Background (a.k.a. School History, Mission, and/or Programs): This is the area where you are asked to describe your school. Write a few paragraphs about the year your school was established, its vision and mission, the number and grade of students served, the geographic area served, student demographics, the school’s accreditation(s) and specific programs your school provides. Have some fun with this section by being creative and telling your story, such as who established your school, why was it established, what impact did you want to make in the lives of your students and in your community, what is your reputation in the community, and any awards or recognition you’ve received.

Goals, Objectives, Activities and/or Outcomes (a.k.a. Significance): This is the order in which you generally will see these items listed in the RFP. Let’s review each one.

To recap, the goal is what you want to accomplish, the objectives are how you will ensure the goal is achieved, the activities are what you will do to achieve the objectives and the outcomes are what has changed (or will change) after the objectives are achieved.

Project Narrative (a.k.a. Quality of the Project Design, Quality of the Management Plan): This typically is the largest section of your grant. Be sure to read over the information required carefully and to answer all the questions and/or provide all required information. Then, simply follow the “outline” of your goals, objectives, activities and outcomes to “flesh out” your narrative. Let’s continue to use the example of improving student academic achievement through technology. You can “flesh out” the activity, “Purchase Pathways curriculum for grades 4-8” by answering these questions: why did we decide to use this curriculum, what research exists to prove it is effective, how will it help our students learn, how does it work, how do students and teachers use it, can it be aligned with State Standards, and what type of curriculum is it (computer-based, text-based, etc.). In your narrative, make a compelling case for the reader to want to fund your project. As you write, tell a story in your grant -- provide a logical sequence, make it interesting, compelling, fact-based, etc. In addition, use research whenever you can to support your reasons for wanting to conduct the program outlined in your grant (please see the article Proving Your Point – Including Research In Your Grants in the August/September 2003 issue of NCSC News).