Comments on: Bratwurst and Grant Project Sustainability: A Beautiful Dream Wrapped in a Bun http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/ Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:06:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Grant Writing Confidential Scoops the Wall Street Journal and More on Being Creative in Finding Funds During the Great Recession http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-19392 Grant Writing Confidential Scoops the Wall Street Journal and More on Being Creative in Finding Funds During the Great Recession Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:20:42 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-19392 [...] Some readers understood my point, while other denounced me as a hopeless cynic. Of course, I am a hopeless cynic, but nonprofits and public agencies are largely in competition, and the ongoing economic mess just makes this competition rise to surface, like the somewhat baleful giant crocodile in the best “big animal” movie of recent years, Lake Placid. * Jake also wrote about funding sources in Bratwurst and Grant Project Sustainability: A Beautiful Dream Wrapped in a Bun. [...] [...] Some readers understood my point, while other denounced me as a hopeless cynic. Of course, I am a hopeless cynic, but nonprofits and public agencies are largely in competition, and the ongoing economic mess just makes this competition rise to surface, like the somewhat baleful giant crocodile in the best “big animal” movie of recent years, Lake Placid. * Jake also wrote about funding sources in Bratwurst and Grant Project Sustainability: A Beautiful Dream Wrapped in a Bun. [...]

]]> By: The Real World and the Proposal World http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-17936 The Real World and the Proposal World Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:00:08 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-17936 [...] Bratwurst and Grant Project Sustainability: A Beautiful Dream Wrapped in a Bun: “In many if not most human services RFPs, you’ll find an unintentionally hilarious section [...] [...] Bratwurst and Grant Project Sustainability: A Beautiful Dream Wrapped in a Bun: “In many if not most human services RFPs, you’ll find an unintentionally hilarious section [...]

]]> By: What Exactly Is the Point of Collaboration in Grant Proposals? The Department of Labor Community-Based Job Training (CBJT) Program is a Case in Point http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-17776 What Exactly Is the Point of Collaboration in Grant Proposals? The Department of Labor Community-Based Job Training (CBJT) Program is a Case in Point Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:46:47 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-17776 [...] the proposal world where Seliger + Associates lives, collaborations are omnipresent in our drafts, and we spin [...] [...] the proposal world where Seliger + Associates lives, collaborations are omnipresent in our drafts, and we spin [...]

]]> By: Intelife http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-16681 Intelife Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:22:44 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-16681 One caveat to the question of sustainability. I always stress to clients the issue of "The Process". I am sure you probably have done a post on this at some point that I have not yet read....However...when a funder asks about sustainability, I always stress that the effort involved in researching and writing the proposal amounted to a crash course in proposal writing for the organization and therefore said organization now has a much more sophisticated and informed way of searching out and responding to future RFPs. Therefore, increasing the organization's chances of finding funds to continue its good work...etc. etc... One caveat to the question of sustainability. I always stress to clients the issue of “The Process”. I am sure you probably have done a post on this at some point that I have not yet read….However…when a funder asks about sustainability, I always stress that the effort involved in researching and writing the proposal amounted to a crash course in proposal writing for the organization and therefore said organization now has a much more sophisticated and informed way of searching out and responding to future RFPs. Therefore, increasing the organization’s chances of finding funds to continue its good work…etc. etc…

]]> By: fluilavup http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-14427 fluilavup Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:43:27 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-14427 I highly enjoyed reading this post, keep up posting such interesting articles. I highly enjoyed reading this post, keep up posting such interesting articles.

]]> By: Jacinda http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-11566 Jacinda Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:29:13 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-11566 Oh, thank goodness someone else thinks the sustainability question is full of make-believe and unicorns! Since it continually comes up, I was starting to believe it was only me who saw the smoke and mirrors. Thinking of this as proposal land is very useful - thank you for exposing this crazy facet of our work. I have very much enjoyed your perspectives on grant writing. Thank you for sharing. It helps keep me sane! Oh, thank goodness someone else thinks the sustainability question is full of make-believe and unicorns! Since it continually comes up, I was starting to believe it was only me who saw the smoke and mirrors. Thinking of this as proposal land is very useful – thank you for exposing this crazy facet of our work.

I have very much enjoyed your perspectives on grant writing. Thank you for sharing. It helps keep me sane!

]]> By: Lynn http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-11139 Lynn Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:56:58 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-11139 Excellent post! I think everyone who reads this should send a copy to their local funder. This definitely falls into the same category that the "new and innovative" questions fall into. Why do funders have such an aversion to funding things that work and are time tested? Why do they want to move onto the next thing when what they're funding is working? I would enjoy seeing a funder's comments on this topic and these questions. Frankly, I'm beginning to think many funders just live in ivory towers and have a rather inaccurate sense of what reality is like on the front lines. Excellent post! I think everyone who reads this should send a copy to their local funder. This definitely falls into the same category that the “new and innovative” questions fall into. Why do funders have such an aversion to funding things that work and are time tested? Why do they want to move onto the next thing when what they’re funding is working? I would enjoy seeing a funder’s comments on this topic and these questions. Frankly, I’m beginning to think many funders just live in ivory towers and have a rather inaccurate sense of what reality is like on the front lines.

]]> By: Tom Roberts http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-10993 Tom Roberts Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:11:06 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-10993 DoD research grants have much the same end of project projections required: "Once you design and test the better mouse trap, what next?" Which has the alternatives of: 1. going into the mouse-trapping business yourself. 2. selling the design or licensing it to a big defense contractor. Problem is, this is a research project, so how are you going to tell how effective it is two years from now? How do you even know DoD will need mouse traps then? Either of these questions would make both alternatives poor business decisions, which brings up the most likely decision path: 3. get another research grant from DoD. From what I hear, NASA and DoE isn't much different. DoD research grants have much the same end of project projections required: “Once you design and test the better mouse trap, what next?” Which has the alternatives of:

1. going into the mouse-trapping business yourself.
2. selling the design or licensing it to a big defense contractor.

Problem is, this is a research project, so how are you going to tell how effective it is two years from now? How do you even know DoD will need mouse traps then? Either of these questions would make both alternatives poor business decisions, which brings up the most likely decision path:

3. get another research grant from DoD.

From what I hear, NASA and DoE isn’t much different.

]]> By: Whonetha Browning-Edwards http://blog.seliger.com/2009/07/19/bratwurst-and-grant/comment-page-1/#comment-10951 Whonetha Browning-Edwards Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:33:21 +0000 http://blog.seliger.com/?p=379#comment-10951 I've been researching and writing grants for over 30 years. Sustainability questions are always the same; the response from us is always the same. Good question. How are we suppose to sustain after funding if all avenues are closed (hence, applying for a grant) and no one wants to do that creative yard sale? Answer: Nobody knows. I’ve been researching and writing grants for over 30 years. Sustainability questions are always the same; the response from us is always the same. Good question. How are we suppose to sustain after funding if all avenues are closed (hence, applying for a grant) and no one wants to do that creative yard sale? Answer: Nobody knows.

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