Avagene Moore: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! Amy Sebring, my partner/associate, and I are pleased you could join us today! Avagene Moore: Today's topic is "Grant Writing 101 - Where to Ask and How to Get What You Want." If you have not read the background materials, including our speaker's bio, please do so after today's session. Avagene Moore: For the benefit of any first-timers, we will begin today's session with a formal presentation followed by an opportunity for your questions. Avagene Moore: We will provide further instructions on the protocol for asking questions or commenting just before we begin the Q&A section. However, it is wise to jot down your questions or comments as we go along. Avagene Moore: Please do not send private messages to our speaker or the moderator, as we will be busy with the presentation. If you need assistance, you may send a private message to Amy Sebring. Avagene Moore: The transcript of today's session will be available late this afternoon or early this evening -- just check back on our home page. Avagene Moore: Amy and I were fortunate to hear our speaker at last fall's IAEM Conference and asked her to share this topic with you. It is my pleasure to introduce her to you. Avagene Moore: Lisa Gibney is the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Duane Arnold Energy Center, Iowa's only nuclear power station. She specializes is building partnerships with local emergency response agencies; ... Avagene Moore: assisting them with developing plans and procedures as well as offering radiological response training to nearly 2000 emergency workers every year. She also serves as a Volunteer Liaison Officer and Assistant Operations Officer for the Linn County Emergency Management Agency. Avagene Moore: In 2004, Lisa was approached by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry, to draft a "how to" handbook of the basics of grant writing to assist State and Local emergency management partners in securing grant funds to further their mission of protecting the health and safety of the public. Avagene Moore: Using her experience in local Emergency Management and more than 12 years of service on the Grant Allocation committee of a local Children's charity that has allocated more than $4 million dollars, Lisa outlined ideas and suggestions for navigating the grant writing process. Avagene Moore: The result was the "Grant Application Handbook: A Guide to the Application Process for Competitive and Non-Competitive Grants", published by NEI. There is a link to the guide on the background page as well as other information related to our speaker and topic today. Avagene Moore: Lisa, we welcome you to the EIIP Virtual Forum to discuss this timely topic with our audience. ... Avagene Moore: Lisa, if you wish to say hello to the audience, please do so at this time. Gibney Lisa: Thanks! Im looking forward to this today! Avagene Moore: I will input Lisa's formal remarks today. Avagene Moore: Thank you very much for this invitation. This is a new adventure for me. I was very flattered to be invited to share with you my ideas on how to approach grant writing. Avagene Moore: My comments today are just some ideas and suggestions of things that I have learned during my tenure as both someone who seeks grant and someone who allocates funding for grant requests. Avagene Moore: What I suggest today are just things that have worked for me ... you will want to tailor the ideas to fit your specific needs. Avagene Moore: Many of you are no doubt familiar with the Homeland Security Grant programs and the various other governmental grant programs that have been designed to help improve our nation's ability to respond to emergencies, especially the threat of terrorism. Avagene Moore: If you need specific assistance on a Homeland Security grant issue, I suggest you contact your State or local point of contact for Homeland Security. However, the Homeland Security Grants are not the only funding source available. Avagene Moore: I encourage you to explore other potential sources of grants as well. For example, check out sites such as www.grants.gov ; Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CDFA) at www.cfda.gov ; or www.nonprofit.gov for the Non- profit Gateway). Avagene Moore: You might also try subscription sites for grant source such as: philanthropy.com/grants or grantgate.com or just do a GOOGLE search to find local sources such as community foundations or corporate foundations. Avagene Moore: Today I want to share with you some ideas and suggestions to help you be successful in seeking grants from those non-traditional sources. Avagene Moore: As was mentioned in my introduction, I was honored to help design the NEI