After almost 10 years of working on behalf of programs required to compete to keep their grant funds in the Head Start redesignation process, Heartland has learned a few things that we feel are important to share with programs seeking to retain their grant, as well as programs that wish to expand services to new areas.
First, most importantly the forecast for the 2022 – 2023 round of recompetition is out with the following states identified as having grants in recompetition: Texas, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, Puerto Rico, Virginia, Missouri, Georgia, Delaware, Indiana, and Kansas. While the list is still fairly small, it is anticipated to grow between the time of the forecast (July) and the estimated post date (September).
Secondly, if you are in recompetition for your grant there are a few things that you can do to prepare and to stay up-to-date on the process. Make sure to sign up for updates on grants.gov to track when the applications are released and any updates to the process. Also, Heartland has published a DRS Tip Sheet: Pre Funding Opportunity Announcement Checklist you can use to get grant-writing ready.
Lastly, devise your grant writing strategy and get some baseline data compiled that can be used to support the grant writing process. Please do not hesitate to give Heartland a call or send an email to andrea@heartlandgrantsolutions.org and we can certainly help you determine the level of support that you need and discuss a grant writing strategy that is well suited for your program.
Head Start proposals have changed over the last five years. Heartland grant development services support programs of all sizes in developing a full range of Head Start and Early Head Start grant applications from start-to-finish. Our approach aggressively pursues program funding and utilizes our vast experience with Head Start grants and program operations to guide our clients through the proposal development process. In the end, Heartland is able to write a narrative that highlights the client’s commitment to Head Start, while demonstrating the capacity to provide high-quality services. At the foundation of our work is collaboration, communication, and partnership with our clients using virtual meeting tools, grant templates, and other resources to create a cohesive thoughtful proposal.