The key principles of effective partnerships are openness, trust, honesty, shared goals and values, and regular communication among partners. Even when these principles align, grant proposal partnerships often unravel due to the absence of strategic approaches and processes.  

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and the University of Louisville (UofL) desired supportive, collaborative partnerships. JCPS sought partners that benefited students and ensured their success. The UofL faculty desired to conduct research involving districts so they could test theories they believed would benefit students and teachers. Often collaborative grant proposals between JCPS and UofL fizzled due to not involving both partners early enough in the planning process.

This session focuses on the strategies and processes the grant professionals from JCPS and UofL developed to address these issues, and how they evolved and changed over time. By replicating them, any organization can avoid wasting time on unproductive grant proposals when collaborating with partners. 

Presenter:

Becky Crump, GPC, Ed.S has worked with more than 1,000 grant applications including state, federal, foundation and corporate for nonprofit, postsecondary and K-12 institutions. A past president of Kentucky GPA. Teach grant writing and grant management courses for the University of Louisville Delphi Center for Continuing Education and nationally for Grant Writing USA. Presented at more than a dozen national conferences.

Cecilia Peredo, GPC, is a Grant Specialist at the University of Louisville where she assists faculty in building collaborative relationships, presents grant workshops, and developing grant proposals. She has been a grant professional for over 15 years and has authored hundreds of grant proposals to private, corporate, and community foundations, as well as state and federal sources. She is the Past President of the Kentucky Chapter GPA. She also teaches grant workshops at Bellarmine University.

 
Skill Level:
Mid-Career

Learning Path: 
Proposal Development/Communication Strategies

GPC Competencies:
Strategies for effective program and project design and development Organizational development as it pertains to grant seeking

Organizational development as it pertains to grant seeking

Methods and strategies that cultivate and maintain relationships between fund-seeking and recipient organizations and funders

Practices and services that raise the level of professionalism of grant developer