Are you seeking grant funding for an education program?

There are many grant opportunities for schools and organizations to secure grant funding.  But that does not mean its easy.

There’s a common misconception that big-ticket grants are out there for the taking…fill out a form and get a check.  But that’s not how it works.

Its true that there are a lot of grant opportunities, but how you approach grant development will make a big difference in your success.

Most schools and programs want the benefits of getting grants, but not everyone is prepared for what it means to secure them.

Securing grant funding could catapult your program to the next level…if you approach it the right way.

Here are some basic grant-seeking principles based on my 20 years working with schools and organizations seeking grants to support education programs:

1. Few grants are for operational expenses.  Most funders are interested in funding programs that solve a problem.  A people problem. In my experience, there are few funding opportunities for the same ongoing operations or overhead expenses. So when you start thinking about getting grants, focus your energy on identifying what you’re going to DO with the grant, WHO you’re going to serve, and what will be BETTER because of your effort.  That doesn’t mean you can’t charge any operational costs to the grant; you just have to know how.

2. Grants are a lot of work.  And I don’t just mean the proposal process.  Most funders expect some level of reporting and accountability for the funds they award.  You’ll need to be prepared to share program, outcome, and fiscal information with your funder.  You need to be prepared to comply with all funder requirements, some of which may happen after your grant ends.  Also, pre-award costs and time usually cannot be charged to the grant, so you have to support those efforts with other funding or consider it sweat equity.

3. Grants are like sales.  And sales is about helping someone make an investment decision.  In a grant competition there are many applicants for just a few opportunities.  Its a grant competition.  Your proposal is competing against other proposals for an award.  That means you need to convey to the review team that YOUR proposal is the most sound, the most critical problem to be solved, and the most likely to show results.  You have to sell the reviewer(s) on the idea that your proposal is the best choice for funding.   

4. Grant selection is often very subjective.  You could have a stellar project and a fabulous application and still not get funded.  It all depends on who else is applying and the quality of their applications.

Still with me?

I know this sounds daunting.  But it would be wrong of me to tell you there’s a ton of easy money out there and all you have to do is hire me to get it. 

But grant development – and the resulting work – is not easy.  I want you to go into this process (or decide not to) being fully informed. 

But I can help you.

Do you feel intimidated by grant application directions? 

Are you unsure how to design a program that can compete for funding?

Have you applied for some grants and not had any success? 

Are you looking for someone to help you through this process so you’re not wasting your already limited time?

What would it feel like to…

Know which grant opportunities to pursue and which ones to pass up?

Know how to present your program idea in a compelling way that gets a funder’s attention?

Have more time for the things that you do best, that only you can do?  Spend less of YOUR own time on grant seeking and trying to figure out the nuances of this process, feeling unsure and overwhelmed?  

Feel like your proposals have strong chance of being funded and know what to do once you actually get a grant?

…without being stopped by lack of time, overwhelm, or not knowing what to do next?

If this sounds like you, I have good news.

It is possible to…

• secure grant funding without stress and overwhelm,
• identify well-matched funding opportunities,
• foster relationships with collaborators that elevate your grant potential,
  
• increase your capacity to effectively and efficiently seek out and secure grant funds,
• increase resources,
• save your own time and energy (and money) by getting help from a trusted advisor rather than relying on your own trial and error, and
• create positive, lasting change through your new, funded programs, while feeling more supported.

Wondering how?

I help many-hat-wearing educators – in and out of school settings – to create more impactful programs.

I do this through grant development, program evaluation, strategic planning and alignment, coaching and training, and other related strategies.

But you’re here on my grant page, so I’m guessing you want to know more about the grant writing part.

You chose a career in education because you wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people.  Not to spend all your time writing proposals. 

So, who am I to help you?

By now you may be wondering who I am.  Well, let me introduce myself.

My name is Leslie McConnell and I founded North of the Present to help educators create more impactful programs without stress.

For the past two decades, I have helped educators like you secure funding, improve programs, and achieve better results for students. I’m a professional writer by training and trade, growth coach, program evaluator, and data analyst (More about my background here) specializing in afterschool, out-of-school time, and grant-funded education programs.  I’ve helped schools, community organizations, businesses, and government agencies figure out where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there with support along the way. 

I’ve written more than $36 million in successful grants.  

I have evaluated more than $150 million worth of grant-funded programs, most of them in afterschool and out-of-school settings.

I know what goes into a compelling, fundable proposal. 

But for me, this is about more than just getting grant funding.

Its about rethinking how we approach the system of education through new opportunities and exploration. I’m interested in how grant-funded programs are braided with other programs and funding streams to create a system where all the parts come together to create an ecosystem within which student growth can happen.  And one where staff and leadership capacity is strengthened and supported, not exploited.

The more programs I work with the more I realize how the staff – in particular program directors and coordinators – are being called on to take on more work and more responsibility without considering the mental toll, and how that can (negatively) influence the program’s results.

How do I know that?  I, personally, am a recovering wearer of too many hats.

I know how it feels to be pulled in multiple directions and have competing priorities, tasks, and people for my limited attention.

And I know that my performance suffered.  As a professional and as a mom.  It wasn’t healthy or productive for my work or my kids.

It was that epiphany that opened my eyes to the hidden reason that so many programs were not achieving at their potential…they only focused on the program or task at hand with little – if any – attention to the people running it.

This realization made me rethink and adjust my approach to consider how the programs I served could create better results while also reducing the mental load on its leaders and staff.

I offer several opportunities to help educators secure and manage grant funding for their big ideas:

Grant writing and facilitation – I collaborate with your team to design and develop a compelling grant proposal to secure more funding for your organization.  This is a done-with-you service, ensuring that you are involved every step of the way.  I do not advocate fully done-for-you grant writing because everything in your grant will become a contractual obligation – YOUR contractual obligation.  You need to be fully aware of and involved in developing your approach because you will be the one DOING the program if your proposal is funded.  You give me the raw material and I craft it into a complete grant application.

Grant management – Do you have a hard time managing all the moving parts of multiple grants?  The reports, the logistics, the contracts, the deadlines?  I can help you organize and efficiently manage the many strings that are attached to grant funding. 

Grant training – Do you want to increase your team’s capacity to develop funding approaches and seek grants on your own?  I offer multiple grant training and workshop opportunities, customized to your needs. 

Program evaluation and grant reporting – Already have a grant and need help with evaluation, reporting, and accountability?  Learn more about my approach to evaluation here.

Looking for new grant opportunities?  Most grant opportunities can be found by simple internet searches.  You do not have to pay for access to expensive grant databases that may or may not have current or applicable funding opportunities for you.  A little investment of your time can yield many grant opportunities.  I periodically distribute education-focused grant opportunities via email.  If you would like to receive these opportunities for free via email, you can sign up here.

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I want to help you create a learning system and environment where positive results are a natural product and not something you have to struggle to achieve.