I attended the Adult & Career Development Programs for Business, Management & Administration's Grant Writing Workshop at FrancisTuttle Tech Center.

It was a three week class and I learned everything I could possibly ever want to know about writing grants. The class was fantastic, and the teacher was also an elementary school teacher. She explained everything SOOOOO well :) 

We will continue on from the

Guideline Descriptions in Part One:

if you have not read

Debunking the scary world of Grant Writing Part One.

You will want to go back and look it up. Before reading on.

Thank you.  

Terminology: there is so much terminology I split it up in groups as they are used instead of all together. 

Grantee- organization or individual that receives a grant. (you)

Grantor- organization that makes the grant.

Elevating/Monitoring- ongoing assessment of the progress of the grantee's activities by the grantor. 

Grant or Cooperative Agreement Application- written request asking for money from a government agency, foundation or corporation.

**most grants are awarded to organizations that have 501(c)(3) status with 3-4 years of filed 990's with the IRS and complete up to date Fiscal records, usually asked to have a QuickBooks. (Grantor's may not promote it, but they prefer it.)

501(c)(3)- is an exemption from paying federal income taxes. 

Proposal- normally a free-flowing grant request. (They say this in class, but in real life you better follow their guidelines)

RFP-Request for Proposal- A grant making agency such as a foundation will issue a RFP: which signifies that funds are available from the granting agency and they are inviting submissions of proposals by strict deadlines. 

RFQ-Request for Quote- same as RFP, but mainly used for businesses seeking a contractual relationship.

Funding or Budget Plan-an internal examination of the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; so you can look at the multitude of the areas where grants are awarded to prioritize your funding needs.   

Matching Funds- grant funds that are awarded with the requirement that you must match or exceed the funds granted by the grantor with another grant.

Most FOR PROFIT grants are like this, but matching grants can be matched by a supporter as well, like in my case once, my husband helped me.

Matching Fund grants also can be a door opening grant, they are a bit easier to get and adds to your grant resume.

Grant Resume- a list of grants that you have been awarded over time.

Cost Sharing- (another easy FOR PROFIT grant) this is a method of "matching funds" in which  you, the grantee, agree to put up a certain amount in order to make your proposal more attractive.

Capital Support- money for equipment, buildings, constructions, and endowments. These types are hardest to get and not quickly funded; often taking 2-3 years to build relationships and for total funds to be rewarded.  

Corporate responsibility- when a successful business starts making a financial commitment to the community where its headquarters or where it has operation locations.

Private-Sector Funding or FOR PROFIT: funding provided by foundations and corporations. 

Foundation- provides funds for specific projects. Usually have strict application and reporting requirements. 

Community Foundation- such like United Way. Makes grants only within specified geographic areas and only 501(c)(3) organizations.

Always Remember: Cause-----> Effect.  

Getting Started

Brainstorm:

Who?

What?

Why?

When?

How?

Where?

How much?

How much time will you need to set aside for the completion of grant? (think 8 hours per question)

So, is part one making

any sense at all 

now that you have read

part two thus far?

 I hope so, I know it is a lot of information. 

Let us talk about Finding Funders! 

First steps to finding funders is setting up a Prospect Worksheet or Funnel.  

-Basic Information: date, address, contact person, phone number.

(DO NOT THINK FOR EVEN A SECOND YOU WILL REMEMBER.)

Types of Funder

*Remember we are focusing on Private Sector or FOR PROFIT Grants

Government or Direct Grants-

Go to the catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) @ www.cfda.gov it provides a full listing of all federal programs available in your state. Read them to decide if it is a private sector or 501(c)(3) grant. If it qualifies for you, then write the information down on your Prospect Worksheet.

Then go to www.grants.gov-this site will give you daily funding announcements on monies available in your area.

--->Words of Advice: use an email that can receive excessive emails that will not overwhelm other emails. You get many that you won't qualify for, so read the details.

Foundation Funding- Family, Community, and Corporate foundations are particularly interested in programs that improve the lives of individuals within their communities. **Art & Photography usually fall under this kind of funding.

Visit www.fdncenter.org to locate foundations and grants. (It is the largest online database of foundations and corporate grants.)

Some other sites:

www.grantstation.com 

www.fortune.com 

www.hoovers.com

When looking for grants remember that: 

-65% to 80% of proposals are disqualified because they don't match the grantor's interests.

-Competitive grants, which are grants that require you to compete with other grant applicants for a limited amount of money.

-Formula Grants- monies disbursed by state agencies to applicants based on a preset formula. 501(c)(3) usually.  

Create a Funding Plan:

-Be proactive in grant seeking & grant writing.

-Mix government grants with foundation and corp grants.

(Never put all your stones in one basket) 

Partners: 

Collaborative Partners- can be government, city, social, and human service agencies. These partners can help you get a grant, but mostly for 501(c)(3) 

For Profit could be galleries and agencies you would like to work with. 

Community Partners- list who you know and work closely with. (they should know you by name without being reminded.)

No Facebook connections, unless they have become face to face and personal.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)-working agreements that spell out the scope of services that will be preformed by the partner agency or your company. 

-------->Spotting Scams!<--------

-The government will not contact you to offer you a grant.

-There are no fees associated with applying for government grants.

-All government grants require an application process.

-Government grant application and information is free.

Thank you for your time.

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