A number of grants are available to assist education programs with funding at many levels, including federal, state, and private. Some schools have a dedicated grant writer who devotes his/her time to finding and writing for available funds; however, this is rare. Most schools I work with ask an employee to devote a portion of time to grant writing. While this can be very time consuming, the end result can be very rewarding.
4 Reasons to Apply for Grants
-
1. A grant is different than a loan. Grant money doesn't need to be paid back.
2. It gives your organization financial resources to expand its programs and help serve your target population.
3. The process of gathering information to apply for a grant can be beneficial even if you aren't rewarded money. It can reveal strengths and weaknesses, available resources, and areas of need in your program.
4. Applying for grant money is a good reason to reach out to other organizations and initiatives in your area. It can be an opportunity to develop partnerships.
( Source)
The money is out there. Why shouldn't your program benefit?
I work with colleges and universities all over the country, from nursing and health science programs to EMS and pharmacy schools. While the programs all vary, one constant that I see in programs with consistent funding is that they take the time and make the effort to write for grants.
A good example would be what is currently happening in the state of Tennessee. The governor has set aside $15 million for career tech schools in the Volunteer State for 2017. Those individuals who were aware of the opportunity and made the time to write for the grant are currently receiving anywhere from $30K to $100K based on enrollment and programs offered.
I have had the privilege to work with many of these schools and have seen firsthand the difference funding like this has made for programs that have never had this type of opportunity before.
If you are writing for grants, great. The effort will pay off. If you are not, I hope this post will encourage you to do so. It may result in a great opportunity for your program. If there is anything that the Pocket Nurse sales team can do to help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to support you and your students.
The next application period to submit nursing education research grants to National League of Nursing (NLN) opens October 1, 2017 and closes February 8, 2018. The NLN site has a grant proposal toolkit with resources that will help in preparing and submitting a proposal to apply for funding.
Justin Pratt is a Major Account Manager with Pocket Nurse. He recently helped several Tennessee schools when they were awarded Career Technical Education (CTE) grant money from the governor.
