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problem; it’s your responsibility to educate them about it. Focus on why you need the money, mention the expected outcomes and objectives, if appropriate, and let them know precisely what you wish to accomplish. The methods/design section should include an explanation of how you intend to follow through on what you say you will do. The methods are the map for your project. They dictate what you will do and the sequence of those steps. Think of this as a contract between you and the funding source: Identify timelines, roles, and responsibilities; specify who will help you complete the tasks; provide clear and speciﬁc justiﬁcations for all the elements. Funding sources also want to know how the project will be assessed and evaluated. In this section, specify the tools that will be used to evaluate the success of your project. When you have ﬁnished detailing the present situation, the intended solution, and the projected evaluation, look farther into the future. If additional funding is needed, will it be there later on? Is this a one-time solution that requires no additional capital, like the installation of a ﬁre safety product on a stove? Or will alternatives to alcohol programming require additional funding to expand the program in the following year? If so, have a sense of where that new funding source might be. Most organizations want to support an important project that has some permanence, something that gives them bragging rights and connects to their own mission. That permanence may be compromised if you are not aware of how additional funding needs will be met. In some cases, funding sources may expect a matching donation from your institution, and that part of the ﬁnancial support also needs to be established. Finally, ﬁll out the budget section with hard data and details – and be realistic. You may, for example, require additional administrative support to

complete the grant, in which case you should demonstrate the value of hiring someone and the cost of providing a workspace or environment for them. Include expenses for smaller program elements such as copying and printing, ofﬁce supplies, and materials. Also include the money for facilities and administrative fees. If the source will not fund these fees, it’s best to know that going in. Grants provide a tremendous source of funding to help solve many of the problems that higher

educational institutions wrestle with daily. As resources become more limited and staff are being asked to do more with less, grant writing might just be the skill that sets you apart from the rest of the pack. There are opportunities to be discovered at your institution, around your community, TS and throughout the profession.
Barry Olson
is the director of business administration at North Carolina State University housing in Raleigh.

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Talking Stick - July/August 2011

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