Each year, around this time, Head Start programs in DRS are beginning to prepare for their grant competition. Typically, there is a forecast on Grants.gov that alerts agencies to when the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for their grant will post and when applications will be due. As we head into the start of a new program year, there is not yet a forecast posted on Grants.gov for fall DRS grant competitions. While there is usually a forecast a month or more out, the lead time can be much shorter. We understand that this creates some uncertainty for program.
Given that September is just around the corner, and that is usually when we see DRS grant competitions open, we strongly encourage grantees in DRS to prepare for their upcoming competition now. Here are a few ways that your agency can establish a foundation that will ease the transition into grant writing.
1. Finalize your program design. If your agency is still working on its design planning (program options, allocation of slots, locations, etc.), we recommend wrapping this up. Once the NOFO posts, your program will need to quickly shift gears to responding to the application criteria and drafting the proposal. If the program design is agreed upon ahead of time, you will be able to take advantage of all the available time during the application development phase.
2. Plan for start up. Once your program design is final, begin planning for start up. Consider what you will need from multiple perspectives – staff support, facilities, updating classrooms, etc. Think broadly and specifically so that you have what you need for a successful start to your new grant. You will describe your program’s start up needs in the proposal and will be expected to provide a start up budget and timeline.
3. Data, data, data! Data from your program’s most recent community assessment and wage study will be needed to justify your program design and budget as well as to describe community needs. Be sure these documents are up to date and are integral parts of your program design planning. Doing so will help to ensure you make a strong case for the need for Head Start services and how much those services cost.
4. Consider federal priorities in Head Start. Until the DRS NOFO posts, there’s no way of knowing if it will be similar to the NOFOs in past years or if it will look different. There could be a stronger focus on federal priorities (e.g., parent choice, nutrition and healthy eating, layered funding). Regardless, be prepared to show responsiveness in these areas.
5. Ensure Grants.gov credentials are up to date and determine Grants.gov assignments.The last step of the application process – submission of the proposal – should be one of the first things your program considers. Determine which team member has the login credentials for Grants.gov, and sign in now to ensure credentials are up to date. Identify the team member(s) who will be responsible for data entry and uploading the proposal.
In addition to these suggestions, we encourage you to consider if and what type of support your program needs for its DRS proposal. While there are traditional services (e.g., grant writing), lighter touch supports also work well for programs that have internal grant writing capacity. Foundations for Families offers customized supports to meet the needs of programs in DRS. Below are a few high impact solutions that are available for programs.
DRS Data Gathering. High-quality data collection and analysis can support your program’s ability to respond to DRS criteria. Foundations for Families team members collect key data points and provide compliant data tables that you can use to describe community need and justify your program design.
DRS Toolkit. Foundations for Families’ DRS Toolkit equips your program with a timeline, template, and process to successfully draft and submit a competitive proposal. With a step-by-step calendar to help you stay on track, our toolkit will direct you through the grant writing process. Questions and checklists based on grant criteria will prompt discussions about content and support a critical review of your final draft.
Quality Assurance Review. Using custom tools, Foundations for Families team members conduct a detailed review of your program’s proposal (drafted by the applicant) and provide feedback to strengthen compliance and competitiveness. This review can be conducted once or twice during the proposal development period and is aligned to the criteria and requirements of the NOFO.
Grants.gov Submission Support. To help agencies through the final stage of the process, Foundations for Families offers Grants.gov submission support. We will walk you through application submission step-by-step so that you gain an understanding of Grants.gov and feel confident that your application is compliant and meets the deadline.
If your program is competing for funding in DRS and needs help, please be in touch. We would be glad to talk with you about your programs needs and how to ensure a high-quality and on-time application. Contact us to learn more.
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