Join Stormwater University speaker, Tom Herder, as he provides guidance to environmental resource managers and grant writers in locating and then responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) through development of clear, effective, and prescriptive narratives. This course recommends preliminarily and comprehensively reviewing RFPs to ensure eligibility, identify match or cost-share requirements, find necessary contact information and submission deadlines, and determine whether potential funding is adequate to implement proposed projects. While neither a primer on appropriate use of grammar nor focused on the gamut of administrative forms required by funders when submitting grant proposals, it provides guidance useful in “checking the boxes” for funders and attracting the positive attention necessary to secure funding.
The course introduces the web platform Grants.gov, not only as the “go to” for identifying potential funding sources but also as the portal most commonly used to submit grant applications for federally funded projects. It explains the use of terms like outputs, outcomes, and environmental results; quantifiable verses qualitative; ancillary benefits, and the importance of including outreach activities, environmental justice initiatives, and attention to the impacts of climate change in applying for grant funding.
The course will guide prospective grant writers in 1) determining exactly what funders hope to fund, and; 2) in ensuring that everything proposed in narratives has a clear connection to those expectations to increase chances of securing financial resources necessary to implement a project.
Funding Water Projects Learning Objectives:
- Explain where to locate Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify which most specifically address a proposed project.
- Implement extensive review of RFPs in advance, including identifying expressed requirements for securing funding as well as keywords, terms, and descriptors for inclusion in developing effective grant proposal narratives.
- Develop a purpose, goals, and objectives demonstrating a logical progression towards meeting RFP requirements and recommendations.
- Demonstrate effectively including language gleaned directly from an RFP in developing successful grant proposal narratives.
- Describe proposed projects with comprehensive narratives explaining why they most directly conform to the spirit and requirements of the RFP.
About Instructor
Course Includes
- 1 Lesson
- 1 Quiz
- Course Certificate
