Sample Reading First Grant Outline

Download a sample Reading First Program grant outline. Please use federal forms and edit for your specific needs. The following sample is in a PDF file format. Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed.

Sample Reading First Grant Outline

Grant Writing Tips for Reading First

Sample Grant Writing Tips

1. BEFORE you begin writing, have each grant team member read the Request for Proposal (RFP) or Guidance statement in detail and understand the specific application requirements.
   
   
2. Remember that the goal of this solicitation is to "provide assistance to States and districts to establish research-based reading programs..." The more that you can speak of program "components," the more each section will be responsive to the overall grant request. This is not simply about better testing or about more instruction; it is meant to change the way education approaches literacy development across all related areas.
   
   
3. Reading First was intended to support States, who then support local districts. This grant application should be initiated at the State level and include local funding in the subgrant process (see section 9 of sample grant outline).
   
   
4. There is no substitute for a well-defined Table of Contents in a grant. This is especially true in the case of Reading First applications, where there is no specified format, but much specified content required. (We've taken the liberty of organizing a sample grant outline just as a suggestion.)
   
   
5. Collaborate on the ideas that will be included in the grant; have one person do the writing.
   
   
6. Federal grants, unlike foundation grants, are typically written to a specific, pre-identified objective. No need for theory or persuasion on the validity of reading or related content. Just thoroughly answer the questions.
   
   
7. Be specific and concrete in your writing. If the section asks for a "process," make it into a series of measurable steps that are clearly defined. If it asks for a team, name the people, their positions, and their background. Assume that your readers are competent, but uninformed about your state and your detailed plans.
   
   
8. If a Reading Excellence Activities (REA) application has been completed, portions of that grant may apply but must be edited to fit RF guidelines.
   
   
9. Use the "Criteria for Review of State Applications" grid that comes with the application. It tells exactly how the applications will be scored and what should be written and included within the application.

As always, feel free to contact us for further assistance. Call 1-800-627-7271 between 7 am and 6 pm Monday-Friday or use our online inquiry form.