|
More Hours in the Day . . . If Only!
Part Three
How do you squeeze in an extra hour or two a day to prepare
a specific grant proposal or to continually pursue grant
funding?
The best way to find more time is to make more time. And,
as we all know, the best way to do that is to prioritize
your tasks. Most people spend 80% of their time trying to
complete 20% of the tasks needed to write a grant proposal.
You want to flip that statistic so it's in your favor.
Start by preparing a summary of the request for proposals
(RFP) or application guidelines for the grant you're pursuing.
Taking the time to prepare this summary will keep you from
constantly referring back to the guidelines to ensure that
you are on track. I've attached a sample
RFP summary that our sister company, the Alaska Funding
Exchange, put together for a federal health and social services
RFP. It is ten pages, but all of the work that needs to be
done for this grant is contained in this summary.
Using this RFP summary, you can then set aside ten minutes
every day to develop a "To Do List" of items that need to
be completed to move the grant request forward. Notice that
I said ten minutes - not the normal two minutes
one usually takes to scratch out a To Do List. Compare these
two descriptions on my To Do List and you'll see the difference:
To do today:
Identify contents of the boxes |
To do today:
On an Excel spreadsheet, identify and summarize
the number of boxes, samples of items contained in
each box, description of any significant items we know
are contained in the collection. (Assign to Jeff - due
by Wednesday at 5PM) |
Spending a little more time preparing the To Do List, providing
detail (on an Excel spreadsheet, describe the contents of
each box), and making a few decisions (who will do this job
and when is it due) opens the door to action, rather than
to more planning.
There are always tough things that need to be accomplished
on anyone's To Do List. Don't skip over the difficult tasks.
School yourself to move forward on each item. Putting off
the uncomfortable tasks for another hour, day, or week does
not help you. In fact, indecision and inaction can cost you
a tremendous amount of time.
When you are working on a task (whether it is preparing
the budget, writing the project narrative, or getting letters
of support), get it right the first time through. It may
take more time to complete the task, but there is a smaller
chance for errors. This way you can avoid making time-consuming
corrections or retracing your steps.
Whenever you complete important tasks within a stipulated
period, give yourself, staff, or volunteer(s) a little treat.
This will give you or those helping you the incentive to
complete work on time.
If it is a large task, such as inventorying those boxes,
tell Jeff, "Thanks for getting that inventory of what's contained
in those boxes to me on time. I know it was a big job and
your work has really helped shape this grant proposal. Why
don't you come in at nine on Monday instead of eight as a
little thank you?" If it is a small task, just pick up a
latte the next time you're out and drop it on his desk.
For a volunteer, a simple acknowledgement to the staff with
the volunteer present is often enough. Don't forget to treat
yourself, too - buy a flower to put on your desk, or take
an extra fifteen minutes at lunch and read your book!
If the grant application deadline is near, develop a work
chart for each person involved in collecting info rmation
or documents for the grant proposal. This way everyone knows
what they are doing each day and doesn't have to wait for
instructions. I like to put the work chart on a white board,
and let folks cross out their tasks when they are completed.
It generates a little healthy competition and can add some
fun to the workload.
Remember, writing a grant proposal is not a democratic endeavor.
You don't want, nor do you need, everyone's input. In fact,
you want to avoid unnecessary meetings and long discussions.
If something can be resolved without a meeting, do so. When
a meeting is unavoidable, create a strict agenda and stick
to it.
I can't give you time. I wish I could. Just remember to
map out your approach - do one thing at a time, and don't
put off the unpleasant tasks. Try not to do all of the work
by yourself, engage a staff person or volunteer to help you.
But don't let the decision-making slip out of your control.
Next week we will discuss some very specific ways to collect
and organize the info rmation you will need to write grant
proposals. |
