The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need

by Ellen Karsh, Arlen Sue Fox

Overview

From top experts in the field, the definitive guide to grant-writing

Written by two expert authors who have won secured millions of dollars in government and foundation grants, The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need is the classic book on grant seeking, providing a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for government, nonprofit, and individual grant seekers. Drawing on decades of experience in grant writing and professional development, Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox demystify the process of securing grants while offering indispensable advice from funders and recipients.


This updated fifth edition includes:

• Vital information about grantsmanship in today's ever-changing economic and social climate
• In-depth interviews with funders, nonprofit leaders, and policy makers about the grants process
• A new chapter on how to diversify funding and think "outside the box" when grants are scarce
• Concrete suggestions for developing each section of a proposal
• Hands-on exercises that let you practice what you learn
• A detailed description of important websites for grant seekers
• Strategies for developing and presenting programs that are likely to receive grants

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541617810
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Edition description:	5th ed.
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	122,885
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ellen Karsh was the director of the New York City's Mayor's Office of Grants Administration for more than seven years, writing grants and teaching proposal writing throughout the city. Prior to that, she developed andwrote grants for the New York City Department of Education for five years. She graduated from Purdue University and has a doctorate in special education from Columbia University. Currently, she is consulting and writing full time.

Arlen Sue Fox created and managed the development department at Sunnyside Community Services, a settlement house in New York City, for ten years. She was previously director of research, planning, and evaluation for the New York City Commission on Human Rights for ten years and a consultant for many years to nonprofit organizations, from small grassroots groups to national organizations including AARP.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Fourth Edition xi

Roundtable; Grantsmanship and the Economy xix

Part I Prerequisites

Lesson 1 Who Am I? (and What in the World Do I Want to Do?) 5

Lesson 2 Wait a Second-What Is a Grant … and Where Do I Get One? 15

Lesson 3 Making (Dollars and) Sense of Grant-Application Packages: What Grantmakers Want 39

Lesson 4 Getting Ready to Write a Grant Proposal 59

If You're a Not-for-profit Organization 60

If You're a Government Agency or School District 68

If You're an Individual Grant Seeker 74

Lesson 5 Intangibles: Things They Never Tell You (About Proposal Writing) 79

Funders Roundtable I 95

Part II It's Finally Time to Write the Proposal

Lesson 6 Writing (Proposals) with Style: 12 Basic Rules 119

Lesson 7 Identifying and Documenting the Need: What Problem Will a Grant Fix? 137

Lesson 8 Goals and Objectives: What Do You Hope to Achieve if You Get the Money? 157

Lesson 9 Developing and Presenting a Winning Program 167

Lesson 10 Finding Partners and Building Coalitions (The MOUs That Roared) 179

Lesson 11 The Evaluation Plan: How Can You Be Sure if Your Program Worked? 189

Lesson 12 The Budget: How Much Will It Cost … and Is the Cost Reasonable? 199

Lesson 13 Sustainability: How Will You Continue the Program When the Grant Funds Run Out?(and You'd Better Not Say, "I Won't.'") 213

Lesson 14 Capacity: Proving That You Can Get the Job Done 221

Lesson 15 Front and Back: The Cover Page or Cover Letter, the Abstract, the Table of Contents, and the Appendix 229

Funders Roundtable II 243

Part III And After the Proposal…

Lesson 16 The Site Visit-Playing Host 271

Lesson 17 So Now You Know-What Next? 277

Funders Roundtable III 289

Appendices

Appendix 1 50 Tips for Improving Your Chances of Winning a Grant 299

Appendix 2 Proposal Checklist 305

Appendix 3 Glossary 307

Appendix 4 Sample Grant Forms 323

Washington (D-C.) Area Common Grant Application Form 323

Appendix 4 Sample Grant Forms 323

Federal Cover Page, Form ED 424,328

Sample Cover Letter 332

Sample Letter of Inquiry (LOI) 333

Sample Abstract 335

Appendix 5 Representative List of Community Foundations 337

Appendix 6 Websites 353

Appendix 7 Answers to Pop Quizzes 373

Acknowledgments 387

About the Authors 389

Index 391

Editorial Reviews

Veteran grant writers Karsh and Fox not only rely on years of experience but also on interviews with dozens of foundations, associations, and government organizations to provide readers the best current thinking around a very tedious subject. What's more, the book's organization is attractive; 16 lessons, each prefaced with a truth-is-stranger anecdote and then expanded via a series of questions and answers and discussion and tested with pop quizzes, from fill in the blanks to independent study. The quotes from funders alone are worth the price of admission: "Less than 10 percent of proposals fit our guidelines." "I hate it when budgets make no sense." "Make it easier to use, with headings, bullets . . ." Yet, hands down, the appendixes win: 50 tips to improve your chances to win a grant and a proposal checklist, glossary, sample grant forms, representative list of community foundations, web sites, regional associations of grant makers, and answers to pop quizzes. A must-have money reference. — Barbara Jacobs

Booklist

"The best current thinking.... The quotes from funders alone are worth the price of admission. A must-have money reference."
—Booklist

From the Publisher