Services:

Needs Assessment and Funder Research:

Effective grantseeking requires a clear vision of a project. Funders want details, not generalities, to be assured their funds will be spent effectively. Gershowitz Grant & Evaluation Services can help a school system clarify its needs and direction. One of our grant professionals will spend a full day in a series of focused meetings with stakeholders. The result of the sessions will be a clear vision of the schools’ strengths, weaknesses and programmatic priorities. These will be summarized in a brief memorandum. Then, we will use our on-line and published resources as well as personal contacts to locate the most promising funding sources for high priority projects. A second, detailed memorandum will present our findings and specific recommendations for grant development. This service is priced at a flat fee of $3,000, plus travel expenses for the site visit, follow-up research and two memoranda.

Washington and New York Representation:

After twenty years of educational grant consulting, we have an extensive network of contacts among federal grantmaking agencies in Washington and major foundations in New York. These contacts are maintained by means of frequent networking trips to those cities. For a nominal fee, we will establish contact on your behalf. We can arrange an appointment with the appropriate program officer, discuss your project, and obtain valuable feedback to pass on to you. This information can keep you away from dead-ends and direct you toward productive efforts. Since we conduct multiple meetings on each trip East, we can make personal contact at far less cost than if you were to travel to Washington or New York on your own behalf. Our fee for a personal visit with a program officer is $300. This includes the visit, a written follow-up report, and expenses.

Proposal Writing:

Our proposals are outstanding for their clarity, creativity and sensitivity to the environment in which they will be judged. This quality translates into an impressive win rate – 40% success, in competitions where 10% or fewer of the proposals are funded. Over the years, our average winning grant has been $500,000 over three years. Having now won more than 200 grants, our winnings now exceed $100 million. We work with our clients to develop a compelling rationale for each project, write a proposal that engages busy grant reviewers, and prepare the necessary attachments with technical perfection. To capture the unique character of each client and each project, we often make a site visit, prepare survey instruments, and develop other strategies for conceptualizing the project. And we never miss a deadline. Since clients retain ownership of their projects, we work hand-in-hand with them to insure that the proposal states what the client has in mind. Prices are based upon time and expenses. We do not work on a contingency or percentage basis, but over the years, our fees have amounted to less than 5% of the amount won. This is truly effective grantseeking.

Training:

We offer workshops and seminars throughout the country in formats ranging from half-day to a full week. Comprehensive workshops for grantseekers are supplemented with focused programs on topics such as effective writing, conceptualizing a fundable project, and designing an effective evaluation plan. Both public workshops and sessions sponsored by individual organizations are available. We have also been invited to present programs in countries throughout the world, including Russia, Brazil, Korea and Ghana.