Let Freedom Ring: When to Let the Team Run Wild with Your Grant Proposal

Just as a lack of control can create inefficiencies and even destroy your chances of winning a grant, in the same manner, it is possible to exercise too much control and blind yourself from the amazing insight, objectivity and skills of your other team members. A number of instances come to mind when I think about places where you really need to open up your grant writing process and encourage maximum participation.

Trish Drew Visits Orange County's Great Park

First, I have had a lot of good luck in allowing staff and charity leaders suggest the most exciting dream project for their charity. Their brainstorming is often an inspiring way to build a stronger sense of community, a more intense devotion to the non-profit and an unparalleled opportunity to leverage the knowledge the staff has gained through their reading, conference attendance, or personal experience.  

Second, it is also a good idea to open up your grant writing to national or international consultants who may have an interest in your project. Often these policy gurus can be extremely helpful in terms of pointing you in the right direction, suggesting effective evaluation tools, and perfecting the details that will make your program more effective. 

Third, I have see that it really helps to have multiple people look over your first or second draft and give you their feedback. This does not mean that you should accept each and every suggestion. Nevertheless, it does make sense to notice whether or not multiple people are noticing the same issues. One of the ways I like to encourage honest and straightforward feedback from the team is to assert that the people who read and award these grants are not any brighter than us. Nevertheless, they are not any dumber than us either. Accordingly, if someone of the team sees a flaw in the proposal, it is important for them to speak up because I can guarantee that someone working for the funder will have the exact same issue or concern. 

As much as I encourage everyone to punch holes in the grant application, I don't recommend having multiple people write or rewrite it. If you involve multiple people in the process of writing the grant you are more likely to create a document with subtle writing changes which are jarring to those of us sensitive to writing style. Even someone who is not that sensitive will probably think less of the proposal when it becomes clear that it has multiple authors.

Finally, I think it is important to fully engage your team when it comes to doing research to support the grant. The larger mind of multiple people is infinitely more powerful, all though less focused, than an individual researcher. I go out of my way to encourage folks to bring to my attention the latest statistics, research, or observations in their field. Often large government databases are full of relevant articles. It would be nearly impossible for me to speed read them all, but a larger set of eyes can review these documents, report on trends in the literature, and call attention to the most recent studies which support or can improve the direction of your project. 

Grabbing on for Your Life: When Should You Unleash Your Inner Control Freak?

Although it is good manners to credit teams for our success, I think it is short-sighted and potentially foolish to underestimate the time-saving advantages associated with the focused attention of a single mind. Leveraging the great power of a single mind gives us incredible speed, breath-taking decisiveness, crisp ethical decisions, access to the subconscious, extraordinary intuitive leaps, and the added bonus of internal consistency. 

	"Mountain Pines" by John C. Drew,  16 x 12 inches oil on canvas.

In a practical sense, however, it is important to know when to apply the power of a single mind and when to back off and let the group do its part. As a successful grant writer, I know it is essential to unleash your inner control freak at key moments in the grant writing process. 

For example, at the earliest stages of the grant writing process, I'm very picky about choosing and sticking to the winning theme for any particular charity or educational institution. 

Once I've made up my mind about why the funder will choose to fund them, then absolutely nothing will shake that belief loose -- except for the arrival of completely new evidence or an entirely different competitor. I have found that it is easier to be a control freak at the earliest stages of a project no matter what because at that point in the process it is not so inconvenient or expensive to simply resign if others disagree with your vision. Later on, I am open to all kinds of innovative suggestions, but I will only include those suggestions if they further the key winning theme I chose earlier in the process.

Mid-way through the grant, I am a stickler for high quality research. This is often a bone of contention with employers and clients. In my experience, I think it is unethical to make an argument or assert an idea unless you are certain that you are backed up by the facts, especially scientific research which shows that your organization's take on the problem is correct and that your proposed solution will really work. When I worked for other people as an employee, I was sometimes fired after I discovered that a cherished idea at the employer's non-profit was actually little more than a myth. Surprisingly, I was lucky enough to find work with those who valued my intellectual independence and my ability to sort through a tangled mess of research to figure out what was really going on. 

