Acquiring Public Grants

You should always be researching and monitoring grant programs and funding cycles and becoming increasingly familiar with grant requirements and processes. As you research grant opportunities, consider the need for your proposed program and clarify your motivations for seeking funding. Once you identify a potential grant opportunity, further develop your program concept and make sure you’ve found the appropriate grant resource to help you meet the needs or population you have decided to address. As you begin the writing process, determine your organization’s capacity to prepare an application and manage the program you propose. This often means securing the support of key stakeholders and potential partners like board members, donors, staff, volunteers, and client groups. And once the writing begins, use the team approach to grant writing. Finally, follow instructions to the letter and adhere to deadlines. Bringing your new initiatives to fruition requires great grant writing skills. Always look for new ways to improve your ability to create proposals – even if that means finding out why one proposal ended unsuccessfully.

American Association for Grant Professionals (AAGP)
http://grantprofessionals.org

AAGP is a good resource to reference when hiring a consultant to assist with grant writing. AAGP maintains a code of ethics, regional chapters, a regular e-newsletter, and a journal.

Grants.gov
http://www.grants.gov/

Grants.gov is currently considered the premier site for news on Federal funding and electronic filing.  Grants.gov also maintains a number of resources for organizations that want to register and use the online system including guides on how to register, submit, and track applications; animated tutorials on determining eligibility, registering, and completing online applications; checklists to help you through the online registration process; and detailed logs of frequently asked questions and troubleshooting tips. Access all the applicant resources at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.

The Foundation Center's Proposal Writing Short Course
http://fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop1.html

This two-part course provides the basic components of a proposal and considers important elements such as budget, expenses, administration, and the research process involved in writing a proposal.

A Guide to Proposal Planning and Writing
https://www.msu.edu/course/prr/371/GRANTS/proposalwriting3.htm

Guidelines and tips on planning and writing a grant proposal written by Jeremy T. and Lynn E. Miner.

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

The CFR is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal government.  Access the CFR at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html to find key rules and regulations governing grant programs. See Appendix C of the CFR to learn about funding and initiatives that may be of interest to nonprofits and community-based organizations. Access Appendix C at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2009_government_manual&docid=217558id_xxx-3.pdf.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

OMB issues circulars that govern government-wide standards and requirements for programs. A listing of these circulars may be accessed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/.

Standard SF 424 Forms

At least two standard forms are required for all Federal grant programs, SF 424 – Application for Federal Assistance, and/or SF 424-A – Budget Information-Non-construction programs. Some agencies may use variations of these forms. These forms may be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/agencies/aapproved_standard_forms.jsp