Winning Grants (How-To-Do-It Manuals)

Newly revised and refreshed, this invaluable how-to manual will teach you the skills and strategies crucial for finding, applying for, and winning grants. Whether you’re starting from scratch and don’t know where to begin, or you’re an experienced grant writer looking to tap into new funding sources, this resource offers a proven, easy-to-understand process for grant success. Loaded with a wide variety of forms, worksheets, and checklists to help you stay organized, this book:

• summarizes the grant process cycle and outlines a clear path to success;
• shares inspiring grant success stories in action from diverse libraries;
• offers guidance on gathering knowledge and conducting research, with updated resource lists and links to the various types of funders;
• covers every stage of planning, including how to cultivate community involvement, methods for needs assessment, advice on organizing the grant team, and exercises to help you write realistic goals and objectives;
• gives tips on writing the proposal, such as where to find the best statistics and census data to support your statement of needs;
• advises how to announce a successful grant to the community, and other first steps of implementation, including the basic principles of project management;
• provides guidance on what to do when you’re turned down and how to conduct an effective review session that keeps the process moving forward;
• highlights ways to stay current through online discussion groups, blogs, networking groups, and more; and
• features sample RFPs, budget templates, grant partnership documents, and many other helpful tools.

Written by two librarians who are experts in grantsmanship, this all-in-one toolkit for winning grants is a must-have for library directors, grant writers, board members, consultants, and anyone else involved in planning library programs and services.

Stephanie K. Gerding is an expert trainer, author, and consultant with over 15 years' experience training library staff and developing training programs through non-profit, government, and library organizations. She provides guidance to libraries by sharing library best practices, strategies, and methodologies that can be adapted to each unique community's needs, specifically in the areas of grants, training, and advocacy. A certified trainer for the Public Library Association (PLA) in strategic planning, management, facilitation, and staffing, she facilitated PLA's online library advocacy project, Turning the Page 2.0. She has managed statewide training programs at New Mexico and Arizona State Libraries, worked as a trainer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, taught graduate-level online courses, and performed as a systems administrator for Federal Express. She has worked as a training and outreach consultant for TechSoup for Libraries since 2007, and is currently the TechSoup Global Webinar Project Manager. She is author of three books, including The Accidental Technology Trainer.

Pamela H. MacKellar is an author, teacher and library consultant who has been a librarian for 30 years. She has held positions as a library director, assistant librarian, newspaper librarian, health sciences librarian, cataloger, technology consultant and independent consultant in libraries of all kinds including special, school, public, post-secondary, tribal, prison and a state library agency. She has designed and taught online courses and face-to-face workshops on grants for librarians and non-profit staff, written successful proposals for government and foundation grants, administered grant projects and reviewed grant proposals for federal and state agencies. She has also presented at national, regional and state library conferences. She is also the author of The Accidental Librarian and Writing Successful Technology Grant Proposals: A LITA Guide, has written numerous articles, and co-hosts Library Grants, a blog. She is the recipient of the 2010 Loleta D. Fyan Award from the American Library Association for the project, "Online Management Course for New Library Directors in New Mexico."

Susan Hildreth is currently the Inaugural Gates-funded Professor of Practice at the University of Washington Information School. She also serves as an Aspen Fellow in the Communications and Society Program advancing the work of the Dialogue on the Future of Public Libraries. Formerly, she was the Executive Director of Peninsula Library System, Pacific Library Partnership, and the Califa Group in California. She served as the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position, from January 2011 through January 2015. Hildreth is the former city librarian of Seattle, Washington, where she managed the Seattle Public Library. Prior to Seattle, Hildreth was the state librarian of California, appointed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She also served as the city librarian of the San Francisco Public Library and in other leadership positions in California public libraries. She began her career as a branch librarian in the Edison Township (New Jersey) Public Library system. Hildreth graduated cum laude from Syracuse University and holds a master's degree in library science from the State University of New York at Albany as well as a master's degree in business from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.