Related Guides on this Topic
You may also want to see this guide on a related topic: Funding
These
guides provide tools that may be useful in developing a grant proposal:
Maps, Statistics and Data
Introduction
Foundations and government agencies fulfill their
missions, in part, by providing funds for specific purposes in
the form of grants. Grantwriting is the process of applying for
funding in support of a project that provides a social good. Grants
may be sought to begin a new activity, to support ongoing
operations, to make capital improvements, to purchase needed
equipment and supplies, and for other purposes that support a
project. A primary goal of grantwriting is the demonstration of
a match between the funder's mission and the project's purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
AAGP Consultants Directory
Web site
Directory of grantwriting consultants.
AFP Consultants Directory
Database
Serves as a database of fundraising consultants. Services covered include grantwriting, board and staff training, database and web site development and much more. Searchable by consultant specialty and state.
Art of Grantsmanship
Web site
Grantwriting guidelines. Produced by Dr. Jacob Kraicer.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
Database
Contains information on all available federal programs including grant eligibility, application procedures, selection criteria, and program deadlines.
DUNS Request Service for US Federal Government Contractors and Grantees
Web site
Provides information about the D-U-N-S number, including how to apply for one.
Foundation Center FAQs: How do I establish a nonprofit organization?
Web site
Provides information and resources on how to start a nonprofit organization.
Foundation Finder
Database
Provide contact information and basic fiscal profiles for 70,000+ U.S. private and community foundations.
Grants for Nonprofits
Web site
Contains private funding sources directed primarily to nonprofit organizations, although some topics are of interest to individuals, such as academic support. Funding sources are arranged by topic. This tool is produced by Jon Harrison at the Michigan State University Libraries.
Grants.gov
Database
Serves as a single, comprehensive web site with information about finding and applying for all federal grant programs.
GrantsNet
Web site
Includes an introduction to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grants, with information about policies governing the award and administration of grant activities.
Health Funding Watch
Other
Newsletter covering news, resources, funding opportunities for individuals and organizations, and job listings focused on health topics.
HRSA Grants
Web site
Provides details on HRSA's competitive grant offerings for the current fiscal year. Also known as the HRSA Preview.
NACHO's 2009 Foundation Funding Guide
Web site
Identifies public health-related funding resources at the national and state levels from private foundations. Each month, highlights one area of public health.
NOZA's 990-PF Database
Database
Searchable database, by GrantSmart, of federal tax returns filed by non-profit organizations such as private foundations and charitable trusts.
OMB Grants Management Forms
Web site
Offers links to forms involved with managing federal grants. Includes financial status report forms and other financial forms.
Organizational Effectiveness Series Manuals Available for Download
Web site
A series of 14 organizational effectiveness manuals available for download in English and Spanish. Topics include: strategic planning, starting a nonprofit, program evaluation, board development, grantwriting, leadership development, volunteer management, technology development and needs assessment.
Proposal Budgeting Basics
Tutorial
Offers an online course covering the basics of developing a project budget. Most appropriate for those who have general knowledge of proposal development.
Proposal Writing Short Course
Tutorial
Online course introducing the proposal writing process.
Prospect Worksheet
Web site
Contains worksheets grantseekers can use to focus on funders whose priorities match their projects. Available in a variety of formats, including Word and PDF.
RAC Funding Search
Database
Offers a searchable database for funding opportunities, updated daily from the Federal Register and other sources.
RAC Maps
Web site
Provides national maps on a variety of rural health and human services topics. Maps can be customized to focus on a specified state or county and to show additional labels, boundaries and data, for use in grant applications, reports and other publications.
RAC State Resources
Web site
Provides statistics, publications, contacts, success stories, and other resources related to rural health and human services for all 50 states.
Reference Guides for Proposal Writers
Web site
Offers resources on grantwriting, including links to web sites and recommended books on topics like finding a consultant, approaching a foundation, and more.
Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS)
Web site
Allows searching by agency, program, or year for HHS funded projects. Database is developed by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Grants.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations (OMB Circular A-133)
Sponsoring organization: Office of Management and Budget
Lists the audit requirements for states, local governments and non-profits that receive federal grants. Revised to show changes published in the June 27, 2003 Federal Register.
Date: 06 / 2003
Developing a Quality Grant Proposal
Sponsoring organization: White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Provides information to assist organizations in applying for federal grants. Includes an overview of the grant-making process, a copy of an actual program announcement from the Federal Register, and a sample of a successful grant proposal.
