Discussions: Social Work Funding And Financial Management
Social work administrators need to be able to help raise funds for their organizations and ensure that the funds are spent effectively. Once administrators receive funding, how they manage the funds is critical for accountability and sustainability. When administrators manage funds effectively, they increase their credibility with stakeholders in the community. Administrators must be able to demonstrate how the resources have been used to support the mission of the organization.
Discussion A: Funding through Grants
Budgeting in human services organizations brings about many challenges. Human services agencies must be creative in managing their budget due to the increased demands on the agency and the needs of the clients and stakeholders. There are many legal, contractual, and other requirements under the concept of financial management, as such agency administrators need to be creative to obtain funding. Applying for grants in both the private and public sectors is one access to funding resources. Most grants will require that you present a proposed budget for use of the funds. Thus, grants and budgeting often go hand in hand.
For this Discussion, think about grant writing and the elements needed to write a successful grant. Then, review sample grants. Identify one grant to discuss.
Post the following:
a) Describe the key elements to grant writing.
b) Provide a brief description of the grant proposal you selected and explain the strengths of the proposal and any areas where it could be improved.
c) Explain how you would improve on the grant proposal to convince the funder that funding this program would have a positive and measurable effect on the community.
Discussion B: Financial Capacity and Sustainability in Human Services
Receiving funding from a grant or other source of funds is a great accomplishment. Once the funding is received, the human services organization must be able to manage the funds effectively. The organization must also develop a plan to sustain the program after the funding period ends or the potential for change from the funded program may be limited.
For this Discussion, review the budget provided in the grant proposal that you discussed in Discussion A. Consider how you would prioritize budgetary needs and fundraise to continue covering costs of this program after the grant period has ended.
Post a brief description of the budget presented in the grant proposal you selected. Describe how you might alter the budget after the grant ended or which budget items you would prioritize as you sought additional funding to continue the program. Explain why you would make these changes or prioritize specific budget items. Finally, explain how you would fundraise to meet the budget priorities.
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.