Final – Take Home Exam

AA 301 – Fall 2005
Andrea
13 December 2005

1. Elements of a good grant proposal.
First and foremost, if one is writing a grant, especially to a specific organization, there is most likely a proposal format that is to be followed, a form that must be filled in, or both. It is important to abide by these guidelines because it aids in the ease of readability of the grant. If there is a format that should be followed, and one does not, the grant will most likely come off as sloppily done, or worse, that you don’t care enough about your organization to warrant giving one’s organization money.
That being said, there are many different types of grant proposal form. It would be impossible to go through all of them here. However, there are several common elements found in most grant proposals, no matter what type. First of all, one must let the granting organization know who one’s company is, and what it is they do. One must remember that although one’s company may be applying, for example, for an arts grant, it may be a barber, or a lawyer or a schoolteacher that is reading the grants. This base of background information will help to add support to one’s arguments and requests for money later in the grant.
Secondly, one must include what the organization plans to use the money for. Why does one’s organization need money? One must take care to apply for grants from organizations whose missions align with their project goals. For example, the Indianapolis Council for the Arts is more likely to donate money to a children’s production of The Nutcracker than a grade school science Quiz Bowl. If one cannot come up with a connection between the granter and one’s organization, perhaps one needs to find a different company from which to apply for donations. Also, one must include a detailed sketch of the planned purpose of the money. Most organizations will not give money away for no reason. They want to be sure of what they are funding. Also, one must include details of how one plans to evaluate their proposed activity/event/etc. Granters want to make sure there are clear, outlined goals, and that there are clear, outlined ways of making sure the organization meets those goals.
Third, one needs to include their organization’s budget. Often, it is from the current year, although one may also need to include the previous year’s budget. Also, the budget for the proposed project needs to be included. Granters want to see that the organization will spend the money wisely. They also want to see that the organization has made an effort to come up with some funds themselves. Organizations that have financially planned and budgeted, as well as worked to support themselves have a far larger chance of being awarded money than those that have not.
Finally, one must show how their organization is looking toward the future. Granters like to support companies that have made or are planning to make an effort to better themselves, and to grow and expand. In general, they want to see that your company has learned from its mistakes and plans to avoid making those same errors in the future. In line with this idea, one must be sure to make the grant proposal concise, free of errors, and above all, confident. Again, if one does not take the care to proofread their grant proposal, granters most often take this as a sign of a lack of commitment and organization. Those proposals that are long winded may seem over confident – if one’s company is so well off and exuberant, there is no reason to give it money. On the other hand, long windedness can also be taken as groveling, which demeans one’s company. One should not have to throw one’s company in the mud just to earn a dollar. Be confident, but not cocky. One’s grant proposal should convince the granter that their organization deserves the money, not desperate, or greedy.

2a. What do you do first?
First and foremost, set down a definition of what planning should mean to the dance company, “By planning we mean X.” If employees know why it is important to plan, and what it is that is being planned, they are more likely to participate and provide valuable input. Also, one must set boundaries of what exactly is going to be planned. Are we planning for every aspect of our company, or just long-term budget goals? Making a list of specific things to be planned and strove for helps to ensure nothing is missed and everything is done thoroughly.
The second thing one must do is to make sure that the mission statement and vision statement of the company is up to date and current. Have we been following these statements? If not, what have we done to stray from them? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? If it is a bad thing, how can we plan to return to our mission, and if it is a good thing, are we prepared to change our mission to accommodate our changes? Also, we need to examine our bylaws. Are they current? How can we change them to accommodate and grow in the future? Or do they already do so?
In this vein, we need to be sure there is a clear, accurate knowledge of where the company is currently. How much money is in our bank account, what was in our bank account last year, and how much can we realistically plan to grow by next year, if no changes are made. In other words, we need to understand the budget. Will we need to do more marketing to ensure that we have enough money to complete our goals? Will we need to do more fundraising? If so, how? We must also know what goals our company has for the future. Are we pleased with the size we are today, or do we want to grow and expand? If so, how? Is our board sufficient? Are they serving our company well, or do we need to change the structure of the board to prepare for the future? Are our employees working to their full capabilities? Are their job descriptions accurate? Will we need to accommodate for more employees in the future, or will we need to rearrange to prepare for less.
After we have taken a complete survey of where our company stands, and are sure that everything is up to date, we can then begin to lie out our plan. Where do we want to be in five years? Ten years? What are our long-term strategies, and what are our short-term tactics. Set out measurable goals and objectives, how to complete them, and measurable means to evaluate their levels of success. This is the time to clear up any and all issues that may arise. If these are not cleared up during the preparation of the plan, they may lead to an ambiguous goal and failure in the future.
From all of these things, set several meaningful, concise goals and objectives, and make sure everyone knows their part in them, and how to achieve them. Ensure that these goals can be evaluated and added to (or subtracted from) in the future. In order for continuous growth to occur, continuous evaluation and examination must also occur.