Date: 2002
Find Your Funding: A Catalogue for Rural Health Network Resources
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
Provides funding information on rural health topics, including information on grantwriting, sources of funding information, and information on health professional scholarships.
Date: 2001
Foundations Address the Impact of the Economic Crisis
Author(s): Steven Lawrence
Sponsoring organization: Foundation Center
Examines how foundations have been responding to the economic crisis, based on early 2009 survey responses of more than 1,200 foundations.
Date: 04 / 2009
Fulfilling the Promise: A Guide for Board and Staff
Sponsoring organization: Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination
Identifyies the steps that microenterprise programs must take in order to demonstrate and enhance their value to funders and investors, and to build a more sustainable future.
Date: 07 / 2005
Grant Writing Tips
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
Offers tips and advice on grantwriting. Includes suggestions about the content and structure of the proposal, writing style, and more.
Date: 07 / 2006
Grantee Sustainability in the Rural Health Outreach Grant Program
Author(s): Walter Gregg, Astrid Knott, Ira Moscovice
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Describes a study of the post-grant experiences of 99 Rural Health Outreach Grant recipients. Focuses on the extent to which programs were able to maintain or expand services after their grants ended and characteristics that helped programs succeed in the post-grant period.
Date: 12 / 2003
Guide to Federal Resources for Youth Development
Sponsoring organization: America's Promise
A guide to help communities learn about and access federal resources. Provides organizations with the information they need to apply for federal funds. Each funding source is listed by the department that operates the program, and cross-references are made to one or more of the five key goals of America's Promise: 1) caring adults; 2) safe places; 3) a healthy start and future; 4) effective education; and 5) opportunities to help others.
Date: 2006
Guide to Fundraising for Rural Housing Nonprofits: Strategies for Raising Operating Funds
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how to develop a fundraising strategy, with step-by-step guidance on how to identify and pursue funding sources. Includes lists of resources and publications on grantwriting. While housing is the guide's focus, this section would be useful to any rural nonprofit. Includes a list of foundations and religious organizations that fund rural housing and community development projects.
Date: 03 / 2004
Oregon Domestic Violence Program Meets Frontier Funding Challenges
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Frontier Communities
Describes a federally-funded program in rural frontier Oregon providing coordinated support for
victims of domestic violence. Discusses the special challenges of funding a social service program in a frontier community.
Date: 08 / 2006
Putting Rural Services on the Map
Author(s): Thomas D. Rowley
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses the benefits of maps, particularly visual data, and mapping technology. Includes information on RUPRI/CARES, GIS, and map projects that other states are undertaking.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Volume 11 Issue 1
Date: 09 / 2004
Rural Health Services Funding: A Resource Guide
Author(s): Beth Blevins, Susan Marder
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Contains information on rural health grantsmanship, federal and state funding sources, publications, agencies, foundations, corporations, directories, guides, and glossary. Updated December 2005.
Date: 12 / 2005
Starting A Nonprofit
Sponsoring organization: National Minority AIDS Council
Designed to facilitate starting a nonprofit, register it with your state (if you want to incorporate) and obtain tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service
Date: 2003
Stats for Scaredy-Cats: A How-To Guide for Rural Data Users
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Discusses basic statistical techniques for use in writing grant proposals, analyzing reports, and evaluating programs.
Date: 2003
Winning Grants Step by Step, 2nd Edition
Author(s): Mim Carlson
Guide to the key steps in writing a grant proposal. Available for purchase from booksellers for $29. Publisher, Amazon.com; ISBN: 078795876X.
Date: 07 / 2002
Journals
Chronicle of Philanthropy
Intended for charity leaders, fund raisers, grant makers, and other people involved in the philanthropic enterprise. Some newspaper articles are available free online, but the grants database and other tools require a subscription.
Federal Register
Official daily publication for Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as Executive Orders and other Presidential Documents. Among its numerous notices are notices of funding availability.
Internet Prospector
Includes reviews of web sites and other resources related to funding. Online newsletter for the nonprofit fundraising community.
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Contains notices for new grant announcements, availability of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and Requests for Applications (RFAs), as well as ongoing program announcements.
Philanthropy News Digest
Newsletter on philanthropy, including the RFP Bulletin covering new funding opportunities, and Connections, a review of new web sites related to philanthropy.