Grant Application Handbook as a tool to assist those seeking grants, especially competitive grants. Avagene Moore: The Handbook grew from a desire by the nuclear power industry to assist our partners in State and local emergency management as they struggled to find the resources to fund needed programming, training and equipment to protect our communities. Avagene Moore: The nuclear power industry is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public, and as such, we've cultivated a rich and rewarding partnership with our State and local county emergency management agencies. Avagene Moore: The support we give to emergency management makes for stronger programs for not only radiological emergency preparedness, but for preparedness for any type of emergency! Avagene Moore: The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry, decided to compile a "how to" handbook of the basics of grant writing to help them seek other sources of funding. Avagene Moore: I was chosen to create the Handbook because I have an active role as a volunteer with our local emergency management agency and I also have a rich history of volunteerism, including nearly 15 years on the Board of Variety, the Children's Charity of Iowa. Avagene Moore: Through Variety I've helped to raise and give more than $4 million dollars to local charitable organizations throughout Iowa that serve the needs of children. Over the years I've had the opportunity to observe first hand what works and what doesn't. I tried to share those observations in the handbook and will try to summarize the basics here today. Avagene Moore: I'm not sure I have tremendous words of wisdom to impart today. Most of what I'll discuss today is just plain old common sense. Being successful in obtaining a grant is 80% researching and crafting the application and 20% luck and timing. Submitting a successful grant application is hard work! Avagene Moore: It takes research and many hours of writing and re-writing to be succinct and persuasive. Yet despite all your hard work and preparation, there are some intangibles that you can't control. Avagene Moore: Each year the grant applications are different, but the one thing that is always constant is that there are ALWAYS many more worthy projects and programs than we as a Board had the money to fund! Avagene Moore: I have been on both sides of the grant application process and I can assure you that it is as hard to have to say the words, "I'm sorry we couldn't fund your project" as it is to hear them. Avagene Moore: As a reviewer for a Grant Funding Organization, when I study a funding request, I am looking for a creative approach to problem solving. I like to see a project that has wide spread support from several sources, which won't duplicate existing programs. I also like to see a plan to sustain this program after my grant runs out. Avagene Moore: Another positive, in my opinion, is if the program serves either the needs of many or serves the needs of the chronically underserved. I look for indications that the organization will be good stewards of "my" money. And, I do think of it as "my money"... I worked hard to raise it with a Telethon, Wine Tasting events, Golf Outings, etc. I am VERY particular where it gets spent! Avagene Moore () Today, I want to talk about some things you can do to make sure that your next grant submittal is successful. Avagene Moore: If I had to choose just one piece of advice for those seeking grants it would be simply: Read and follow all the directions! Avagene Moore: I know that sounds ridiculous, but you would be amazed at the number of people who don't! That's the fastest way to get bounced from consideration. If the directions say "submit an original and 6 complete copies", then do it! If it asks for a copy of your 501C(3) paperwork with your submittal, then provide it! Avagene Moore: Even my small children's charity in Iowa gets more than 150 applications each year to review! We don't have time to call for missing data or make additional copies. Avagene Moore: Following the directions is just common courtesy for those who spend their time reviewing the applications. Bottom line, if you don't want to follow the directions there are plenty of others who will! Avagene Moore: There are two basic types of grants: non-competitive and competitive. Avagene Moore: In non-competitive grants, nobody is turned away who meets the basic criteria, files the paperwork correctly and meets the deadlines. Essentially, if you ask properly, then you're in. Avagene Moore: The amount of your award is dependent on the numbers who fulfill the basic requirements. Other than being timely and accurate on your application, there isn't much that you can do to improve your