Little River Canyon 
Field School

Jacksonville State University
246 Martin Hall
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, AL 36265
(256) 782-5697

How To Write a Grant

Develop and sell your idea locally

1. Team upwith other teachers, parents, administrators, and/or community groups. Develop a good plan and a fairly detailed budget.
2. Start by calling local businesses and civic groups to ask if they have an interest in supporting your project with money, goods, and/or services (like labor). Tap into your town, city, and/or county government for things like wood chips, labor, and machinery.

Reaching Outside Your Community

1. Before you formally apply for a grant, call or e-mail the grant administrator and run your idea past them to see if they will consider funding your project before you go through the trouble of filling out all the paper work.
2. If you get the go ahead from the granting agency to apply for the grant, dot all the “I’s” and cross all the “T’s”. Many forms are like tax returns. Make sure you submit the requested numbers of copies in the correct format, and only send allowable materials. In other words don’t send a video tape unless it is permitted.
3. Applying for grants is a lot like fishing. You can have more than one line out at a time. It is okay to pursue funding from several agencies. Modify the grant to fit the requirements of the various agencies. Use the same language as the grant agency’s goals and objectives in your application.
4. If you receive a grant, be sure to fulfill and document the use of your grant money. This establishes a successful track record, and sets you up for garnering other grants.
5. It is a good idea to keep an equipment and materials wish list in case an administrator, parent, or community group offers to buy materials for your program.

Grant information and resources

http://www.geocities.com/world_of_websites/archive/fundraising.html
A nice tutorial about grant writing and sets of links to grant sources

http://fdncenter.org/pnd/
Updated weekly, this site contains information on all types of grants

http://www.fundsraiser.com/
A free e-zine targeting fundraising for small to medium size groups

http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic94.htm
A well-done collection of links to grant sites and information

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/grants/WinningProposals.htm
Valuable suggestions of items to think about and include in your winning grant proposals

http://www.schoolgrants.org/
Well-arranged lists of grant-funding opportunities for classrooms, schools, and districts

http://techlearning.com/resources/grants.jhtml
Searchable site of grants and contests

http://www.grantsalert.com/education.cfm
GrantsAlert is a newly created website that helps nonprofits, especially those involved in education, secure the funds they need to continue their important work.

http://www.schoolfundingservices.org/newsViewer.asp?docId=2546
Each week, School Funding Services, a division of New American Schools, features a new grant on its website.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and technology funding