It seems that not a day goes by without another e-mail making its way to your inbox with an invitation to participate in a webinar – the topic these days often concerning broadband stimulus funding and how to obtain some of it.

In a recent webinar, “Mining the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus,” the Center for Communications Management Information outlined the three most commonly asked consumer questions regarding stimulus funding:

No. 1: How can I get access to this money? Should I even try?
No. 2: What’s the process?
No. 3: What’s in a winning proposal?

These are tough questions best answered by individuals that have decades of combined grant writing experience. Enter OneCommunity’s Director of Development Andrea Castrovillari and Development Manager Cheryl Joseph Williams. Northeast Ohio’s OneCommunity is the operator of the Knight Center of Excellence.

How can I get access to this money? Should I even try?

Before organizations tackle the “How,” Castrovillari and Joseph Williams put emphasis on dealing with the “Should I?”

And that means doing your homework:

• First, look for agencies that would be willing to fund the type of project you are suggesting. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to put yourself in alignment with a like-minded entity, however. Castrovillari suggests also looking in other industries for grant opportunities where your organization’s goals align. For example, if you’re an education institution that has a tech-based project, try looking at opportunities provided by a technology-centric agency.

• Joseph Williams encourages organizations to identify a handful of information resources that are updated regularly and log on to them daily. Sources should cover local, state and federal opportunities. The Knight Center of Digital Excellence website (www.knightcenter.org) and Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) are two online sources that provide excellent, updated information on the latest stimulus updates.

• When putting together a project, Castrovillari suggests organizations start with their budget. Why? It forces you to ask yourself tough questions. What exactly are you going to do? Who’s paying for what? Grant applications may ask you about certain line items you may not have thought about. Certain projects may ask for matching funds. Remember, your budget tells a story. Your narrative should match that story.

• Castrovillari and Joseph Williams suggest collaboration between organizations. Both said collaborative efforts that demonstrate potential for greater overall impact have a better chance of obtaining funding than solo proposals.

What’s the process?

The federal recovery act outlines more than 100 program areas that will receive funding, which means there is no one unified process.

Castrovillari said grant writing is a very specific process and that agencies differ in their application instructions. However minute, details are always spelled out in the guidelines, so make sure you read everything, even the fine print. If you have questions, be sure to call the contact or department listed on the application.

Keep deadlines in mind as well. Joseph Williams said applications to government entities, whether state or federal, usually include a preliminary registration process that can take up to 3-5 days to complete. In order to position your organization to submit a proposal, she suggests making sure registration is completed through the state’s website and through www.grants.gov well in advance of your proposal submission.

What’s in a winning proposal?

In addition to 17 years of grant-writing experience, Castrovillari has five years of journalism experience, and continues to write and edit professionally. Here are some guidelines she suggests following:

• Read the eligibility requirements and make sure you fit the criteria. If you don’t, or if you’re not sure, call someone at the federal level to ask questions. You’ll hang up the phone not only armed with more information but a contact as well.

• Read guidelines and follow directions to a tee. This is critical.

• Be succinct when you write and don’t bury critical information. Discuss outcomes, not just activities.

• Be clear and don’t use jargon. You never know who’s reading your application. It may be an expert, but it may not. Assume the reader doesn’t know anything about your community or project. Also, have someone outside of your organization proofread your application. An outside eye can be a good barometer for its complexity. An outside voice may ask questions you or someone in your organization might not have thought of.

• Again, do your homework. Never put a number or fact out there you can’t back up. Cite your sources and be prepared to answer questions.

• Both Castrovillari and Joseph Williams suggest including letters of support from local public officials. Look for likely collaborators that complement your organization’s work and strengthen the program your proposal will offer. In addition, these sources can improve resource leveraging.

For federal funding, make sure as many public officials know of your request as possible: the more people who know about it, the better.

When asking for a recommendation, Castrovillari suggests:

• Write a template letter of support and ask the official to put his or her letterhead on it. Never ask an official to write something from scratch, but allow template revision.

• Include a one-page overview of the project.

• Ask officials to send the letters back so you can include them in your packet.

Mining the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus takes a lot of work, but as Joseph Williams said, organizations should certainly make an effort because of the huge potential for economic benefit. Remember that stimulus opportunities continue to emerge, so it’s essential to stay on top of newly announced funding streams.

If you need help, be sure to contact us at info@knightcenter.org.

Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, Andrea Castrovillari, broadband, Broadband Expansion, budget, Center for Communications Management Information, Cheryl Joseph Williams, community, digital, digital divide, economy, education, grant money, grant proposal, grant writing, Grants.gov, healthcare, infrastructure, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, OneCommunity, stimulus, webinar