Navigating the Federal Grants Landscape in 2025: Essential Tips for Educational Administrators

Securing federal grants in 2025 requires educational administrators in K-12 and higher education to be strategic and highly adaptive. With shifting governmental priorities, stricter oversight, and an increasingly competitive funding environment, understanding the nuances of federal grantmaking is essential for success. Here are five essential tips to effectively navigate this evolving landscape:

1. Strategic Framing: Adapt Your Federal Grants Narrative

Federal grants in 2025 demand narratives tailored explicitly to current policy directions. Terms that were once widely accepted, such as "equity," "inclusion," or "trauma-informed," now face increased scrutiny. To successfully align your proposal with federal priorities:

• Use strategic synonyms: Employ language such as "access," "resilience," or "community engagement" to convey equity-related concepts without triggering ideological concerns.

• Customize for each agency: Agencies vary significantly in their emphasis. Departments like HUD or Education may support community-centered initiatives, whereas Commerce or Treasury prioritize economic impact and broad societal benefits. Understand the goals and strategic priorities of the grant programs you are applying to.

  
  

2. Timing and Opportunity Awareness

Timing remains critical in navigating federal grants. In 2025, funding is closely tied to administration priorities such as America 250 and Make America Healthy Again and executive orders targeting, among other topics, artificial intelligence education and workforce programs.

• Track emerging funding streams: Pay close attention to areas prioritized in recent executive orders or legislation.

• Act swiftly on fast-track opportunities: While some grant opportunities have been delayed, others have rolled out with short deadlines. With the recent news that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is no longer in command of Grants.gov, we may see more grant solicitations released soon.

  
  

3. Robust Grant Management Systems

The complexity of federal compliance has increased in 2025, with tighter oversight and more frequent audits. A strong grant management infrastructure is essential to avoid disruptions:

• Prioritize compliance: Ensure strict adherence to guidelines outlined in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, which was significantly updated in 2024.

• Build internal resilience: Anticipate potential disruptions, such as delayed reimbursements or changing federal guidance. Bolster internal controls and develop internal workflows using tools such as dashboards, automated checklists, and standardized reporting templates.

• Clarify roles and accountability: Clearly delineate responsibilities across your grant team, standardizing reporting schedules and internal audit processes to preempt compliance issues.

  
  

4. Rigorous and Strategic Proposal Design

Proposals in 2025 must showcase both technical rigor and strategic alignment with federal priorities:

• Innovative yet aligned narratives: Emphasize modernization and efficiency—for instance, frame technology upgrades as enhancing educational infrastructure or improving student outcomes--while aligning the narrative with 2025 executive orders.

• Data-driven justifications: Support narratives with robust data, baseline measurements, and well-articulated return-on-investment analyses. Use evidence-based projections to demonstrate tangible benefits.

• Strengthened partnerships: Clearly articulate collaborative relationships with local entities, businesses, and community groups to demonstrate broad-based support and shared impact.

  
  

5. Active Networking and Trend Monitoring

Successful navigation of the grants landscape involves continuous learning and strategic networking:

• Engage in professional learning: Participate regularly in webinars, seminars, and workshops, such as those provided by the National Grants Management Association, to stay current with federal funding trends.

• Leverage external expertise: Utilize seasoned grant-writing consultants and firms experienced in securing federal funds. Their insights and systems can significantly enhance your proposal's effectiveness.

• Build collaborative networks: Connect with peer institutions and grant-seeking communities to exchange insights, strategies, and lessons learned. This collaborative approach enhances your institution’s adaptability and responsiveness.

Quick Tips Recap

Strategy	Actionable Tip
Strategic Framing	Replace flagged terms with accepted synonyms.
Timing and Awareness	Monitor legislative priorities and anticipate fast-track funding windows.
Grant Management	Standardize compliance procedures and internal workflows.
Proposal Design	Ground narratives in data-driven, measurable outcomes.
Networking	Regularly engage with experts and peer institutions.

Final Thoughts

Navigating federal grants in 2025 demands adaptability and strategic foresight. By embracing strategic framing, maintaining awareness, strengthening grants management systems, refining proposal design, and leveraging networks, educational administrators can successfully secure essential federal support to advance educational missions.

At Shaffer Evaluation Group, we specialize in empowering educational institutions to effectively secure and manage federal funding. Contact us to learn how we can support your grant strategy for success in 2025 and beyond.

Getting More Eyes (and Clicks) on Surveys: 5 Strategies for Better Response Rates

Surveys are a powerful tool for gathering insights—but only if people actually respond. Whether you're seeking feedback from students, staff, or community members, low response rates can lead to skewed results. In an age of constant digital noise, simply sending a survey isn’t enough. Fortunately, a few simple tweaks can go a long way. While there is no guaranteed way formula for increasing response rates, these five practical strategies can make a big difference.