award, that's why today I wanted to focus on the "competitive" grants. Avagene Moore: Competitive grants judge all those who apply against each other. Each grant funding organization (GFO) will have differing requirements, goals and missions. The key to success is to find a way to demonstrate that your project is deserving of the funding. Avagene Moore: Funding is awarded based on how the applications are "rated" by the reviewer(s). Even though there are usually pre-set criteria and a checklist of some sort to encourage uniform review, it is still a subjective process where overall presentation does factor into the selection process. Avagene Moore: Presentation (no typing errors, good grammar and thoughtful use of color & graphics) counts greatly, but other considerations factor in also: How critical is the need your project addresses? How innovative is your idea? How many people are being served? Avagene Moore: Consider having an independent review of the application. Besides detecting glaring omissions and grammatical errors, consider a review by someone unfamiliar with your project. They can provide valuable insight about whether you were clear and compelling in your presentation. Avagene Moore: So if you've got a great idea or project, how do you get started? Writing a successful application takes lots of time energy and research. It's not a task that you can do in one evening. It's sort of like eating an elephant ... you need to take one bite at a time! Avagene Moore: First, Get Organized. There are a few things to ask yourself as you decide to pursue grant funding: What's the vision for your project? Is it REALISTIC???? What's the scope? (Long term? Fixed Length? ) Avagene Moore: Who shares your vision? What support do you already have? (Volunteers already on board? Matching funds commitment by other businesses or agencies? ) What, if any "Match" funds do you have secured from your community? Avagene Moore: How can you sustain the project after the grant ends? What kind of grant should you seek? ("Bricks & Mortar"? "Programming"? "Operations"? ) Identify sources of funding available. Avagene Moore: Next, Do your Homework. Learn about the organization: Again, ask questions: What is their philosophy, history and mission? Seek out Board Members for insight if possible. What kind of projects have they funded before? Seek out former award winners for suggestions on what the organization seeks when looking to award their dollars. Avagene Moore: Do they offer assistance w/ applications? What are the "expectations" for award winners? (Are you expected to assist in fund raising in the future? Submit periodic "progress reports? Avagene Moore: Participate in publicity for the organization? ) If you're denied will they provide feedback on improvements or suggestions for future consideration? Avagene Moore: Now you're ready to begin to craft your application. Major Components of an Application typically include: The Proposal, The Budget, The Executive Summary Avagene Moore: The Proposal: The Proposal is the "game plan" for the project. This is where you outline what you want to change and how you "propose" to go about making the change. Avagene Moore: Paint a picture of the need - how can you make it REAL to the reviewer? Use statistics (well quoted of course!) to reinforce your words and reasoning. Set the stage for WHY your project should be funded-there is SO much competition for an ever-shrinking market of grant dollars. Avagene Moore: Why should yours be chosen? Are you innovative, will you serve large numbers of an underserved or extremely needed population? Highlight what makes this project different or likely to make a difference - why will this project succeed where others have failed to make a difference? It needs to "Hook" the reader and keep them wanting to read on. Avagene Moore: AGAIN ... this is a competitive process - this is where you begin to set your project apart as something unique, or explain why you should get the dollars...Would you invest your OWN money in this cause? Avagene Moore: That's what you're asking the funding organization to do. The reviewer(s) are charged with distributing the funds entrusted to them just as if it was their own personal money (and in some cases it may be their personal money!) Avagene Moore: The Budget: Budgets have many different "looks" but the same basic elements are needed. Confirm with the GFO what is "allowed" under the rules. Can you pay for personnel? What about printing & reproduction? Can you use funds for travel? Read the guidance to see what (if any) travel costs can be charged back to the grant funds. ... Avagene Moore: DON'T ASSUME! Be sure to see if there are distinctions between "Mileage" (such as daily