In a lot of ways, it is easier to be a fearless advocate for the truth when you are working as a consultant. As I like to say in my workshops, I still do the same things that used to get me fired. Now, however, they usually like what I have to say well enough to invite me back for more. 

There is also a lot to be said for exercising absolute and total control of the grant writing project at the very end of the project too. This is particularly true as you get down to the final hours and minutes before the application is completed and delivered to the funder. As Kevin Wiberg, a consultant trainer for The Grantsmanship Center, notes it is particularly important to keep control of the final product: 

Reserving control over the final product means reserving control over the assembly of the final package, with all attachments and all forms. (I've seen someone who wasn't all that engaged in the process keep right on photocopying a proposal after a page folded over.) I watch every page go through the copy machine on the first round. So should you.

In my consulting practice, I am the last one to look at the final grant applications. I reserve the right to control the final product to make sure that we are answering the funder's questions, that the key documents are in the right order, and that we are following the funder's submission requirements to the letter. 

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They even allow up to 5,000 e-mails a month be sent through their platform at that price.

All in all, Bloomerang is designed to deliver maximum results, maximum utilization by the fundraising  team, and maximum flexibility with no need for additional technology spending.

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Remember Your First Draft Will Automatically Energize the Charity

Often to get the staff excited about a grant project you need to deal with their objections and then implement procedures which make it fun for them to work with you.

 

Over time I've developed a couple of strategies which work for me given my look, my knowledge, and my experience.  Nevertheless, I think they will work for you too if you apply them carefully and adapt them to your personality.

Arial video of my community from a newly built RC helicopter with Zenmuse H3-3D gimbal at Kite Hill, Laguna Niguel, CA

The first thing to do is to find a project that your client really want to run and implement.  If the staff is not thoroughly excited about the new program they are seeking to develop, then it is harder to get them to take action in a crisis when you need a quick rewrite or an improved photo for the application cover page.

 

By distributing the Project Innovator form ahead of time, I encourage the staff to come up with the projects they are excited about. To access a blank copy of the Project Innovator form I give to my clients, click on this link here. 

 

I also pay attention to (and articulate) my level of enthusiasm too.  If I think the new program is a dud...I won't be quite so eloquent in promoting it either.

Even if you do not totally like the proposed program, there is still - usually - some element of it that you can concentrate on that will make it exciting and powerful for your to focus your best attention on it.

Next, I like to write the first draft for them.  Once they see the whole thing on paper, I have found the charity will make near heroic efforts to add additional text or seed in crucial information, information essential to really selling the project to the funder.

In addition, it is often easy for staff and administrators to become somewhat bored by their own institutions and existing programs.  I have found that reading the first draft, which I have created for them, often energizes them by providing a fresh, inspirational look that lifts their spirits.  This is particularly true when the charity has experienced hard times in the past.

Helping the charity put its experience into a winning perspective can often improve organizational behavior across the board.  It's fun to watch as staff and administrators re-frame their institutional experience in a powerful and empowering manner. 

Increase the Speed of Your Grant Writing by Organizing the Key Documents

The management of enthusiasm can be one of the most important secrets to your success as a grant writing consultant. In my experience, people get more excited about a project if they get into action on it immediately. The problem in grant writing, however, is that you usually do not know enough about the grant application requirements initially to establish any realistic assignments for everyone participating in the grant writing process. Accordingly, I have a standard approach I use the get people moving which will also make it easier to write the grant.

For an interesting, first person visual (FPV) flight over nearby Aliso Canyon in Laguna Niguel, CA check out this video from a F450 RC quad-copter at 10,000 feet. Trish and I walk in this park.

I like to leverage the initial excitement of having me visit at a charity by getting them started on some overlooked elements of a complete grant package including:

• Updated resumes on the key leaders and program managers of the charity.
• Updated project budget that includes a lot of specific line items and details.
• Latest version of charity's mission statement and/or vision statement.
• Updated list of board members with phone numbers, addresses, board roles, and occupational data.
• Secure electronic copies of annual budget, IRS 990, and most recent audited financial statement.

My approach is to remind key leaders that these elements of a complete proposal are more important than anything I can add as a grant writer. In some cases, the budget document and the staff resumes will be key deciding factors in whether or not the client wins the grant. The sooner the charity starts perfecting these documents, the better it will be for their overall chances of winning.

