April 1, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
The ‘How To’ Grants Manual: Successful Grantseeking Techniques for Obtaining Public and Private Grants, Fifth Edition
by David G. Bauer
This guide, part of the American Council on Education-Praeger Series on Higher Education, offers advice on gaining financial support for educational activities, research, and other programs. It is designed both for first-time grant applicants who want to better understand the process and for experienced grant seekers who want to improve their proposal-writing skills and ultimately win more grants.
David G. Bauer, president of a fund-raising consulting firm in Gardnerville, Nev., that bears his name, recommends that grant applicants devote 10 hours each month to conducting research on grant programs and writing proposals. He emphasizes that submitting proposals without first investigating and contacting potential grant makers substantially reduces proposal writers’ chances of success. He explains that grant applicants should take the time to determine a grant maker’s goals—what he calls its “secret agenda”—and to match the proposal to those priorities. Mr. Bauer says that applicants often mistakenly write proposals based on their own values. To avoid this pitfall, he gives advice on how to gather information about grant makers.
The book describes the differences between grant programs offered by government agencies and foundations, and offers resources for learning about grant opportunities. Tips on proposal writing and calculating project budgets are included, as is a CD-ROM containing sample letters requesting appointments and information from grant makers.
Publisher: Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, Conn. 06881; (800) 225-5800; http://www.greenwood.com; 304 pages; $42.50; I.S.B.N. 0-275-98070-7.
