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QAGC helps 5 Texas Districts obtain $millions through 21st CCLC grants

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 03:57:35 GMT

After School programming under way for high needs schools

Quality Assured Grant Consulting submitted 5 applications that were awarded funding through the Texas Cycle 12 of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Programming is now under way at San Benito CISD, Santa Rosa ISD, Dilley ISD, Garner ISD, and La Feria ISD for the 2023-2024 school year. These grants total more than $6.5 million per year for 5 years.

These highly competitive grants are among the most coveted in all of the state. More than 140 districts submitted and 50 were awarded. Quality Assured was 5 for 5 in its submissions, all of which were scored in the top 20 of all submissions.

QAGC considers after school and out of school time grants to be a specialty as during Cycle 11 and 12, the consultants for Quality Assured have been awarded 8 of 11 that were submitted, including 7 that scored in the top 25.

If you are a school district in Texas or any other state, contact us if you are interested in trying to obtain an after school or OST grant. We will give you the best opportunity to be awarded.

WHY YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS A GRANT CONSULTANT

Wed, 24 May 2023 19:56:11 GMT

There's grant funding we need, but I just don't have the time to write or manage

Are you a stressed out, overworked School District Superintendent, able to meet the daily needs of your district, but not much more?

Have you recently seen grant funding available your district or schools qualify for and desperately need to meet your goals and objectives? This can include after school grants, safety and security funding, STEM/STEAM funding, and CTE monies.

But, you already are responsible for schools, students, staff, a multi-million budget, and to the community. It is a stressful, time-consuming career that can take over your life, limiting your moments with family and friends. And, you realize you don't have time to write that grant, let alone manage it and file reports.

Instead of passing up the grant, a grant consultant can help you obtain funding for an individual grant and allow you to still have your weekends and summer time. Here are 6 reasons why you, as a superintendent, should consider contracting with Quality Assured Grant Consulting:

Access to Expertise: We specialize in crafting competitive grant proposals. We have extensive knowledge of the grant application process, including identifying funding opportunities, understanding grant guidelines, and writing compelling narratives. By engaging a grant writing consultant like Quality Assured Grant Consulting, a superintendent can leverage their expertise to increase the likelihood of securing grant funding for the district.
Time and Resource Constraints: Writing a successful grant proposal requires significant time and effort. School district superintendents have multiple responsibilities and may not have the capacity or resources to dedicate sufficient time to the grant writing process. Quality Assured Grant Consulting can take on this task, allowing the superintendent to focus on other administrative duties while ensuring that the grant proposal receives the attention it deserves.
Maximizing Funding Opportunities: We are experienced in identifying relevant funding opportunities and matching them with the specific needs and goals of your school district. We have a robust research plan that updates us on various grants and funding sources, including government grants, private foundation grants, and corporate grants. By working with us, you, as the superintendent can access a broader range of funding options and increase the chances of securing financial support for the district's programs and initiatives.
Enhancing Proposal Quality: We possess the skills to develop well-structured and persuasive grant proposals. We understand how to align the district's objectives with the grant's requirements, present a compelling case for funding, and highlight the potential impact of the proposed project. A consultant like us can provide valuable insights, review and edit the proposal, and ensure that it effectively communicates the district's vision and needs to grant-making organizations.
Grant Management and Reporting: We can also assist with post-award activities, including grant management and reporting. We help you and district staff navigate the requirements and obligations associated with grant funding, ensuring compliance with reporting deadlines, budget management, and performance evaluation.
Increase Funding Success Rate: We have experience and knowledge of what grantors are looking for in proposals. Quality Assured Grant Consulting understands the evaluation criteria, priorities, and trends in grant funding. By leveraging their expertise, a superintendent can improve the quality of grant applications, increasing the likelihood of success and securing additional funding for the school district.

In summary, contracting with a grant writing consultant like Quality Assured Grant Consulting allows you, as the school district superintendent to tap into specialized expertise, save time and resources, access a wider range of funding opportunities, enhance proposal quality, and increase the success rate of securing grant funding for your district's programs and initiatives.

Top 5 Reasons to hire a grant consultant

consultants@qualitygrants.net (Lisa Seiser) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 19:52:42 GMT

Grant consultants will save you money, time, effort and help you get awarded

Whether you are a school district leader or a nonprofit organization director, there are several reasons why contracting with a grant consultant to assist in applying for, winning grants, and supporting management makes sense. Here are the top 5 reasons:

1. Saves you time – Grant writing is not easy. It is time consuming from when a grant opportunity is located, through reading 50-page guidelines, to researching, writing the actual application, and obtaining all documentation needed for submission. The process to perform all these duties takes time – upwards of 50 to 100 hours per application even for the most seasoned writers. If you are leading an organization, you don’t have an entire 2 weeks to spend working uninterrupted on a grant. That’s why it only makes sense to find a grant consultant who can do all this for you and provide you a fair chance at success in obtaining that dream grant and helping you with the grant management after it is awarded. (See Reason #4)

2. Saves costs – You may think you want to bring on a full-time or part-time employee to oversee grant writing for your organization. However, outsourcing on a contractual basis will save you funds in the short- and long-term. A contracted grant consultant can be paid several ways, including flat rates to write and manage the grant or only if the grant is awarded. That makes your cost minimal compared to an employee, who you will need to pay ongoing regardless of if they are writing grants. It also seems as though there are times of the year when multiple grants are due around the same time, which is difficult for one employee. Grant consultants typically can offer multiple writers and specialists, so you don’t miss any of these grant opportunities.

