CCG’s Initial Approach to Grant Writing
A Collaborative Approach to Grant Writing
All CCG grant writing involves a collaborative process where CCG’s writing team meets frequently with a newly organized client team, either in person or on-line to develop empathic and reflective working relationships to prepare a grant proposal
An Emphasis on Client Needs
Initial meetings place a focus on how a client’s unique program needs can be addressed through grant funding
Identifying Promising Grant Applications
Based on a clarification of needs, a list of promising grant opportunities is created by CCG, including the size of grant awards and deadlines
The Development of an Initial Grant Response
From this list of potential grants proposals, CCG reviews with the client team all grant requirements to determine which grants are candidates for detailed data collection and an initial draft preparation process
The CCG Collaborative Step by Step
Grant Development Process
Step One
Addressing Registration Requirements
The CCG team in consultation with the client addresses any registration processes required for a grant application, e.g. the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) or the System for Award Management (SAM)
Exploring Grant Distinctiveness
Together the CCG and client teams explore what is distinctive about a grant proposal to set it apart from other applicants, thereby increasing the probability of receiving an award
Scheduling Regular Meetings
A client team and CCG team decide upon a regular meeting schedule while a detailed grant proposal is being crafted
Developing a Needs Statement
The CCG writing team and the client team develop a verifiable needs statement based on quantitative and qualitative data, both locally and from governmental agencies, e.g. the Census, government and client documents, interviews, focus groups, and records of performance
Identifying Quality Objectives
The CCG and client teams consider what the focus of the grant should be by identifying quality objectives that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) and what the impact of the will be
Creating a Grant Narrative Outline
The CCG team creates an initial outline for all grant sections addressing grant review criteria in a systematic manner and assessing how many pages, words, or characters should be devoted to each section of the grant proposal
Effectively Formatting a Grant Proposal
The grant proposal is formatted by the CCG team to make the grant proposal easy to read, e.g. bold headings and bullets
CCG Compensation
CCG and the leader of the client organization determine how CCG will be compensated for its grant writing support, through a retainer and/or a contingency payment plan once a grant is awarded to a client
Step Two
Brainstorming the Development of Detailed Grant Sections
Through brainstorming the writing teams create a detailed statement of activities describing what will occur, when, where, how, and by whom as well as major sections meeting the grant requirements, e.g. Needs, Objectives. Activities, Management, Adequacy of Resources, Personnel, Competitive Preference Priorities, the Evaluation of Project Objectives
Editing Initial Grant Drafts
The CCG and client grant writing teams share, edit, and fine-tune initial drafts to strengthen the case each section makes, with many concrete, visualizable, numerable examples of what is being proposed
Formulating an Adequate Budget
In conjunction with a client, CCG ensures that an adequate budget is provided for all program activities aligned with grant activities
Addressing In-Kind Grant Requirements
In concert with a client, CCG addresses how to meet in-kind funding requirements and its impact on the overall budget
Step Three
Proof-Reading the Final Draft
The CCG grant writing team proof-reads the final draft and reviews the proposal to ensure that all grant requirements are met
Drafting a Table of Contents and Executive Summary
CCG drafts a table of contents and an executive summary if required
Delivering the Final Grant Proposal Draft
A final draft is delivered for the client to conduct a final review preferably a week before the submission date
Collaborating on the Grant Proposal Submission
CCG will collaborate with the lead client representative to ensure that the grant proposal is submitted before the deadline and according to submission requirements
Planning for Post-Award Assistance
A client and CCG plan how CCG might provide on-going assistance and support post award, and determining compensation for that support
