Free grant writing tips and help (no cost grant funding tips)

Grant funding can be very helpful to non-profits to help grow and expand services for a good cause.  But grant applications can be complicated and difficult to navigate.

After writing several grants (both successful and not successful), here are some simple tips that ensured the success of the projects that were funded.

1. MISSION STATEMENT: Have a strong mission statement. Start all your efforts by revising your organization's mission statement.  This is your guiding light and should highlight the focus of all your efforts.  If you don't have a mission statement, be sure to write one before you try any grant writing.

2. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Develop clear goals and objectives for your organization.  Do not think in terms of what you want to buy. Think in terms of what you want to accomplish as an organization.  Explore questions such as:

Who are you helping? 

What do you want to change? 

How are you improving your community? 

Which groups benefit the most from your organization?

Where do you want to focus your efforts?

3. Find grant funding applications that match your mission, goals and objectives.  Do NOT find a grant and apply for things you don't need.  I've seen this done too often and it creates a lot of problems.  It's important your organization stays focused and does not create a project or program just to get money. The money must be used in very specific ways so be sure they are for something you really need. Funding should not be used for other purposes other than what is applied for.

4. Plan for additional staff for large grants. If you receive a great deal of funding, it can have a major impact on your budget and may require additional employees.  Ideally, you'll want to fund these employees within the grant. 

5. Involve your entire organization in planning for a grant.  Include as many people as possible in the entire process.  Get input from as many people as possible for the mission, goals and objectives.  And when you select a grant to apply for, involve as many people as possible in the writing of the grant. You never want to write a grant without talking with the people who are affected by it. If everyone is not on board, there can be a lot of problems with carrying out the purpose of the grant.  This could hurt your chances of getting more funding in the future.

Need free grant funding tips and help?  Post your questions below or email doug@freedrama.net with your questions.

Nervous about giving a speech? Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial,10 Tips for Public Speaking from the Toastmasters

10 Tips for Public Speaking

From the Toastmasters website:

"Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:

1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say. 2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected. 3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers. 4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. 5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm. 6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence. 7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you. 8. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it. 9. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience. 10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment." http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/TipsTechniques/10TipsforPublicSpeaking.aspx Another way to practice is using monologues, memorizing them and recording yourself performing them. Watch your recording and you'll see things you'll want to improve about your gestures and body language.  Check out free monologues at http://www.freedrama.net/small1.html

Why Sears is Failing - Speak Think Learn

Why is Sears failing? How can a once mighty business that once had a catalog in every home in America now fail?

My wife and I went shopping at Sears today and had a terrible experience.  On a clothing rack, it was clearly marked that it was buy one get one free.  All the clothes were also on clearance on the tack so it was a great deal. We get up to the checkout and they would not honor the but one get one free because it was on clearance even though the rack stated otherwise.  And then to make matters worse, they wouldn't take my cash rewards money I'd earned on purchasing an expensive bed there because that brand would not take the Sears rewards dollars. What?!  Double fail Sears.  You trick us in to almost buying two shirts and then won't take your own reward dollars.  That is why your business is failing. Don't trick your customers.  That does not make us want to return. Now I wish I had bought my expensive bed somewhere else.

Now it is your turn to Speak Think and Learn.  What is a business you don't like that you think will fail? Why is this business failing you?  What is a business you like?  Why is it successful for you?

Doctor Robot? Robot arms and legs? What would you like to see?

Robots are getting more and more advanced. What would you like to see?

Would you let a robot be your doctor?

Would you ever want a robotic arm, leg or eye?

What would you like to see robots do for you in the future?

Saving Lives by Stopping Gunman with Words (Speak! Think! Learn!)

Could you stop a gunman who wants to kill with words? Antoinette Tuff did.

Tuff worked at an elementary school outside Atlanta. A gunman entered the school and was ready to start shooting. She did some unexpected things that saved lives.

1. She changed the subject. She tried things that got the gunman thinking about other things. She treated him with respect and called him sir. She made a 911 call as requested (he wanted people to know he was going to kill). She asked if she could go to the bathroom which was unexpected and changed his train of thought. She asked if he was hungry and wanted a pretzel and even offered to feed it to him.

2. She stayed anchored and calm. She talked and reasoned with him to try and snap him out of his anger and even called him sweetheart and showed she cared, as a mother might care about a child.

3. She was open and listened to him and got him talking.

With students, you can discuss how you might deal with a gunman. What are some things you might say or do?

Next, discuss why someone could be upset and want to hurt others.

Finally, match up the things you might say or do with the reasons someone might hurt others. Which things can you do that might stop different types of gunman?

Invent a million dollar idea with Legos?! Speak! Think! Learn!

Do you think you could come up with a million dollar idea? One kid did out of Legos! 7 year old Jack McKenna decides to help his mom out by creating a Lego organizer for all her beauty products. Mom loves it so much she turns it in to a real product that has turned in to a million dollar business.

Think of a problem in your house that could be solved with an invention. Build a model for it with Legos. Share with the rest of your class and get some feedback on your future million dollar idea!

Living on Mars? Would you go? Speak! Think! Learn!

This is a new blog dedicated to speaking, thinking and learning. Teachers should always encourage their students to view the world around them with a critical eye and be able to form opinions about what they see and hear.

For the first topic, ask each other "would you live on Mars?"

There is a project called Mars One trying to do that. By 2024, they want to send colonies (and maybe reality TV stars) to Mars. Would you want to be part of this new adventure? Should reality TV people be part of it?

This could even be a great exercise for a classroom debate. Divide students in to two groups. One must support the Mars One project. The other group must argue against it.

This is a fun activity that teach science, social studies, art (make some posters for your side), drama, communications, speech, writing and more.

Get students Speaking, Thinking and Learning!