travel) and "Travel" (such as airfare or mileage to attend conferences, training, etc.). Avagene Moore: What are the rules about In-Kind or "Soft" Matches determine whether the community match must be Cash or if it can be goods/services/labor. All goods and services have "value". Volunteer hours are some of the easiest "Soft" matches to obtain. Avagene Moore: Once you have your budget finished take the time and "Do the Math." Is it accurate? Is your budget practical/logical for what you want to do? Is it realistic? (Did you rely too heavily on volunteers?) Avagene Moore: Did you allow any margin for adjustment/overrun on labor or supplies? This is an opportunity for you to show that you are "detail oriented" and will be cautious and prudent with the funding organizations money!! Avagene Moore: Once the Proposal and the Budget are completed then you have the basis for the Executive Summary. Typically, it's the first page of an application packet, but it's generally most effective when written LAST. Avagene Moore: It's designed to give a quick "snap shot" of your idea and gives a "first impression" of the project. It needs to "grab" the reader-Make the reviewer want to turn the page and find out more ... Avagene Moore: When finished it can function as the basis for a marketing tool since "the basics" of the project are featured there. The Executive Summary is also a chance to start to "Stand Out Among the Stack." Avagene Moore: Refine and re-state until your Executive Summary will capture in just a few paragraphs the soul of your Project and WHY it deserves the funding. Avagene Moore: There is much competition and nearly all the projects are good ideas. You have to capture why your project is the one that will succeed and give the most "bang for the buck" in this summary or the reviewer(s) will move on to a presentation that will. Avagene Moore: Let me also take moment to share some common reasons why a proposal is denied: Avagene Moore: * Didn't meet the requirements (" Sorry, but this agency doesn't fund "bricks & mortar" projects..") Avagene Moore: * Too ambitious! (Even Miss America contestants don't claim they can foster World Peace any more!) Avagene Moore: * Poorly written and hard to follow Avagene Moore: * Typos or overall "messy" appearance Avagene Moore: * Unclear need (who will benefit?) Avagene Moore: * No demonstration that key players are on board (and don't imply that the Mayor is behind this if he isn't! If he is, find a way to get that in writing - put him/her on your Board or ... Avagene Moore: include a letter of support from the Mayor in your package if allowed, especially if you can outline "match monies" or other community support at the same time! Avagene Moore: * Duplicates an already existing project (if you do duplicate existing services you need to be clear and compelling about what you will do differently) Avagene Moore: * Asking for more funds than available in the total funding pool (shows you didn't do your homework about the agency) Avagene Moore: * Not following the details...("Send us 3 copies plus the original" means just that!) Avagene Moore: And one more time..... READ THE APPLICATION IN ITS ENTIRITY BEFORE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP THE APPLICATION AND FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER!!!! Avagene Moore: So even if you follow all the suggestions, there are still going to be more great ideas than funding. If your project isn't funded: Avagene Moore: * Send a short "thank you" note to the funding agency thanking them for their consideration (your Mother was right...it will make a difference, especially if your group applies again next year! ) Avagene Moore: * Ask for feedback on the application. Was there a specific reason why your project wasn't funded? What was the strong point(s) of your idea and/or the application? Avagene Moore: * Realize the process is SUBJECTIVE and don't give up! You may get full or partial funding from another source off essentially the same application. Avagene Moore: Obtaining grant funding, especially for competitive grants is difficult. It is such a challenge to do it well that Grant Writing is becoming a career for those who have the talent to organize and be detail oriented. Avagene Moore () Remember, to improve your chance for success: Avagene Moore: Read the requirements! Follow the directions! Draft a clear, concise Proposal, Budget & Executive Summary! Create a professional looking package! Meet all deadlines! Avagene Moore: Thanks for this opportunity to visit with you today! Avagene Moore: Lisa is here to answer your questions. I am sure there are several questions for you, Lisa. ... Avagene Moore: Our protocol for audience questions is to enter a question