What Is an LOI? A letter of intent (LOI) can be thought of as an appetizer, if you are ok with a food metaphor. An LOI can really be a first step in the grants process and is designed as a tool to generate interest (or get an appetite going, if we are staying with the metaphor). The idea is to generate interest from a grant provider, based on the requested initial information. LOI’s can be requested when a funder is seeking to support projects in key specific priority area, such as the local Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia LOI process for projects related to Community Vibrancy, Education and Youth, or Health. Our own Educational Foundation offers a LOI process as well for the Bright Ideas Innovation Grants. Are LOI’s commonly requested? The utility of an LOI for both submitter and funder seems to continue to increase, and the concept of providing initial detail seems to be gaining traction, as I have recently also seen this utilized at the federal level. Monday I was reviewing a National Science Foundation (NSF) solicitation for Regional Innovation Engines. This solicitation gives the opportunity for Big Asks, with a potential of over 10 years… Continue Reading Why Try An LOI?Read More
Finding your peer group. I recently returned from my first National Grants Managment Association conference, called AGT, the Annual Grants Training offers continuing education on all things grants. Less about research and writing proposals, as the associations name reflects, this conference content is more about “managing” grants. And…. I found ”my people!”, across many disciplines, higher education, non-profit, local, state and federal government, disaster relief, conservation and on and on. All sizes of staffing, from a one-person shop, like myself, to departments that included teams of grant professionals focused on writing, administering and financial management of awards. It was awesome, it was Grant Nerd Shangri-La! Compliance is Key A large part of the conference centered around over-all compliance. The opening keynote sessions were entitled “Grants Compliance: It Takes a (Very Large and Very Complicated) Village” offered by the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the US Department of Energy, and an update from the Deputy Controller for the Office of Mangement and Budget (OMB) on federal policy directives for grants, and a teaser on the upcoming 2 CFR 200 revisions that should be coming out in the next several months. I know you just can’t hardly contain your excitement… Continue Reading Grant Nerds Unite!Read More
An Imperative for Planning and Success Collaborations can be complicated. These relationships take effort, energy and often, time away from the day to day work you need to stay engaged with. Yet, collaborations can be an investment in the longer-term impact that your daily work seeks to achieve overall. Collaborations Are Valued Components of Grant Projects Collaboration speaks to how well your organization is connected with its community and the ability to meet the needs of your target population. According to Eleanor Barnes with testlabs 1, within grant applications and projects, “organizations can leverage collective strengths, expand their capabilities and enhance the overall quality of projects.” Further, collaborations offer opportunities for complementary expertise among organizations, shared resources, increased credibility of your proposed project, and expanded research and impact. Think of some of the collaborations that are internal within our college campus, as well as, those which are external. For example, Great Expectations is a program that seeks to connect with students who formerly experienced the Foster Care system. While VWCC’s focus is on ensuring opportunities for educational success, the projects collaborators within our community can assist with a multitude of resources that our college does not have the ability to… Continue Reading The Power of CollaborationRead 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
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023
- Time to Innovate October 4, 2023
- How to tackle grant season? August 14, 2023