Understanding RFPs

Learning Objectives

• Assess matches between the problem or opportunity you would like to address and those a potential sponsor would like to address
•  Assess matches between solutions or actions you would like to offer and those a potential sponsor would like to fund

Introduction

At this stage in grant writing, you are prepared to assess requests from potential sponsors, and you are still at the stage of finding potential matches. It is important to remember that all aspects of the process are reciprocal rather than linear; that is, new information or ideas at a later stage might lead to changes and revision at earlier stages (and vice-versa). Once you have found a potential sponsor, it is still important to take into consideration (and to consider revising) the work you have already done. Revisions could include the language you use (technical or otherwise) to explain your project; arguments you make and evidence you use; the search terms you use; or even the need or opportunity you are trying to meet. While you might begin contacting sponsors, it is best to think about your project as something that can still be honed. Ideas for that may come through reading and assessing the fit between potential sponsors’ announcements for funding and your own project.

Another important consideration is that the vocabularies of sponsoring organizations sometimes differ, depending on the type of organization. As noted in previous sections of these tutorials, language that individual sponsors use may vary. Watch carefully for the vocabulary they use to describe their communication so as not to miss an opportunity.

Assessing Announcements to Find a Match for Your Project

Because sponsors are interested in the same thing you are--funding projects that fit their priorities--the framework we have used for argumentation in these tutorials also applies to funding announcements; that is, they will describe their projects in terms of problems and opportunities, and they may also outline broadly the solutions they would like to see. That leaves it up to you to review their announcements, see if the problem or opportunity they want to address is a good fit with the problem or opportunity you have described, and then provide a specific solution for them within the purview of your organization (in the form of a program you will implement, research you will do, how you will track progress, and so on). Their descriptions of problems and opportunities are crucial clues for you.

Additionally, announcements for funding typically provide important information about the application process. It is important to remember that grant readers and other members of sponsoring organizations face the same everyday tasks you do: they have deadlines, they need to provide certain types of information to certain people, and so on. Any description of requirements they provide exist to help them do their work successfully within their organization, so it is important to follow all of their requirements carefully. 

You can find a very good resource for assessing announcements for funding can be found in Mikelonis, Betsinger, and Kampf (2004). It provides a comprehensive heuristic to help you assess the degree of matching between your project and a funding opportunity, including the following match points (pp. 98-99):

1. Target population
2. Problem
3. Purpose
4. Eligibility
5. Funding amounts
6. Granting period
7. Restrictions
8. Proposal sections and guidelines
9. Review process
10. Additional information (such as contact information)
11. Keywords

Questions

• In their announcements of funding availability, to what extent do your potential sponsors describe problems they would like to see solved, and how do those descriptions match your own description of the problem or opportunity you would like to solve?
• To what extent do they describe solutions that are similar to those you would propose?
• To what extent, given your project and your institution’s mission, could your grant project be adjusted to fit a potential sponsor’s needs or requirements? (Remember: It’s important not to try to design a grant proposal around a particular pot of money; stick with ideas that will fit your institution and your target population well.)

Resources

libguides.gcu.edu/grants

References

Mikelonis, V. M., Betsinger, S. T., & Kampf, C. (2003). Grant seeking in an electronic age. New York: Pearson/Longman.