mark ? to indicate you wish to ask a question or make a comment. ... Avagene Moore: Then go ahead and compose your question or comment to have it ready, but do NOT hit your Enter key or click on the Send button until you are recognized by name. Please WAIT your turn. ... Avagene Moore: But be ready when you are called upon. We want to get to as many questions as we can today. .... Avagene Moore: We will take questions in the order the question marks are sent to the screen. One question at a time please. If you have a follow up question, please get back in line with another ? - we want to be courteous and give everyone an opportunity to speak and ask a question. ... Avagene Moore: We are ready to begin now. Please input a question mark (?) at any time. Gerald Isaacson: ? Isabel McCurdy: ? Avagene Moore: Gerald, input your question whenever you are ready. Gerald Isaacson: what are the differences between government funding and private Lisa Gibney: Hi Gerald...Thanks for being first! Lisa Gibney: The biggest difference is that the private sources typically have more options available and a slightly less restrictive criteria... Lisa Gibney: There is usually more room for creativity in a private funding source... George Glessner: ? Lisa Gibney: Government sources tend to be pretty strict...such as must use the money for training and only training; or use for equipment and only equipment, that sort of thing. Avagene Moore: Isabel, please. Isabel McCurdy: Lisa, where can one obtain a copy of the NEI Grant Application Book? Amy Sebring: (I will get the link.) Lisa Gibney: Thanks for asking! There is a weblink available... Kathleen O'Connor: ? Lisa Gibney: Thanks Amy! Amy Sebring: http://www.nei.org/documents/Emergency_Planning_Grant_Handbook.pdf Avagene Moore: George, you are next, sir. Thanks, Amy. George Glessner: I am with a Private for Profit Ambulance Service (second largest in the area) that currently responds to about 40% of the 911 calls for a mixed rural/urban area with a population of ~800,000. How do I find GFOs that will consider funding a for profit company's projects? Lisa Gibney: Hi George...Im an EMT myself ... Avagene Moore: (If you have a question, please input your ? at any time.) Isabel McCurdy: ? Jocelyn Perry: ? Amy Sebring: ? Lisa Gibney: My suggestion would be to contact some of the private sources near you and see how they would suggest that you could focus on the service you provide as opposed to teeh "for profit " part. Avagene Moore: Kathleen O'Connor, please. Kathleen O'Connor: Where would I look for information on grant funds for homeland security projects? Lisa Gibney: George, you might check with the hosptals you serve or public health sources too. Greg Brownderville () ? Lisa Gibney: Kathleen...I'd try Grants.gov. They are a one-stop shop for gov grants... Lisa Gibney: Also check with your State or local point of contact for Homeland Security. If you arent sure who that is those POCs are listed also in the NEI Grants Handbook. Avagene Moore: Isabel, please. Isabel McCurdy: Lisa, when one is denied funding- what is the best way to find out why application was not successful? Lisa Gibney: I suggest at the very least a "thank you for considering us" note to the organization. ... Lisa Gibney: If they have an admin person they can often provide answers as might members of the board. Its very helpful to get that feedback on what was lacking. Sometimes it is just too many good candidates... Lisa Gibney: I have a very dear friend who is a professional grant writer and she says its not "fund raising but rather FRIEND raising".. She emphasizes the need to build rapport with those organziations that grant monies. Avagene Moore: Jocelyn, your turn, please. Jocelyn Perry: Are there grants out there that help cover building costs or equipment costs? We are a not-for-profit and would like to eliminate some of our operation costs so we may focus on running the many programs and services we provide? Lisa Gibney: Yes there are, but quite honestly they are few and far between... Avagene Moore: (If you have a question, please input your ? at any time.) Lisa Gibney: Often referred to as "bricks and mortar" funding they are an important tool. This is yet another reason to read carefully the grant details because many do NOT cover building costs. Avagene Moore: Amy, please. Amy Sebring: Lisa, would you agree that if you ARE awarded a grant, that your after-award actions, such as timely reporting, etc., improves your chances next time around? That is, having good reputation can make a difference? Jocelyn Perry: ? Lisa Gibney: Abosolutely! Your Mother was right--your reputation is a huge factor.. Isabel McCurdy: ? Lisa Gibney: Another thing that was a very big plus