Grant Proposal Development Process

Each grant has its own life cycle: originating an idea; developing a plan to apply the idea in reality; preparing a proposal for submission to one or more funding sources; administering a grant award; achieving the project's goals; and documenting progress and lessons learned. Ideally, it is best to start several months in advance of a deadline, but five to six weeks is about as close to a deadline as you want to get. For King's Faculty and Staff interested in a grant, please review the Grant Proposal Development Process shown below.

Step One: If you are a faculty member, discuss your idea with your Department Chair and/or a fellow departmental colleague. It is important to get an objective opinion and ensure that your idea fits into the mission and goals of your department and King's College. If you are a member of Student Services, Administration, or any department unrelated to Academic Affairs, discuss your idea with your supervisor.

Step Two: Once you have discussed your idea with the appropriate person(s), you are ready to start the process of writing your grant proposal. To get started, call me at (570) 208-5847 or email me at michellegiovagnoli@kings.edu. We will schedule a meeting to discuss your project and related budget.

Step Three: Bring to the meeting a one-to-two paragraph concept, which should include the following:

• Purpose of the project
• Target Audience
• Amount of Funding Needed
• Proposed start date of the project
• Names of collaborating partners, if any

At that meeting, we will construct the first draft of your budget. If you have determined a possible funding source to which you wish to submit, give consideration to the foundation or agency's funding range as noted in their guidelines. If you do not have a specific funding source in mind, the summary of your idea will help to identify sources.

Step Four: Complete the Proposal Clearance Form.docx

Step Five: Begin writing your proposal. If you have identified a funding source, be sure to begin crafting your proposal well in advance of the deadline making sure that you follow the grant guidelines thoroughly. For example, if the foundation or agency asks for one-inch margins, do not use ¾ margins. The Grants Office will assist you with the writing, if needed, as well as review the guidelines to ensure you are on track.

Step Six: If the grant guidelines state that you need support letters from people/organizations involved in your project, give yourself plenty of time to secure those letters and make sure that the persons/organizations supporting your proposal clearly understand their roles in the project and are willing to make the commitment to the cause.

Step Seven: Be sure to give the Grants Office enough time to process your proposal - at least a week. The Grants Office will proofread the final proposal, secure the president's approval and signature, collect all supplementary materials such as the (IRS Tax Exempt Letter, List of Board of Directors, Financial Statements, etc.), make the requested number of copies and mail the proposal via courier. We will provide you with a complete copy of the proposal and attachments for your file. This process can take considerable time, so your cooperation is much appreciated!

The Grants Office is available to guide you through the proposal writing procedure. Keep in mind, however, that all of these steps take careful planning if you want to submit a compelling and well-conceived proposal. Less preparation time will show in the end product.

Good luck!

Contacts

Michelle Giovagnoli
Director of Institutional and Academic Grants
King's College
133 North River Street
510 Administration Building
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
Phone: (570) 208-5847
michellegiovagnoli@kings.edu

Beth Doherty, M.Ed. ’18
Associate Director of Grants and Institutional Advancement Research
bethdoherty@kings.edu
(570) 208-8116