It does not matter if you have always worked at the same charity all your life, or if you are dropping in at the last minute by quad-copter, you need to use scarce time efficiently.

Thanks to the preparation of the staff, Irvine Valley College earned $1.5 million to establish a new center to support Asian American and Pacific Islander students in 2015. They were among a small number of institutions to win this sort of funding during a time when legislators are seeking to trim the federal budget. Nevertheless, the staff at Irvine Valley College was able to take action because they were organized ahead of time and knew where to find the key documents needed to provide evidence of their program's features and prior success. Moreover, they had the documentation ready to demonstrate that they met the key eligibility requirements for the grant too.

Dr. Drew's Restaurant Review: Filomena's Cafe and Wine Bar in Laguna Niguel, CA

Dr. Drew celebrating with friends at Filomena's
 Cafe and Wine Bar in Laguna Niguel, CA

Filomena's Cafe and Wine Bar has rapidly become one of my favorite things about living in Laguna Niguel, CA. Even though my wife and I do not drink, we are nevertheless comfortable enjoying extraordinary Italian foods in the restaurant's upscale, sophisticated environment.

Tucked away inside the Laguna Design Center, I used to think that this restaurant was only available to the designers and retailers who had privileged access. This facility is now open to the public and everyday folks can now sample a restaurant that needs to meet the demanding standards of some of South Orange county's most sophisticated, high end retailers, merchants, designers and their discerning customers.

As you may know, the original Filomena’s Italian Kitchen in Costa Mesa has been rated one of the top 10 best Italian restaurants in Orange County by the Orange County Register. My sense is that this traditionally great food is now being served in a stellar location including outdoor courtyard dining near the Laguna Design Center's central plaza water fountains.

We have been there four times now, twice for birthdays, once for our anniversary, and once with our Bible study group. My tastes are simple. I enjoy the lasagna and the spaghetti with meatballs. I do not think I have eaten better Italian meatballs any where else in my life. The wait staff is very attentive and constantly refilling our bottle of water. I think they are starting to recognize us as infrequent regulars.

After dinner and a salad, we usually splurge on Italian coffee and share a desert after our meal. The owner, Linda Johnsen, is the granddaughter of the lady who inspired Filomena's fresh, light, flavorful spin on classic Italian dishes including salmon on lentils, shrimp scampi, and crisp Caesar salads. Last time, we ate in the courtyard at twilight at a large table surrounded by white roses in full bloom. We could not have been happier with our experience and we recommend Filomena's Cafe and Wine Bar to everyone. It is a little tough to find, but once you find it you will feel like you have discovered a hidden treasure. Be sure to make a reservation by calling (949) 349-9332

Filomena's Cafe and Wine Bar is located off of the blue entrance to the Laguna Design Center at 23811 Aliso Creek Road, Suite 122, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677.

Shocking News From One of Our Clients, McCann L. Utu of USA Institute of Sports

Every once in a while, violence is too close to home. I just found out a few hours ago that one of my favorite non-profit leaders, McCann L. Utu, has just experienced one of the most terrible tragedies. According to news reports, his estranged wife, Stacy Fawcett, 45, was stabbed to death by his eldest son, McCann Utu, Jr., 19.  In addition to killing the ex-wife, his son also stabbed his youngest son, Josiah Utu, 17, to death too. Then, McCann Utu, Jr. took his own life by stabbing himself.

McCann's ex-wife was a television reporter in Dallas, TX who worked for Channel 8's News 8 Daybreak. Consequently, this gruesome story is all over the news right now. According to the People website:

After the incident, a male suspect contacted police, telling the 911 operator that he had committed murder. Officers were then dispatched to the home in Plano, Texas – a suburb 20 miles north of Dallas – where they "made entry into the residence and discovered a deceased adult male and adult female along with another adult male who was alive with multiple stab wounds."

The suspect, her son McCann Utu Jr., was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

As far as I can tell, McCann Utu, Jr. had been recovering from a traumatic brain injury that occurred over a year ago. He had brain injuries due to a basketball accident and then again from an altercation with another student. I know a little about traumatic brain injury myself and I do know that it makes people surprisingly aggressive. 

