Development Process

Understanding the Process

Developing a grant proposal is a dynamic process, and each case is unique.

The following steps describe the basic process of developing a grant proposal at MCC. Please note that additional work may be required, depending on grant guidelines and the project’s complexity

STEP 1:

Faculty/Staff who are interested in developing a grant proposal at MCC should:

  • Contact the MCC Office of Institutional Effectiveness, who will assist with connecting to the appropriate district or college staff to assist with the particular grant effort.
  • Consult about grant writing with your supervisor(s).
  • Search for grant opportunities through eCivis, grants.gov, etc.
  • Participate in the District’s Grant Writing 101 workshop if available.

STEP 2:

Generate ideas for grant writing (Need Statement).

  • What issues affect our students, faculty, staff, and college?
  • How do we know if the issues exist? (data, studies, reports, etc.).
  • What do we need to solve the issues?

STEP 3:

Identify a funding opportunity, and learn about its guidelines.

  • Are we eligible for this funding opportunity?
  • When is the application deadline?
  • Is it a public or private source of funding?
  • Do we need to provide matching funds?

STEP 4:

Form a project team.

  • Get key personnel involved in the proposed project.
  • Discuss the project’s scope and details, such as operation plan, timeline, budget, sustainability plan, evaluation methods, and report preparation.
  • Start drafting documents for a grant application.

STEP 5:

Prepare a grant proposal for approval/submission.

  • Get the application reviewed/approved by the chain of command.
  • Complete a Project Summary Approval form for the College President’s signature and submit to the MCC grants office.
  • Work with the MCC grants office to submit a “nearly-finalized” application for the District’s approval ten (10) business days before the application deadline.