Module #5: Funding Your 1-to-1 Program

OK, you have your 1-to-1 program planning underway. You have identified how you want to improve learning through digitized curriculum. You have learned how to TPACK your subjects.

Now it is time to finance your program. You know something about budgeting, but knowing how to organize your finances may not be enough. You may need to find the funding to make your plans come to life. This means that you will need to "pound the pavement" to find funders. This will involve grant writing.

Grant writing is not a mystery.  You have a need and you have developed a solution.  The only thing that you need is funding and time to bring the solution to reality.   This is a process that you need to follow.

The Process:
Dr. Gary Carnow is a successful grant writer (and Technology Director for the Pasadena Unified School District in California). He identifies a 12-Step Approach to Grantseeking:

1. Identify needs in terms of students, staff and program.
2. Develop a proposal (a solution concept or program or set of activities to meet the identified needs).
3. Identify and/or search for a funding source
4. Determine the likelihood of funding.
5. Develop a preliminary "swiss cheese" proposal (a written proposal with lots of holes)
6. Get the supervisor's "go" or "no go".
7. Involve in-house participants
8. Write a proposal
9. Review and modify the proposal
10. Obtain all the required signatures
11. Submit the proposal
12. Wait for Funding decision. If yes --> Get to work.   If no --> Ask for feedback and start again.

Let's Get a Grant
Before we begin the process of Grant Writing, it is useful to review grants that have been successful. Review 4 or 5 of the grant proposals below. Try to find one that aligns with the type of proposal you will most likely want to create. Review them with your group.  Identify what you think are the reasons that these were successful.

Examples of Successful Education-Oriented Grant Proposals
Here is a list of some successful grant proposals. It is always useful to observe success and then use it for inspiration.  Refer to our Diigo page as well.  As you explore the world for successful proposals, be sure to Diigo Bookmark them with "unitc grants proposal example"  You may want to include grade level or topic as well, but these need to be the minimum.

• 21st Century Community Learning Center - Kingsport, TN
• Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) - Hammon, OK
• Improving Literacy Through School Libraries - Chandler, AZ
• More Sample Proposals from schoolgrants.org
• Scholastic Sample Grant

Learning about Grant Writing
We will progress through the Scholastic.com Grant Seminar.  It has 6 lessons. Follow this progress and use the additional resources as they are included.  Go to the Scholastic site and complete each of these steps.  Each grant writing group will be expected to complete the "Homework Assignment" at the end of each of these lessons.

• Getting Started - Developing an Idea.
• Developing the Need Statement - What is it that you are trying to address?
• Developing Project Activities - What do you plan to do to address these needs?
• The Grant Budget - How much will everything cost?
• Evaluating Your Proposal - You will need to be able to evaluate and assess the success of your project.  Explain how you will accomplish this.
• Putting It All Together - Turn it into a final proposal to be submitted.

Assignment:  Your whole assignment is explained on the Grant Writing Assignment page.

Your group will be expected to

1. Complete and submit all of the homework assignments in the Scholastic Grant Seminar.
2. Identify funding sources for you to use.
3. Select a target source and review its Request For Proposal (RFP).
4. Write a final proposal specifically designed to fit the selected RFP. 

 Go Out There and Find Some Funding!!!!