for our small Charity is those who were willing to volunteer to help us raise funds such as answering phones for our Telethon! Avagene Moore: Greg, your question, please. Greg Brownderville () Where would I look for funding for publishing literature written about an impoverished, under-represented culture like that of the Arkansas Delta? Avagene Moore: (If you have a question, please input your ? at any time.) Kathleen O'Connor: ? Lisa Gibney: Hmmm...I think I'd try one of the larger data bases like maybe the Federal Register at http://www.archives.gov/federal register/index.html ... Lisa Gibney: Perhaps a University might have some information also? I'll have to think about that one. Let me move on and I'll keep thinking in the meantime. Avagene Moore: Jocelyn, your turn, please. Jocelyn Perry: How would you approach (or would you?) a local corporation with a funding request that has not been solicited by them? Is this frowned upon? Greg Brownderville: thanks Lisa Gibney: That's a great question Jocelyn... Lisa Gibney: You can't be shy about asking...HOWEVER, you do need to contact them to see if they have a foundation or other department to handle requests... David King: It's basic salesmanship isn't it? What's in it for them? Then, put that first in your presentation. How are you going to help them if they give you the funding? Lisa Gibney: Most large companies are asked often so you wont be the first, jsut be sure you follow any rules they have... Susan Cleverley: ? Lisa Gibney: You are right on the money (no pum intended) David... Lisa Gibney: Competive grants are all about salesmanship and showing that your project will do the "best" work with their dollars... Lisa Gibney: As I said earlier..I work hard to raise this money that we allocate. I absolutely want to be sure that the organizations I fund are using it wisely! One thing that we do as a Board that is different is that we pay a visit to every group who applies... Amy Sebring: ? Lisa Gibney: That gives me a first hand look at how they will use MY money! And there have been times when what I saw was more persuasive than what they wrote! Avagene Moore: Thanks for taking David's question, Lisa. Isabel is next, please. Isabel McCurdy: Lisa, is there a quota of number of grants you can obtain from an organization? Kinda wondered if there were limitations set. Jocelyn Perry: ? Lisa Gibney: Not usually...although, each funding organization is different so be sure to ask. The only usual limit I see is a calander year...(we only give money once a year) Avagene Moore: Kathleen, please. Kathleen O'Connor: Where would I look for funding a publication for gifted students? I found in the past that many of these funds were only available to intermediate school districts, not to individual teachers (although there was ~$30mil out there) and that other organizations supporting the arts would not assist the publication if they funded art, but the pub contained science articles and vise versa. Kathleen O'Connor: I mean that, if they assist art, they would not fund science in the same publication, and vice versa. Lisa Gibney: Hi Kathleen...I'd search the Department of Education website. Also another good source of grants is the Foundation Center www.fdncenter.org They have amazing stuff there. Some is free and some parts have a subscription fee, but its a great starting point! Avagene Moore: Susan, your turn, please. Susan Cleverley: Have you come across grants for children who want to privately pursue music and the arts but lack resources for instruments, supplies and lessons? Kathleen O'Connor: ? Lisa Gibney: Don't be discouraged though! You are seeing what we've faced in emergency management for years: grants to fund equipment but couldnt use the money to pay for training! YIKES! Lisa Gibney: I haven't personally Susan, but if it were me, I'd go to my local symphony or even the music department at the University and ask for suggestions. I think the Foundation Center would be a good site for you to check also...seems I saw a section there for the Arts... Avagene Moore: (We still have time for a few more questions. Input your ? if you have one.) Lisa Gibney: Just try to think ahead to who will benefit someday from these budding musicians and go to them for help. Avagene Moore: Amy, you are next, please. Amy Sebring: This link should work I hope. http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/index.html . Here is another link to a DHS piece entitled "Working with DHS" that includes some grant resources. http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0355.xml Susan Cleverley: ? Avagene Moore: Thanks, Amy. Jocelyn, you have another question? Input please. Jocelyn Perry: Some grants, I have noticed, do not