need outside expertise	2 - new personnel needed; can train internally	3 - currently available; need to be trained	4 - currently available and adequately trained
24. Do you have the needed physical facilities (work space, storage space, furniture, and equipment available?
1 - not available; must buy	2 - not available; can secure without cost	3 - some currently available without cost	4 - currently available for use

25. Write a one page summary of project that describes your plans with enough detail to hold the funder's attention. Use a separate page. Ask someone familiar with proposals to read your summary. Then, ask the reader to respond to the last 4 questions in Part A of this checklist. Mark the response below that best describes their responses.

1-did not answer any of the questions.

2 - partially answered some of the questions.

3 - answered most of the questions completely

4 - gave complete answers to all questions

To get the total score for your project, add the numbers you have marked for each of the above items. To give you some idea about what to do next, refer to What the Scores Mean below.

________________
Total Score

What the Scores Mean:
Low score (23-40): Stop! This proposal has many problems. Seriously rethink the whole project, partners, and purpose; reconsider whether this project is worth the effort.

Low middle range score (41-57): Stop working toward the approaching deadline! Reorganize efforts, refine weak parts of proposal; Develop a new time line with the next funding cycle deadline as the target.

High Middle Score (58-75): Pause - before continuing, double check resources, clarity of the project, time line, and commitment of partners, .

High Score (76-91): There seems to be a good plan in place. Proceed! Continue to stay focused, confirm commitments and stay with the timeline.

If you are pausing or stopping, what arrangements must be made before proceeding?

Developed by Jacqueline E. LaMuth, Ohio State University Extension. 3/94. revised 10/99. Based on workshops and presentations made at the 1995 big cities conference, St. Louis, MO & at the Tennessee Urban Conference, Cookville, TN, 1994. References. The Quick Proposal Workbook. (1980). Public Management Institute. San Francisco. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Drug Information and Strategy Clearinghouse. (1994). Washington, D. C.; The Proposal Clinic. (Summer 1994). The Grantsmanship Center Magazine. Los Angeles; Proposal Development Guide (1995); and The Ohio State University Research Foundation on-line materials. (1999). Columbus, OH .

Contact me to help you get started.

Jacqueline E. LaMuth
Leader, Resource Development and Management
Agricultural Administration Building, Room 4
2120 Fyffe Road
Columbus, OH 43210
ph: 614-292-6470 fax: 614-688-0529
E-mail me at:lamuth.1@osu.edu

All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.

Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868