I gave McCann a quick call today to let him know Trish and I are praying for him. He seemed remarkably at peace and resigned to the situation. As he said, there is no explanation. It was obvious that he was in profound grief for both his sons and their mother. He is a man of proven religious faith and he is showing that now.

McCann's relatives have established a GoFundMe account to help fund the memorial services for the entire family. As I understand it, any excess funds will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank in Fawcett's memory. You can access that account here. I urge you to please give generously to this cause.

The public is invited to attend the public memorial service for Stacy Fawcett, McCann Utu and Josiah Utu. It will be held this Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. The address is 6801 W. Park Boulevand, Plano, TX 75093.

Not a Rock Star Pastor: My Review of Jason Hanselman's Newest Book

I highly recommend you buy a copy of Jason Hanselman's new book, Not a Rock Star Pastor, if you are considering becoming a pastor or are rapidly burning out in your pastoral role.

This book is particularly useful and compelling for all of us who have been frustrated by the ugly underbelly of professional Christian service: the absolutely horrific way that we train and screen young pastors, launch them with inadequate skills into dysfunctional churches, and then callously look the other way as too many end up quitting the ministry all together.

The book is now available at Amazon.com for the wonderfully affordable price of $4.99 for the Kindle version and 14.99 for the paperback edition. Click here to order your copy now.

Although Hanselman only hints at a solution to this disgrace -- always implementing standard human resource practices, never leaving the top job vacant, and fearlessly broadening the definition of a successful ministry -- he does provide a fresh, original and at times painful to read look at what it is like to endure the less pleasant aspects of professional Christian service as a rural pastor, a bible college president, a mega-church planter.

For full disclosure, I should point out that Hanselman is a former graduate student of mine and that I have been begging him to put his ideas on paper for years. From my perspective, Not a Rock Star Pastor is a beautiful autobiography for a fairly new writer who unflinchingly records telling details, poignant moments with his wife, and heartfelt rage when he recounts a face-to-face confrontation with a former church employer who slandered him in his own community.

Although I had never heard the sad and comic story of him applying for food stamps for his family, I was aware of virtually all the other stories in the book. For the skeptical reader, I can confirm that Hanselman has written a truthful and accurate history of his life. You will have to buy the book, however, to discover how he leverages every tool at his disposal to eventually weave his misfortune, inexperience and just plain bad luck into a transforming personal and spiritual triumph.

Given my respect and affection for him, it pains me to make even the smallest criticisms of this book. Still, I owe him my best work.

If he revises this volume, I wold like to see him put all his stories in exact chronological order. This way the charming story of how he fell in love with his wife will be a terrific foundation for the rest of the book and not a somewhat awkward way to close it. In fact, I noticed that I started losing interest in narrative at about three-quarters of the way through the book when it seemed to me that his stories regarding his job losses seemed to circle back on themselves. At that point, I got confused about which job he was talking about because he was referring to jobs mentioned earlier.

Next, I'd like to see Jason loosen up even more and simply name names and be honest about the people that mislead or harmed him during his rocky pastoral career.

Frankly, I suspect Hanselman is being too cautious since insiders who are familiar with the small world of Christian pastorship will figure out the main character's real names faster than a National Enquirer reporter chasing an Ashley Madison information dump. 

I think Hanselman's use of pseudonyms undermines the clarity of the book and robs the reader of some of its most penetrating insight.Given the state of Christian ministry, I do not think we are going to fix things without a large dose of honesty delivered with little or no compassion for the feelings of those who have made a mess of things.

Just as David Bowie carved out a niche separate from the Beatles, I think this book offers the possibility of opening up a new niche for the non-rock star pastors who will never be the Rick Warren of their generation. Consequently, Hanselman lays out the ground work for the non-rock star pastor by highlighting the value added by pastors who are graduating from lesser schools, working in more isolated areas, or locked into smaller communities where a full-service mega church will only appear by way of large speakers and a theatre style HD television screen.

In my view, Not a Rock Star Pastor should be required reading at Bible colleges, seminaries, and pastor conferences all around the world. Anyone looking to enter the ministry, or stay in the ministry, will benefit from reading about Hanselman's painful, but often comic challenges and the tortured path that led to his right-sized redemption.