Cheyanne Capelo, Grant and Fund Developer for the large virtual charter school network, Learn4Life, shares her expertise and best practices to set your school up for success before, during, and after the grantmaking and grant funding process.
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With the need for equitable access to resources for online education (technology, professional development, Internet connectivity, etc.), funding is key for virtual charter schools. It’s a challenge for every leader to get the money they need to run the programs they believe in. By following these steps, you’ll not only learn what makes a successful grant application, but you’ll also have the tools and a great list of funders you can turn to fund a Classcraft purchase, along with a template for a letter of support.
To have a better understanding of best practices in grant funding, it’s good to also understand the misconceptions they arise from.
Debunking 10 Common Grant Funding Misconceptions
1. Grants are the solution to all funding problems: Many grants are designed to leverage other funding sources. Grants often provide only a portion of the funds needed for a given project and can sometimes even require matching funds. Granting organizations typically want assurance that their funded projects have the potential to become self-sufficient so they will be sustainable when the grant period is over.
2. Opportunities are only available to organizations that “know the right people”: You don’t need to know anyone to start applying for grants, but it’s never a bad idea to build relationships as you move through the application process. That said, many funders have a policy of only considering unsolicited requests, and some funders even have a written policy against applicants using personal connections to influence the funder’s decision.
3. Funding is scarce: There are many opportunities and there are many applicants at the same time. This is why it’s important to be specific and determine what exactly you want to achieve with your grant funding and provide a clear roadmap in your application to stand out. Investing intensive time in grant writing is more important than ever to have a higher chance of winning grants.
Things to think about for funding
When applying for grants, clarity and specificity are critical in your application. Before you start filling out applications, ask yourself the following questions to help you better succeed in the grant writing process.
- What need does your grant seek to address? How does your school or students benefit?
- What’s the budget estimate? How much will you need to cover all costs associated with the idea (i.e. time, transportation, etc.)?
- Which partners can you add to the grant?
We’ve created a Classcraft Letter of Support template you can download and use today. All you need to do is fill out the small details; everything is prewritten and you can include it in your application. This helps provide context and compelling insight into why you’d like to receive funding to implement our platform to your potential grant funders.
4. Grants will cover 100% of the program costs: Similar to misconception number one, grants often fund specific elements and parts of the program, not the program as a whole. When managing a grant, take into account the other funding sources to ensure that you provide sustainability in your program and it’s not reliant on one funding source. It might even be suggested that the more specific your grant funding is, the better. You’ll have an easier time managing and tracking your grant spending, rather than justifying expenses for an entire program.
Type of uses of grant funds
Narrowing down on specific types of funding will help you in your search.
- Technology, IT, or software grants: Offered by companies to aid with equipment, increase skills for staff and students, etc. This type of grant would be where you could include the Letter of Support in your application.
- Building grants or capital campaign grants: Helping a single or one-time initiative. This includes improvements, building a space, purchasing a facility, etc.
- Capacity-building grants: Focused on strengthening an organization’s infrastructure, management, and governance (note: not for small organizations, new entities, or single programs).
- General operational grant: Covers employment grants, administrative grants, program grants, and equipment grants; typically used to address urgent issues or needs (note: this will be our typical application).
5. It’s free money to spend how you want: Grants, by definition, come with restrictions. Once you’ve been awarded a grant, you have the responsibility to manage a “promise to deliver” and use the funds in specific ways. This includes following reporting procedures and demonstrating program progress to your funders.
6. Most grant proposals are awarded: As mentioned above, many grant funding opportunities are highly competitive. For example, If you apply for federal grants, consider that your organization competes among 50 states, five major territories, 11 smaller Pacific islands, and 565 federally recognized tribes. In some federal-level grant processes, thousands of grant applications are submitted, and fewer than 25 are awarded.
7. There are no strings attached: Since most grants have a “promise to deliver,” including quarterly and yearly reporting, site visits, and audits, depending on each funder, the grant money comes with guidelines and restrictions. A helpful tip when managing a grant fund is to set up clear objectives, such as the SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) for objectives.
8. Once awarded, you get the money immediately: Depending on the funder, the funds can take weeks or months to be distributed. In addition, funding can be paid in arrears (note: county funding is reimbursed through invoices and often on a 120-day delay).
9. Grant management is a solo sport: If you’re assigned grant writing duties in your school, you might not even have a “grant” in your title. Any project you undertake will and should involve representatives from different departments, as well as outside collaborators and partners. This will help ensure that everyone’s on the same page and expectations are clear if and when awarded the funding. Make sure to include them as early as possible in the grant writing process.
10. It’s easy to get a grant: Completing and submitting the proposals takes a lot of time (federal grants can take 100 to 200 hours to complete and submit). In fact, applying for grants is not easy at all. From the planning process to writing grant applications, it takes a lot of time and effort. Even when submitting your grant applications, understanding all of the guidelines and requirements, takes a lot of time and attention to detail. After submitting your application, the rigorous process continues to ensure the granting organization has everything they need from you.
While there are a lot of moving parts in the grant writing and application process, it’s understandable that it can feel overwhelming. We’ve included a comprehensive 10-step approval process below to help break things down and ease your stress.
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10-Step Approval Process
Cheyanne Capelo, Grant and Fund Developer for Learn4Life, shares an inside look into the grant funding process within her grant writing organization.
Step 1: A grant opportunity is sent to an organizations’ grant writer via email.
Step 2: The School Development Team (SDT) in the organization researches the opportunity and once vetted, reaches out to school leadership to ensure that they approve moving forward with the grant opportunity.
Step 3: The SDT creates an abstract detailing the opportunity including the use of funds, matching requirements, reporting requirements, deadlines, etc. The abstract is emailed to the executive and legal teams to review and initially approve.
Step 4: Within three days from the abstract email, finance will approve moving forward with the grant via an email to the SDT and the appropriate controller(s) will be notified. The SDT will send a second follow-up email three days after the abstract email to inform the executive team that the grant will be written.
Step 5: Once final approval of the grant has occurred , the SDT will send out emails to request any required information and/or documents for the application and submission. (i.e., human resources to request job descriptions, staff lists, staff retention rates, and staff demographics; the finance department to request detailed budget information.
Step 6: Three days before the grant is submitted, finance and legal will approve the final budget and narrative verbiage.
Step 7: The grant is submitted!
Step 8: The SDT will email the executive team once awarded or rejected. If approved, an award letter will be sent to finance and the appropriate controllers.
Step 9: The SDT will work with school leadership, review contractual obligations, and aid in the contractual agreement processes. Once finalized, the SDT will send the final executed agreement to finance, and any appropriate departments. The SDT will be the point of contact for funder requirements to ensure effective and efficient grant management.
Step 10: The SDT will send the reporting requirements in an email to inform local school teams and the finance department. The SDT will create a tracking sheet and finance will create a second tracking sheet to comply with a dual tracking system and auditing. The SDT will schedule any mandatory training, meetings, and report due dates. The SDT will create any reports to submit to the funder.
Recommended Education Grants
Now let’s get going! Here’s a list of vetted organizations that provide educational grants to help fund your school’s programs.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – Global: Education Focus
Michael and Susan Dell Foundation – US, India, and South Africa: Education and Economic Mobility
Oak Foundation – Global: Learning Differences
ECMC Foundation – US: Education
Hewlett Foundation – Global: Education Focus
Rockefeller Foundation – US: EduGrantsGrantscation Focus Home
Federal Grants, Department of Education Grants – United States
School & District Leadership