So in many situations, grants are desirable; in some, they are essential. And although grants are an excellent way to generate money, they are not the only one. They might belong in your financial planning, but your financial plan should also include other sources of income. A grant might be your guest of honor; but don't you want others to come to your party? It's not always an easy choice, so consider carefully whether the benefits of extra funding from this grant will outweigh any drawbacks from requirements attached to the funding.
Before you begin, take a step back, and look at the larger picture. Why are you thinking about applying for a grant?
If you are part of a group, a group discussion and decision should be involved here. Your group's careful and honest answers to these questions will help shape your next steps, which might or might not involve grant-writing. We have already listed some other options to consider for your financial plan, and you can probably brainstorm several additional ideas on your own. So before you pursue a grant, make sure you know the other options available to you. After consideration, perhaps your thinking about funding will change, or you'll decide to support your work some other way.
But perhaps you'll decide that you want to write a grant proposal after all. Now you can move more confidently into the next preparation stage. Proposal-writing details are somewhat different from source to source. Government grants in particular tend to require more paperwork and more filling out of pre-established application forms.
There are also special techniques and procedures for securing government grants and also government contracts , the details of which can be found with the application materials. Our emphasis will be on foundation grants, for two reasons. First, because foundations are where grassroots groups interested in grants are often most likely to turn. And second, because the principles of grant-writing for foundations generally apply to other grant sources as well.
But there are many thousands of foundations. How can you find the ones most suitable for you? It usually takes research. But there are many good resources to make your search easier.
Your research might turn up dozens of foundations that could potentially support your cause. That's good - but you are probably not going to apply to all of them. It's time to narrow the field further through some additional research.
Through this checking and rechecking, you can narrow the field to a smaller number of leading candidates. It's a gradual process -- much like looking for work, or applying to school. But being methodical here will pay off; and now you are ready to do some further investigation of your leading prospects.
Before you even consider applying to a foundation or granting agency, learn as much as you can about it. If you were applying for a job you really wanted, wouldn't you want to find out as much as you could about your potential employer? Here, you are making a different type of application, but the same reasoning applies. How can you find out? The simplest way is to call the foundation itself, and ask for information. Almost all foundations which accept public applications will send you basic application guidelines.
If the foundation has a separate application form, that will be included as well. Doing your homework can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run.
Your group's issue may be neighborhood safety, and you may have had the Safe Homes Foundation in mind as your number one prospect; but on making an inquiry you find out that Safe Homes funds only projects related to endangered species.
It's better to learn such things sooner than later, so that time isn't wasted on both sides. In researching a foundation, start with its website.
Most foundations post information about what they fund, how best to contact them, grant guidelines, and how to apply — often including application forms if they use them — on their websites. Many expect, and some specifically ask for, electronic application. Like many other things, applying for a grant has changed with the growth of the web. Each foundation and granting agency does business in a slightly different way. This is perfectly justifiable - it's their money. So the guidelines often vary.
Some foundations will ask for a short one- or two-page letter describing your proposal, and nothing else to begin with. The foundation will read these letters, screen out inappropriate inquiries, and request more information if it wants to know more. Others prefer to get the whole application up front.
Some first want to know your credentials; others are primarily interested in your ideas. Some want detailed budgets; for others, money talk comes later. If the foundation asks for an initial two-page letter, don't send If they want proof of your tax-exempt status, be sure to include it.
If their application deadline is June 1, don't wait till summer. If your case is an exception, this should be described in your application, most commonly in your cover letter. But don't handicap yourself at the start; why shoot yourself in the foot before you've started walking down the road?
Guidelines can sometimes be stretched, and very occasionally broken. But if you choose not to follow the foundation's guidelines, you should have very compelling reasons for doing so, and make sure they are well explained. Even though foundation guidelines are usually clear, you may still have a question. Some point may not be covered by the guidelines, or you may not be sure about a point. In those cases, it's perfectly okay to call and ask.
Most foundations will have someone on staff to respond to calls like yours. And most foundations expect to receive such calls. Think before calling, though.
A call or other contact generally means you will need to identify yourself. When a country lacks sufficient financing to develop or implement its education plan, GPE can provide financial support in the form of grants.
GPE Multiplier grants also allow partner countries to leverage additional external financing in support of their priorities. View deadlines for grant applications. The grant supports:. Eligibility: All eligible partner countries and territories. Eligibility : Countries eligible to apply for system transformation grants and Multiplier grants. List of Partners vendors. A government grant is a financial award given by a federal, state, or local government authority for a beneficial project.
It is effectively a transfer payment. A grant does not include technical assistance or other financial assistance, such as a loan or loan guarantee, an interest rate subsidy , direct appropriation , or revenue sharing. The grantee is not expected to repay the money but is expected to use the funds from the grant for their stated purpose, which typically serves some larger good.
In certain cases, there may also be revenue-sharing agreements with the government—for instance, in the case of a discovery that leads to a profit-generating patent. Twenty-six federal agencies administer more than 1, grant programs annually to provide funding for the arts, the sciences, and educational institutions. Government grants help fund ideas and projects providing public services and stimulating the economy.
For example, an economics program may be designed to strengthen empirical and theoretical economic analysis , as well as the methods for rigorous research on economic behavior. Grants may also support critical recovery initiatives, agricultural projects, and innovative research in all sorts of fields. Government grants aren't just bestowed: they must be applied for.
Getting a government grant is an extremely competitive process. The paperwork is complex and applicants must describe how the awarded funds will benefit the local community or the public at large. Crafting a convincing proposal is so challenging that applicants often hire professional help. Some freelance writers specialize in writing grant proposals. Grants from the federal government are authorized and appropriated through bills passed by Congress and signed by the president.
Grant authority varies among agencies. For example, the Small Business Administration SBA may distribute grants to nonprofit organizations in many of its counseling and training programs.
Government grants have no hidden costs or fees: they are outright gifts, not loans. However, because government grants are funded by tax dollars, they include stringent compliance and reporting measures to ensure the money is well-spent.
After receiving a check, the grantee must submit detailed reports accounting for how the money is disbursed. Learn more about determining your eligibility for a federal grant by reading Grant Eligibility posts on the Grants. Manage Subscriptions Newsletter Archive. Social Media. Support Resources About Grants.
Who is Eligible? Government Organizations State governments County governments City or township governments Special district governments Native American tribal governments federally recognized Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized Education Organizations Independent school districts Public and state controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public Housing Organizations Public housing authorities Indian housing authorities Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofits having a c 3 status with the Internal Revenue Service IRS , other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a c 3 status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For-Profit Organizations Organizations other than small businesses Small Businesses Small business grants may be awarded to companies meeting the size standards established by the U.
Individuals Individual people may submit applications for a funding opportunity on their own behalf i. Foreign Applicants The authorizing legislation and agency policies will determine whether a foreign individual or organization may apply for the grant.
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