Grants Planning for Schools: Develop Program Grants that Align with Your School's Mission (Grant Writing for School Leaders)

Prepare for Success with Grants
As a school leader, you’ve thought about writing a grant…what’s stopping you?

You might think you don’t have time to write a grant proposal, or that your school won’t qualify. You might wonder how to train your staff to manage grants or how to find the grants you need. Or you could be worried that grants will take too much time to search and manage, which will distract you from your main job of managing and leading your school.

Peggy Downs, a former school director, teacher, and board member, shares her strategies for success with grants. With experience writing grants for schools and nonprofits, she understands the challenges and has learned what works. In this book, you’ll learn how to:

• Prepare for Program Grants
• Find the Right Grants
• Write Your First Grant
• Write More Grants

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prepare for Program Grants

• How Can Program Grants Support Your School?
• How Can Nonprofit Organizations Help Your School?
• Why Do You Want a Grant?
• What Are Your Ideas for Grant Projects?
• Is Your School Ready for Success with Grants?
• Can Grants Help You Meet Your School Improvement Goals?
• What Problem Do You Want to Solve?
• What Do You Need to Reach Your Goals?
• Avoid These Common Mistakes

• Can You Really Get It All Done?
• Organize Your Search
• How Do You Decide?
• Will You Keep Your Promises?

• Prepare Your Draft
• Visualize Your Grant Program
• Align Your Grant with Your School Goals
• Determine Your Program Budget
• Budget Narrative
• Develop Your Message
• What About LOIs?
• Answer These Sample Grant Questions

• A Grant Writer
• A Grants Committee
• A Grants Manager
• A Grants Pipeline

• Grants Planning Checklist
• Visualize Your Grant Program
• Program Flowchart
• Program Budget
• Grant Application Checklist
• Interview Questions
• About the Author
• Also by Peggy Downs
• Get Results with Grants

Peggy Downs is on a mission. She wants to help 100 school leaders write successful grants in the next 5 years. In addition to writing grants for charter schools, she provides training and support for school leaders to learn how to write grants and develop grants programs. 
 
Peggy Downs holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and a Colorado Principal License. With 20 years experience in charter schools, she has served as a founding parent, teacher, director, and board member. She has supported state and national charter school associations, and has served on the Peer Review Team for Charter School Program (CSP) Grants. She has given presentations at state and national conferences, and was rated a Top 20 Presenter at #NCSC19.
 
Peggy Downs writes a weekly blog for school leaders called Granting Your Vision, and is the author of the series, Grant Writing for School Leaders. She is currently working on an online training series for school leaders called Get Results with Grants. You can learn more at peggydowns.com