2b. Long Range Plan.
Goal:
To increase awareness of our dance company among the residents of our town.

Objective:
To stage free performances in the city square every year for the next five years during the Fall Festival.

Goal:
To improve the public opinion of classical ballet among the citizens of our town by 40% within the next five years.

Objective:
To develop a mentoring program for youth in our town’s public schools by January 2010.

3. Role of Board of Directors
At the Coral Ridge Spay and Neuter Clinic, there are 15 board members. Their job is, essentially, to be the collective C.E.O. of the Clinic. They determine and update the Clinic’s mission and purpose, hire and fire the Executive Director, decide the program of events for each year, plan fundraising events, plan the budget, and develop plans to promote the Clinic to the community. This may seem like a weighty charge, but as described below, no one person has to do it all themselves.
As aforementioned, the board is comprised of 15 members. Many of these members are also in committees. These committees include the finance committee, public relations and marketing committee, the planning committee, and the programs committee.
The finance committee is comprised of four board members. One is an accountant, one is a retired lawyer, one is a businessman (Hills Bank and Co.) and one is a small-pet veterinarian. Their job is to determine the budget every year, evaluate spending from month to month, and to approve/deny all large purchases and investments. When requested, the finance committee also aids the programs committee in developing fundraising events, in regard to their financial feasibility. The businessman provides insight into the various ways to manage money properly, the lawyer provides insight on how to do so legally, and the veterinarian provides advice on whether or not the apportioning of money is feasible for the Clinic. The accountant is also the Treasurer, and in addition to the insight she brings to the committee, she also reports the findings of the group to the entire board.
The programs committee is comprised of three members. These include a PTO member, the head of a local prominent business (Dane’s Dairy and Ice Cream), and a Biology graduate student from the University of Iowa. Their job is to plan, develop and either oversee themselves, or delegate the task of overseeing all programs the Clinic conducts during the year. In addition, the business leader helps to bring innovative ideas to the Clinic, the PTO member helps to make these ideas interesting to one of the Clinic’s largest audiences (children and their families) and pitches ideas to the school board, and the Biology student helps to make sure all information presented is accurate.
The public relations and marketing committee is comprised of three members. These include a public relations professional from a local company (ACT Assessment and College Entry Exams), a large-animal veterinarian, and a local opinion leader and homemaker known for his outspoken position as an animal rights activist. Their job is to pitch the Clinic’s events, programs, and other various messages to the local media. Any news release, any pitch letter, any newspaper ad goes through them. They are the unified voice of our organization, giving the Clinic’s news to the community, be it good or bad. The public relations professional and the homemaker help spread news through their already established contacts, and the veterinarian helps to provide legitimacy to all medical information given.
Finally, the planning committee is composed of four members. They include a local businesswoman (Salvation Army), a Preveterinary professor from the University of Iowa, an English teacher from Iowa City West high school, and a Coralville city council member. Their job is to head the revisions of the mission statement, vision statement, and bylaws. This committee also oversees the staff, in regards to how well they have completed their jobs and tasks. They do the research behind and make all recommendations regarding hiring and firing of the Executive Director – they help to make sure she is doing her job. The businesswoman and city council member help by bringing their knowledge of the organization of successful companies and organizations, and the Prevetnerinary professor helps to integrate technical medical information into policies while at the same time translating it into language anyone can understand. The English teacher is also the Clerk. In addition to maintaining the minutes of all board meetings, she also sends copies to all board members and employees of the Clinic. This knowledge allows her to help advise upon decisions with the support of facts from past board meetings. She is better able to help predict what should and should not be amended. Her writing skills also aid in making all documents read more fluidly, and without error.
Although each member of the committees has been described as helping in a specific way, they are not limited to one sole task. Each member is expected to help in various ways, and each group works as a team, a sum of all its parts.
The president of the board is not assigned to a committee. He sits in on various committee meetings, rotating between committees from week to week. His job is to keep the committee members on track, and is the direct line of contact from the Executive Director to the board.
Many levels of income are represented, as well as many different races. There are seven females and eight males on the board (and the Executive Director is female).
4a. Mission Statement – Arts for Kids, Inc.
The mission of Arts for Kids, Inc. is to increase the knowledge of the Fine Arts among youth in Nowhereveille City. It will enhance their learning and understanding of the world around them by providing a cost-free after school arts program.

4b. Mission Statement – Middleburg Theatre Company
The mission of the Middleburg Theatre Company is to increase awareness of the theatrical arts in Middleburg. It will do so by providing a community-based performing arts company and offering classes and performance opportunities for those of all ages, incomes and skill levels.