Hello, and welcome to the second installment of the Grantology Blog! The first installment offers a quick overview of the desire to assist in learning and celebrating the world of grants together. If you missed it, please check it out, as the first installment refers to the required teamwork that goes into successful grant writing and management. Grants are a team sport, and we have a great team here at VWCC! Spring was a whirlwind and just after emerging from the Spring Grant Season cocoon, it is time for the Fall Grant Season. Grant Season? Is that a thing? Trust me my friends, it is true and can be reminiscent of the focus of the one Elmer J. Fudd. Remember that guy? The one that is so intent on hunting that he can’t recall if it’s duck season or wabbit season? Spring is a time of great activity in the grant’s world (followed by Fall) and can be especially busy with many application deadlines occurring in the January to May timeframe. “Grant Season” can be particularly busy, fielding and assessing grant prospects for a fit to our mission and moving forward with project plans and applications to secure resources. Now… Continue Reading How to tackle grant season?Read More
Hello, and welcome to the first installment of the Grantology Blog! Here we will seek to dig into all things grants, what grants are and are not, how a grant is crafted, how it is implemented, and how it can be celebrated. Thus the name “Grant” “ology”, a subject of study; a branch of knowledge. The grant world can be complex and ever changing, so fasten your seatbelts and let’s kick off this fun and rewarding journey. While different than a donation, a grant is a component of the fundraising world and Institutional Advancement. In essence, a grant is an investment in a proposed project, an agreement with a donor, or funder in this case. As such, there are moments of excitement when you get the award and moments of focus when you seek to honor the investment of the funder. The best of these projects are well planned in the beginning, so the funder understands if they provide the resources, you can accomplish the overall goal. When all the details fall into place, it is a true win win relationship, where the funder is pleased with the investment and the College can meet the identified need. How does that… Continue Reading Welcome to GrantologyRead More
Image by Pixabay Hello, and welcome back to our asynchronous workshop series, How to Design a Successful Innovation Grant. The series began in September, and it ends this month, when Innovation Grant proposals are due to the Virginia Western Educational Foundation. Let’s review some of our Lab Lessons so far, including: #1: Grant proposals are not time wasted … even if you FAIL #2: Know the rules of the game #3: Focus on NEEDS first, solutions second #4: Begin with the budget #5 Relationships are the secret sauce #6 Baby steps work #7: Assume success So we’re here … March 2022, and applications are typically due the last Friday in March. That brings us to our final Lab Lesson #8 … Respect the details! The fine print is important, especially when it comes to grant applications. You have come so far during this series — you have really thought about the big-picture goals, you understand the needs, created a budget, talked up your idea, and you’re expecting success. Now we have to follow the specific directions in the application. Re-read the first page of the application again, very closely. Hopefully you noticed the signatures required on Page 1. And there… Continue Reading Innovation Grant Lab series: Finish line! (March)Read More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
- How to tackle grant season? August 14, 2023
- Welcome to Grantology February 3, 2023
- Innovation Grant Lab series: Finish line! (March) March 2, 2022
- Innovation Grant Lab series: Is this a good investment? (February) February 2, 2022
- Innovation Grant Lab series: What does success look like? (January) January 5, 2022