Acquiring Public Grants
What
If You Are Not Funded? | Appendix
Summary
Here are some key points to keep in mind:
- Research and monitor grant programs and
funding cycles. It could take up to a year for a program
and funding to become available and applications solicited.
- Become familiar with grant requirements and processes.
Read grant announcements (even if you are not applying) to develop
a comfort level with the language and process of grant seeking.
- Identify the need for your proposed program and clarify
your motivations for seeking funding. Ensure that the
program you are considering is consistent with your mission.
Let the needs of those you seek to serve drive your pursuit
of dollars. Do not "chase the money."
- Develop you program concept. Think through your
program ideas and make sure you can clearly explain what your
program will do, how it will do it and why it will produce the
outcomes that you and the grant program seek.
- Find the appropriate grant resource to help you meet
the needs or population you have decided to address.
Check grant requirements to ensure that you can meet them. Just
because money is available does not mean the grant is right
for your organization.
- Determine your organization’s capacity to prepare
an application and manage the program you propose. Make
sure your organization’s management capacity (e.g., the
strength of your staff, financial, reporting and evaluation
resources) is strong enough not only to complete the application
but to manage the program successfully if you are funded.
- Get support from key stakeholders and potential partners.
Key stakeholders—board members, donors, staff, volunteers
and client groups—must support your application. You will
need to provide documentation of their support in your application.
- Use the team approach to grant writing. Grant
writing requires a number of skills and is a challenging process.
It will take the skills and abilities of a number of people
to prepare a successful application. Develop a work plan, assign
tasks and deadlines and then manage the process to make sure
you meet the application deadline.
- Follow instructions to the letter. Become thoroughly
familiar with the grant announcement, RFP or RFA. Develop outlines
and checklists to ensure that you complete all the steps and
include all required information in the format and order requested.
- Deadlines are firm. The agency must receive your
completed application package on or before the due date and
time. If it is late, it will not be reviewed.
- Learn from the experience. Even if you are not funded, going through the process will help prepare you for your next try and teach you valuable lessons about your organization, team-work and partnership.
You should now have a better understanding of how to identify relevant public programs and grant opportunities and how to write quality grant proposals that will result in an increase in the resources available to you to serve families in need. This information can position you to be among the top ranks in the armies of compassion that are partnering with the Federal government to make a difference in the lives of families and communities in need.
What If You
Are Not Funded? | Appendix