1.      Make it Personal: People are more likely to engage when they feel seen and more likely to respond when they feel the message was meant specifically for them. At a minimum, make sure that you are writing surveys with your target respondents in mind. The language you use matters, and even a small touch like a friendly subject line in the invitation can increase open rates. A quick statement explaining why you want their feedback can also go a long way. For example, “We need your help to make SEG better for students like you!”

2.      Keep it Short and Simple: Aim for surveys that take 5-10 minutes or less. Shorter surveys yield higher completion rates. Try to imagine the competing time demands of respondents and look for opportunities to shorten the survey. After you finish writing a survey, review the entire questionnaire to identify questions you can eliminate.

3.      Timing is Everything: If the survey asks about a recent event or interaction, send it as soon afterward as possible – ideally within 24 hours. QR codes at the exit are a smart real-time capture method.  Unless your event or interaction occurs near a major holiday, try to avoid sending surveys during these times. There is no single “best day,” but multiple studies have indicated that Monday and Tuesday mornings are good times to send surveys.

4.      Make it Mobile-Friendly: Smart phone use has skyrocketed – 91% of Americans now have one, up from just 56% in 2011 (Pew Research Center, 2024). SurveyMonkey (2025) reported a 5.2% increase in respondents taking surveys on mobile devices from 2020 to 2023, a change that was more prominent in the U.S. than in other countries. More importantly, 15% of Americans report relying solely on their phones for internet access, making mobile optimization essential.

5.      Follow up (but don’t spam): Most people don’t ignore surveys because they’re not interested – they just forget. Providing a friendly reminder request after a few days can boost responses. SurveyMonkey recommends sending a reminder between 48 and 72 hours after the initial survey invitation. Good practice is to send one or two reminder emails to avoid overwhelming recipients.

Offering small rewards can be powerful motivators to complete a survey. These incentives might include money, a gift card, a small thank-you item, or entrance into a raffle. When you offer incentives, it is important to:

·        Keep participation voluntary and transparent;

·        Choose incentives appropriate for your audience;

·        Match the reward to the effort required; and

·        Consider how incentives might bias your sample.

Shaffer Evaluation Group (SEG) supports many clients in designing surveys and collecting responses to better understand student, staff, and community responses to projects and programs. If you’re interested in hearing more about how SEG can help you create and send effective surveys, contact us for a free 30-minute consultation: seg@shafferevaluation.com. 

Woman completing an exit survey

Combating the Summer Slide: Effective Practices in Summer Programming for Students

Summer is a time for relaxation, exploration, and play. But for many elementary and middle school students, it's also a period when academic skills can slip—a phenomenon known as the "summer slide." Past research has demonstrated that students can lose up to two months of reading and math knowledge over the summer if they’re not engaged in educational activities (Cooper et al., 1996). Effective summer programming can not only prevent this loss but even help students make academic gains.

We've compiled a list of effective practices in summer programming to support your planning as a teacher and/or parent.

1. Focused Academic Enrichment

Successful summer programs integrate structured academic learning with fun, hands-on activities. Programs that include daily reading and math lessons, especially those personalized to student ability levels, show the strongest results. For example, small-group instruction in literacy, where students engage in guided reading and vocabulary-building games, can dramatically maintain or improve reading proficiency (Kim & Quinn, 2013).

2. Hands-On, Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) fosters creativity and critical thinking. Whether students are building a solar oven or writing and staging their own play, hands-on activities deepen engagement and retention. Summer STEM camps that incorporate robotics, coding, or environmental science are particularly effective in keeping students curious and cognitively active.

3. Strong Teacher-Student Relationships

Programs staffed by trained educators who build strong, supportive relationships with students tend to be more effective. When students feel valued and understood, they are more motivated to learn. A low student-to-teacher ratio allows for individualized support, enhancing both academic outcomes and emotional development.

4. Fun and Flexibility

Balance is key. The best programs mix academics with outdoor recreation, field trips, and arts-based activities. When learning is fun, students are more likely to return AND to retain what they’ve learned.

5. Parent and Community Involvement

Parental support and community partnerships expand program resources and encourage consistent participation. Programs that include regular communication with families—such as sending home books or tips for summer learning—are more likely to reinforce academic habits beyond the classroom.

Summer doesn’t have to be a time of academic backsliding. With the right blend of engaging instruction, enrichment, and community support, summer programs can boost student confidence and keep the learning momentum going strong into the new school year.

References:

• Cooper, H., Nye, B., Charlton, K., Lindsay, J., & Greathouse, S. (1996). The effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores: A narrative and meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 66(3), 227–268.

• Kim, J.S., & Quinn, D.M. (2013). The effects of summer reading on low-income children's literacy achievement from kindergarten to grade 8: A meta-analysis of classroom and home interventions. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 386–431.