provide $ for staff to implement a program. How can I in good faith write a program and state its implementation and evaluation, but not have people, or at least one person, funded through the grant $ to help out? I'm more familiar with the evaluation side of grants, and it is VERY time consuming to evaluate correctly ... what is the justification for not always providing funding for this? Lisa Gibney: Thanks Try this too... Federal Business Opportunities http://www.fedbizopps.gov Lisa Gibney: You've hit on a great point Jocelyn... Amy Sebring: ? Lisa Gibney: The simple, somewhat callous answer is: the organizations expect the money to go to programming and not administration! Isabel McCurdy: ? Avagene Moore: Kathleen, please. Kathleen O'Connor: Already researched the Ed Dept. The problem was that the art orgs wouldn't fund the art they usually would if there was science in the pub also, and vise versa. How to overcome this departmental antipathy? Lisa Gibney: Now, having said that this is an opportunity to leverage several grants into serving one program and then be sure to use the staff time to count as part of your Match. Kathleen O'Connor: The idea was to provide a pub that covered the full curriculum. Lisa Gibney: Boy Kathleen, that's a tough one. Sounds like a good example of narrow thinking! Avagene Moore: Susan, your turn, please. Susan Cleverley: Any suggestions for performance based reporting? Kathleen O'Connor: You bet! Lisa Gibney: What about your local education association??? Lisa Gibney: Hmmm...Susan, Im not sure I know what you mean? Can you expand? Susan Cleverley: I often run across program managers who want to report stats instead of how the agency has improved in capability. Lisa Gibney: Be as honest as you possibly can. We have a saying at my Plant: "Under committ and Over Produce". Lisa Gibney: Ah...I see... Lisa Gibney: Perhaps it may take a little education by you to help them see that its more than just numbers that you need? Avagene Moore: Our last question - Amy, please. Lisa Gibney: I feel your pain....Im surrounded by engineers all day :-) Amy Sebring: I think at least one professional grant writer for a City, e.g., can easily pay for their own salary, and yet I find that this seems to go unrecognized in some places. In that case, is it possibly worth it to have an independent grant writer work on a contract basis? Cannot those costs sometimes be covered if the grant application is successful? Lisa Gibney: I absolutely agree...Those costs can often be covered in the grant process, just be sure to confirm ahead of time as sometimes there are restrictions in adminstrative costs... Lisa Gibney: Some grants allow a straight percentage that can be used for any administrative purpose. Avagene Moore: Thank you, Lisa. We greatly appreciate your effort and time on our behalf. I am sure our audience will benefit from the experiences you shared with us today. ... Lisa Gibney: Amy raised another good point: TEAMWORK Avagene Moore: Sorry, Lisa. Do you wish to add something more? Lisa Gibney: Sorry.. I just type too slow :-) Avagene Moore: Please stand by a moment while we make some quick announcements .... Avagene Moore: If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to get program announcements and notices of transcript availability, please see the Subscribe link on our home page. Avagene Moore: We have one new EIIP Partner to announce and welcome today - Civil Broadcast Technologies LLC http://www.civilbroadcast.com . Charles Ferguson, President of CBT, is the Point of Contact to the EIIP. Avagene Moore () If you are interested in becoming an EIIP Partner, please see the "Partnership for You" link on the EIIP Virtual Forum homepage http://www.emforum.org . Avagene Moore: Again, the transcript of today's session will be posted later today and you will be able to access it from our home page. An announcement will also be sent to our Mail Lists when the transcript is available. Avagene Moore: Our next Virtual Forum session is Wednesday, February 23, 12:00 Noon Eastern. William Nicholson, Adjunct Professor of Terrorism and Emergency Law, Widener University of Law, will address legal issues in emergency management - a very timely and interesting topic. Mark your calendar now. Avagene Moore: Thanks to everyone for participating today. We appreciate you, the audience! Kathleen O'Connor: Thank you! Hi Jack... thanks for recommending this class. Avagene Moore: Before you go, please help me show our appreciation to Lisa Gibney for a fine job. The EIIP Virtual Forum is adjourned! Thank you, Lisa! Lisa Gibney: I would be happy to follow up with any of you. lisa.gibney@nmcco.com is work or gibneylisa@mcleodusa.net is home! Just let me know if I can help!