Real-Life Communication
You are an aquaculture technician who works for a private company,
AllFish Inc.
You have become aware of a federal law that sets aside
millions of dollars in grants to encourage aquaculture in the United States.
In all, more than $12 million is up for grabs. You are pretty sure your company
could qualify for a grant to expand operations.
You'd like to see a
second farming area adjacent to your existing pen.
You've also read
that only company owners can apply for grants. You decide to write a memo
to the company owner outlining the grant provisions and the steps for applying.
Here's
some background:
The law frees up $6 million per year in
grants, to be administered by the Agriculture Department and issued based
on merit and overall benefits to the public from each project. In the past,
the grants have been awarded mainly to companies that wanted to start new
fish farms or expand existing facilities -- putting more people to work or
helping lower the cost of seafood products as a result.
Applying for
the grant requires submitting a letter outlining plans for expansion and a
brief description of how the public will benefit.
You know that a parcel
of bay area is being leased by the state for aquaculture and that your company
can lease 10,000 cubic yards for free as long as it is being used to farm
fish. To get the area up and running will require about $50,000 in start-up
costs and another $50,000 in salaries and other costs for the first year.
So you would recommend seeking $100,000 from the grant pool.
You
want your letter to be persuasive. You think this is a golden opportunity
for your company. Yet your letter also has to be diplomatic. You are an employee,
after all. The best approach may be to stick to the facts. What will you write
to your boss?