The USDA’s North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has awarded more than $40 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states including: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Here are 3 videos (which require Realplayer) recorded in 2008, which review the Farmer / Rancher grant proposals, budgets and reference letter.
Farmer Rancher SARE Grant Notes
Here are some notes I took while watching the first SARE grant video titled The Basics of a Solid SARE Grant Application.
3 parts of a grant proposal
- Project Narative (project description: describe the problem and my solution to the problem),
- Budget (describes the poeple and equipment I will spend money on for the project) and
- Reference Letter (support letter telling SARE why the project will be a benefit for the North Central Region).
PART I – Proposal narrative
(these are out of order as the Call for Proposal in 2009 has the steps in a different order)
- STEP 1 – The Problem (why it is important to me and my community and my plan for fixing the problem).
- STEP 2 - Describe why my approach to this problem is better than what other people have done – ESPECIALLY why my way of solving the problem is a better than what the other SARE grant funded projects have tried.
- STEP 3 – What will I do to tell others about my project and its results? This step is very important to grant proposal reviewers so take time to think this through.
- STEP 4 – Describe how I will recognize the impacts and success of my project. This is not limited to economic impacts or success but describe the benefits to the environment, people or the larger community.
- STEP 5 – Briefly describe what kind of farming operation this project takes place on including the size and crops of the operation. Explain why I am qualified to do this project. Keep it simple, short and clear and give the reviewers an idea of the farming situation I am in.
PART II – Grant proposal budget
- The budget should be simple.
- SARE want to know what I am going to spend money on and why using 2 categories: personnel and all other expenses.
- Other expenses can include travel, supplies, leasing/rentals, outreach, equipment directly related to the project.
- Don’t use category headings to separate the Other Expenses budget list.
Personnel costs might be broken out like this
- Hourly rate for your time and labor spent on the project
- Time for a neighbor
- Consultants
- Include names of family or kids too; how they are helping and how they are being payed.
- Also for the budget’s personnel costs, list the contact information for each person listed in addition to including their job with the project.
- For the budget’s, make sure to include cooperators or other people who help out with the project even if they are not getting paid for helping with the project – they can be compensated for mileage driven to be listed under the other expenses of the budget.
Other expenses budget list
- List the various expenses related to the project.
- SARE want’s a description of each item to clarify what you are buying and why.
- List any planned travel and how you figure the cost via mileage driven.
- List operating costs, lab testing and supplies (this may or may not be the largest expenses in the budget).
- Include lease expenses for land or equipment.
- BE SURE to include expenses for OUTREACH in the budget’s other expenses!
50% Rule
- SARE will cost share for big ticket equipment items and long -lived items.
- SARE will only cover 50% of the cost of these items.
Other notes
- Do not include match funds on the budget total, only what I am asking SARE to cover for the project.
- Make sure to sign the budget page.
- SARE will not fund meals but it will fund refreshments for field days.
- SARE will not fund expenses that happen before the start of project date. Wait until the grant is approved and they tell me it is ok to start.
- The grant is only for project related expenses, not day to day activities.
PART III – Reference Letter
- One letter is required, two letters are better. Don’t send three!
- The letter indicates the need and appropriateness of the project.
- Ask an educator or technical adviser to explain why my project would benefit farms on a local level.
- Address the reference letter to Joan Benjamin.
- Do not send the reference letter separate from the SARE proposal.
- The reference letter writers will need to send the letter to me in time to include it with the proposal.
Proposal cover page
- This is the page that EVERYONE sees first.
What makes a good proposal?
- Be innovative – look for a new way to solve the problem.
- Too bad I don’t have any more time to dedicate writing this material.
- For more information about the SARE grants try my delicious SARE bookmarks at http://delicious.com/fattymattybrewing/SARE