Planning, research, and networking will dramatically increase your chances of success in finding funds for music technology. In the previous issue, we discussed how to properly plan in advance, before submitting grant proposals. That includes a vision of what's possible, piloting your project using local resources, and developing samples of student work that demonstrate the current state of the program and what could be improved as a result of your project. You have kept your eyes open for funders (such as local foundations, state departments of education (DOEs), and funders of similar projects) to make a list of potential sources. Now you are ready to research those sources, search for more, and prepare your proposal.

The size, scope, and focus of the project, combined with demographics of your school population, will determine what type of funder to target. Think about all the potential angles of your project and compare those to your potential funders' stated priorities and guidelines. The closer you align your project to a funder's stated priorities and guidelines, the better your chances of securing the grant.

Don't hesitate to use the support of one funder to leverage another. For instance, the generous support of the parent organization signals local support and commitment, which will help gain larger funders' confidence.

By paying a monthly or annual subscription fee, you can search an extensive database of foundation resources at www.foundationcenter.org or www.guidestar.org. Another excellent source of information is School Funding Services (www.schoolfundingservices.org; see Fig. 1), which targets funding for K — 12 education. A free two-week trial membership makes it easy to become familiar with a range of funders.

State departments of education award significant state and federal education money each year. Check your state Department of Education Web site for more information. (The Educational Resources Information Center offers links to every U.S. state DOE at http://ericeece.org/statlink.html.) Look for the arts or technology categories but don't overlook the priorities for after-school programs, professional development, raising academic achievement, community-service learning, preservice partnerships, and so forth. These can also be a good fit for music technology.

Partnerships are another option. The No Child Left Behind law focuses on low-achieving schools and students. A high-achieving school partnering with a low-achieving school can be a win-win for everyone.

The U.S. Department of Education also awards millions of dollars each year. To compete, a project generally needs to be national in scope, a model for other districts, or one that partners with a wide range of schools, nonprofits, and/or universities. Go to www.ed.gov for listings of requests for proposals (commonly referred to in the funding business as RFPs).

Once you've identified one or more funders, learn as much as you can about it. What are the deadlines? Are specific application forms required? If they are not yet available, take a look at last year's forms. What is the competition? How many proposals are received? How many are funded? What's the average award amount? What's the range? What has this funder supported in the past? Who are the Advisory Board members or trustees? Does anyone on the list have connections to your school? Read the grant guidelines carefully.

Most funders have staff members whose job is to encourage and support quality applications. Feel free to call or e-mail the contact person and ask questions. As long as it's clear that you have done your homework, most funders are willing to discuss a potential application, clarify guidelines, and offer tips. If the list of past grants awarded is not available at the funder's Web site, ask if you can get a copy. Sometimes funders will even share model grant proposals.

Next time, we'll discuss how to prepare your proposal, keeping it practical and realistic, yet inviting investment through a compelling story.

Susan Bonaiuto does planning and grant-writing for the Needham Public Schools in Needham, Massachusetts. She also writes grants for TI:ME and is the former director of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.