3. Brings expertise – Grant consultants know grants … it’s what they do. So, leave this to them to find you the right grant to apply for and then know what to write and how to write it to give you the best chance to have it awarded. Grant consultants understand the funders and what they are looking for and will provide you with a determination on whether a specific grant is right for your organization or what the chances are of obtaining the grant. Also, there are thousands and thousands of grants out there available to meet various programming and equipment needs. Most likely, a quality grant consultant has experience writing and submitting a variety of these grant applications.

4. Reduces compliance and grant reporting worries – Once a grant is awarded, most funders don’t just send you a big check for your programming. They want to know if you are spending the money according to the guidelines and meeting the goals and outcomes stated in the original grant application. So, let’s be serious, some grants can require as much follow-up through - reports, evaluations, budgeting and more - than the time spent writing the grant itself. That’s why you want a grant consultant (not just a grant writer) to partner with so they can assist you in all these areas to ensure you remain in compliance with the funder, which will impact your ability to obtain future grants as well.

5. You have control – You are hiring a grant consultant to perform the time consuming and detailed work. However, you will still play a vital role in the development and review of the grant proposal prior to submission. You will be provided with drafts to look at before the application is submitted and you are urged to read it fully, suggest changes, and ask questions, so you can direct your grant application development. Initially, once a specific grant has been determined to apply for, you and your staff leaders will meet with your grant consultant to discuss your program ideas and needs. The grant consultant will take that information, put together a proposal, and budget that meets the guidelines of the grant, providing you the best chance for award.

Top 5 Expanded Learning/After School grant hints

consultants@qualitygrants.net (Lisa Seiser) — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 20:01:37 GMT

These are very competitive grants and every bit of additional information is helpful to attain grants

Tip #1: Start work on your grant early – Read the guidelines and make sure your organization meets the eligibility criteria. Also, look at the amount of funding to see how many grants will be awarded. That information usually is in the first several pages of the guidelines (RFA) document. Review all parts of the RFA to determine how much work will be involved for this grant and the deadline(s). If there is a letter of intent to apply that needs to be submitted, this will ensure you don’t miss that deadline. Also, create a list of submission items so you don’t have any surprises on deadline day. Also, this is when you will find out where the application is and the submission process.

Tip #2: Determine if your organization is a good candidate for this grant – There are specific sections in the RFA that will mention priorities (extra points) as well as what needs are supposed to be met by the grant funding. This can include percentages of low-income students to be targeted, served, or in your school or organization. Determine if your school will qualify for these priority points (also could be for small, rural schools, or schools in certain areas of the state not currently funded by the agency). If there is a webinar or conference for the grant, attend it. You are guaranteed to learn something and potentially answer this question. You also may be able to find out how many other schools are interested in this grant. But don’t get deterred if there are a lot who are on the conference/webinar too.

Tip #3: Start meeting with your key staff members to discuss your program needs – Writing a grant for after school programming involves depth and teamwork. This should not be done alone. Hold meetings to discuss your school needs assessment as well as what type of program you want to create. That includes times, days of the week, number of hours, what types of activities will be held, a tentative schedule for each day, what staff will be involved in the program, and more. Select one person to write the grant (piecemeal grants written by several people are obvious to the readers) and lead the process. But make sure you hold multiple meetings to make sure everyone is in the same page. When the grant is awarded, staff will have to follow the grant objectives, deliverables and budget.

Tip #4: Research for best practices – Often, included on the website where you find the RFA, there will be lists of sites and links to information for best practices and research-based programming. However, going beyond that can be beneficial and set your application apart from others. Use Google Scholar to search for peer reviewed research on your specific program. For example, look up STEAM program impacts on grade school children, if you are intending to utilize STEAM activities in your after-school program (something I highly suggest). Also, look to include academic interventions such as high quality tutoring using high quality materials. Find research-based articles that fit your program goals.

Tip #5: Review, review, and review – Because you are involving your key staff, make sure they read and analyze the grant prior to submission. Use the scoring rubric (usually at the back of the RFA) to determine if the narrative answers the questions fully. Also, compare to the guidelines (RFA) to make sure all the requirements (number of days, hours, weeks and more) are being met and are aligned with programming in your narrative. Make sure your fellow staff also review all attachments to double check for anything missing. Funding agencies aren’t lenient. If you are missing a document, it is likely your grant will not be awarded.