One question I'm frequently asked during my grant-writing workshops is, "Just how long does it take to write a federal grant proposal?" My response is usually 60 to 90 days, depending on the grant guidance. This response frequently results in shock and surprise from people who have never written a federal proposal before. Key words: federal education grant, education grant proposal, education technology funding, education technology grant, technology grant, education grant

The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has provided unprecedented levels of federal funding for education, and it has prompted most grant writers across the country (from all disciplines, not just education) to prepare themselves for a deluge of funding announcements--many of which will require quick turnaround times for proposals.

Collaboration is a common occurrence in grantsmanship today. Even when funders do not require it, many applicants find that in order to carry out a project successfully, they need the expertise and resources that others can provide. For example, a technology vendor or university researcher might be helpful in planning and carrying out an assessment of your grant project. In fact, some funders require specific types of collaborative partners for a grant-funded project.

A few weeks ago, I participated in a webinar that discussed A-133 audits. For those of you who are not familiar with this term, Circular A-133 is the document that provides information about audits for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations.

There might be a disease making its way through your school district. It sounds like something you right pick up from summer camp. What is it? Mission creep.

Across the country, schools are feeling the pain of steep budget cuts; now, more than ever, it makes sense for schools that haven't had a clear grant-seeking strategy to adopt one to help keep valuable instructional programs afloat--and even implement new projects.

I have heard many grant writers express frustration about their district's or organization's lack of knowledge about the grantsmanship process. These frustrations typically stem from working with people who don't really understand the purpose of grants and expect funders to reimburse their district for money they've already spent to start a project. Or, they don't have a project in mind but would like to apply for a grant in spite of this, assuming they can fill in the "small details" of a project once they've received funding. Or, they don't believe in partnering with others outside their district, because it will result in a lack of control over the project.

A colleague who writes research grants recently brought something to my attention that totally surprised me. I have been in the grants field for more than 10 years, and I have to say, this is the first time I have ever seen this on a funder's web site. I even did a Google search to see if any other funders were doing this, but I couldn't find any. So, what is this mysterious development? Would you believe...charging an application fee for submitting a grant?

I recently spent some time working on a federal grant proposal that obviously could not be completed by one person in a four-week time period. I was reminded once again of the complexities of federal grants, and why it's important to leave plenty of time to work on a proposal.

It should come as no surprise that the content of a grant proposal is critical. Obviously, if you don't have a strong project to propose, chances are you won't receive a grant to implement it. However, just as important to the grant-writing process is your ability to "sell" your project to grant reviewers--that is, to craft a winning proposal through strong writing skills.

Funders often ask you to provide matching funds for a project. These funds are your "contribution," or your share of the project's cost, illustrating your commitment to the project for which you are requesting additional financial support.

I recently spoke with a grant-writing colleague who was lamenting the fact that the grants office, until its most recent initiative, was not included in the strategic planning process for her district. We talked about how we agreed this might be the case more often than not at districts of all sizes across the country.

A reader who works for a private school recently sent me an eMail message asking for some grant-seeking advice. Her query highlighted the challenge that private schools face in finding grants, as many funders (both public and private) will consider only public-school applications. There are grants available for private education, however, and here are some ways to find them.

If you've read my column before, you might already be familiar with an important bit of advice I've mentioned in the past: Savvy school grant seekers always keep their "ears to the ground" to discover potential sources of funding before they are announced.

A new working paper released in June calls into question a key assumption that many proposal writers have made for years--that foundations don't want to pay for administrative costs.

At a conference held by the Grant Professionals Network of Central Florida in March, I was intrigued by a session presented by Mark Brewer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Central Florida Inc. I have heard Brewer speak before, and he is always well prepared and provides thought-provoking comments. This session was no exception. Titled "The Evolution of Grant Seeking: Professional Development Strategies for a New Generation," Brewer's presentation identified some of the future trends in grant seeking and advised grants professionals to begin thinking about their roles in a new way.

Over the years, I have conducted many workshops for district personnel on how to search for grant opportunities and write proposals. I've also talked to several people who have gone beyond simply looking for grants to fund new projects. They've decided to copy their counterparts in higher education and at private schools and have implemented other types of development activities to generate much-needed revenue to fund school technology and other new projects.

At the American Association of Grant Professionals' annual conference in November, I attended a session that covered the "logic model." This is a concept I think all serious grant seekers should be aware of--as both an internal tool for improvement and an increasingly important grant-seeking strategy.

On Sept. 28, President Bush signed into law the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Sponsored by Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Democratic Sens. Thomas Carper of Delaware and Barack Obama of Illinois, the legislation has important implications for grant-seekers.

I just finished reading about 10 final drafts that were written by students in a master's program. Although they were not grant proposals, I was reminded of a few simple techniques that you can use to make sure your proposal is ready to be submitted. Here they are: