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Starting Your Grant Search
Finding the right grant for your project can be a
long and arduous task. There are a number of excellent resources
available to help shorten the search, but to make good use of these
resources you need to do your homework first.
To find a grant, you must first do the following:
1. Analyze your own organization and project to determine:
• the problem or need you want to address
• the audience or target beneficiaries you will serve
• the amount and type of support you need
• the resources & commitment your group brings to the project
• potential partners in the community
2. Become familiar with facts about foundations in general and how
they operate.
• Learn as much as possible foundations in your local area -
including corporate or civic foundations as well as private
3. Consider other local sources of funding or in-kind support.
• individual contributors and supporters
• clubs, associations, civic organizations
• local or regional businesses
• government (state, county, city)
4. To find a funding match, look for funders:
• that seem able or likely to fund projects in your geographic
area
• whose core mission or goals matches yours
• who have already supported similar ventures or projects
5. Compile a List of Prospects:
• Prospects by Geographic Location (city, state, region)
• Prospects by Field of Interest or Program Subject
• Subjects of Topics of actual recent grants awarded
5. Compile a List of Prospects:
• Prospects by Geographic Location (city, state, region)
• Prospects by Field of Interest or Program Subject
• Subjects of Topics of actual recent grants awarded
6. Refine List of Prospects
• Eliminate sources that do NOT:Fund in your state.
• Fund your subject.
• Fund type of support you need. (See Grantmaker Types
of Funding Support)
• Fund your type of recipient organization.
• Fund your size project.
7. Select most appropriate funding sources and research in detail.
• Contact funder directly for annual report and other publications.
• Search newspapers and the Internet for former grant recipients
and contact them for advice or tips, why they felt they were successful
as opposed to other applicants
Search for federal government grants at
http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants
Search for private donor and foundation grants at
http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/index.jhtml
Search for federal Department of Education grants at
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
Search for state level NCLB and education grant competitions at
http://www.renlearn.com
Search for federal Department of Health grants at
http://www.dhhs.gov/grants/index.shtml
Search for National Science Foundation grants at
http://www.nsf.gov/verity/srchfund.htm
To Apply for the Amber Grant - Click
Here!
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