Organizations
American Association of Grants Professionals (AAGP)
National organization
Builds and supports an international community of grant professionals. Acts as a resource for the practice of grantsmanship in all sectors of the field.
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)
National organization
Dedicated to advancing and promoting the health care development profession. Provides fundraising education and information to health care development professionals.
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
National organization
Works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs.
Foundation Center
Nonprofit/Foundation
Collects, organizes, and communicates information on U.S. philanthropy. Provides education and training on the grantseeking process. Provides free and fee-based information on grantseeking and foundation giving.
Grantsmanship Center (TGCI)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Offers workshops and publications related to grantwriting. Also lists community foundations, federal funding programs, and other funding sources.
Society of Research Administrators International (SRA)
International organization
Dedicated to the education and professional development of research administrators and enhancement of public understanding of the importance of research and its administration. While SRA focuses on research grant administration, its information and tools could be applicable to all types of grants.
Terms & Acronyms
501(c)(3) Section of the Internal Revenue Service Code that designates an organization as charitable, tax-exempt, and nonprofit. Donors to 501(c)(3) organizations are entitled to a full tax deduction for their contributions.
Application Procedures Set of instructions issued by funders, listing the necessary steps for proposal review. These include submission deadlines, letter of intent, contact person and mail address. These vary among the different funding organizations.
Block Grants Grants administered by the federal government to provide states with funding for a particular purpose, for example the delivery of maternal and child health services.
Community Foundations Private funding from foundations involved in grant giving within a specific community, state or region.
Cooperative Agreement An agreement between a funding agency and grantee which allows the funder some control. These are often used by the government to conduct extramural clinical trials.
Corporate Foundations Private funding from foundations which receive contributions from a profit-making entity, for example a specific corporation.
Demonstration Grants Grants administered by the federal government to demonstrate or establish the feasibility of a particular theory or approach, for example rural health outreach, network development, and telemedicine grant programs.
Evaluation The systematic investigation of the value and impact of an intervention or program.
Formula Grants Grants administered by the federal government to provide funding to specified grantees on the basis of a specific formula, using indicators, for example per capita income, mortality or morbility rates, outlined in legislation or regulations such as certain substance abuse programs.
Grantsmanship The process of identifying funding needs and the steps in obtaining those funds.
Grassroots Nonprofit Takes a bottom-up approach to activities, decision-making and programming. May also be called a standalone nonprofit.
Impact Effect of a program on the problem or condition that the program was intended to address.
In-Kind Support Nonmonetary contributions made by the grantee such as equipment, supplies, services, or technical expertise.
Letter of Intent/Inquiry The initial contact or letter with a funder outlining the proposed project or plan.
Matching Funds Money which "matches" the funder's contribution. This money can come from a third party or the grantee.
Needs Assessment Evaluation of the requirements or demands for services by a population or community.
Private Foundations Private funding from foundations which receive income from an individual, family or group of individuals. The funding priorities of private foundations are usually based on the personal philosophies of the founding members.
Program Officer The representative of the funding agency who is responsible for the grant's administration.
Project Grants Grants administered by the federal government to support individual projects in accordance with legislation that gives the funding agency discretion in selecting the project, grantee, and the amount of award, for example Area Health Education Centers - Model Programs.
Proposal Written plan submitted to potential funders. This contains the program's goals, objectives, methods, budget, and evaluation.
Request for Application (RFA) Announcement inviting proposals for a specified contract in support of a particular project or service.
Request for Proposal (RFP) Announcement inviting proposals for a specified type of grant.
Research Grants Grants administered by the federal government to support investigation aimed at the discovery of facts, clinical trials, revision of accepted theories, or applications of new or revised theories. Research grants for individuals are usually referred to as fellowships.
Solicited Proposal A grantseeker's response to a request for a proposal issued by a funding organization.
Sustainability Ability of a program to continue after the period for which it has received grant funding.
Unsolicited Proposal A proposal which originates from the grantseeking organization. Some organizations do not allow unsolicited proposals.
Voluntary Agencies Private organizations which support charitable programs that are consistent with their overall mission, for example the Red Cross.
Article Searches & Bibliographies
Catalog of Nonprofit Literature
Searchable database of publications on philanthropy, with over
25,000 entries, many of which include descriptive abstracts.
To find publications on grantwriting, enter "grantsmanship" as
a subject term.
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