3.12: Award Letters and Funding Announcements
Congratulations! You have received an award letter that states the funding agency has approved your application and will support or fund your project! Terrific!
Pay close attention to this letter. It not only includes basic information, such as the amount of money the funding agency will provide and the length of the funding period. It should also offer key details about expectations the funding agency has for you, such as your immediate next steps, upcoming deadline dates, and other obligations your organization now has as a grant recipient.
The RFP may have excluded this specific guidance, so pay attention to any additional responsibilities you and your organization may have.
Here is an example of an award letter for a small state grant to a school district. It includes all of the elements we noted above, including several specific guidelines and requirements for the grantee. For example, the grant administrator requests to speak with the grant recipient to discuss the grant's reporting requirements. The grant recipient must also participate in training and networking sessions, administer certain evaluation activities, follow service-learning quality standards, send out a press release to announce their award, and administer two service-learning activities during the upcoming year. Do not jeopardize future funding opportunities by ignoring the award letter's obligations.
Pay attention to the specific grant acceptance requirements in this award letter.
Beyond sending out personalized award letters, grant-making organizations frequently distribute press releases and other announcements to publicize your program. This announcement brings attention and recognition to your organization. It can also demand a level of scrutiny and transparency to your organization, which some may find intrusive.
Read this example of a press release that lists grant recipients for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program, which the United States Department of Education and Department of Labor awarded in 2011.