Maria runs after-school/extended day in a NY district and has 25+ years working in community schools. She discovers grants primarily via networks (CBO partners, coalitions), then navigates alignment/capacity checks, multi-party drafting, and painful post-award reporting/implementation. Funding volatility (delays, cuts) is forcing a pivot toward private funders. Her “one thing”: “Find me the grants that align to the district need and vision,” plus templates and post-award action plans to ensure delivery. Maria Olivier Flores Transcript
What’s happening: Maria hears about opportunities from United Way/CBO grant writers and community schools coalitions; she forwards RFPs to leadership, only to learn many are misfit (wrong demographics, CBO-only, etc.). This creates churn and missed windows.
Direct quotes:
“People know that I’m always looking… ‘Maria, check this grant out’… very informal sharing.”
“Sometimes we read it and it’s like no… not for our schools, but for CBO.” Maria Olivier Flores Transcript
Impact: Wasted cycles; variable awareness; reliance on who’s “in the loop.”
Workarounds: Coalitions/newsletters; personal “super-connectors”; ad-hoc Google Drive/links. Maria Olivier Flores Transcript
What’s happening: After superintendent review, a committee vets eligibility + feasibility. Grants fail when teams promise what they can’t deliver (staffing, space, safety, target population) or misalign with district vision. Sustainability is part of the bar.
Direct quotes:
“It’s always alignment to our vision… if they’re giving you a service you don’t need, it’s a no-go.”
“One of the biggest failures… people write this beautiful grant… then we can’t do this.”
“You’re constantly thinking sustainability: when the money leaves, what happens?” Maria Olivier Flores Transcript
Impact: Late rework, amendments, reputational risk with funders.
Workarounds: Leadership committees; cut scope/partners; negotiate amendments with the state. Maria Olivier Flores Transcript