Featured Federal Grant Opportunity:
Deadline: 12/01/2011 Purpose:
“Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections”
Max Award: $350,000
“…helps cultural institutions meet the complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of humanities materials for future generations by supporting preventive conservation measures that mitigate deterioration and prolong the useful life of collections.”
Fall 2011 Newsletter
Grant Development Tips
Federal Opportunities
Yes, they do still exist, and there are a variety of forms of funding available for nonprofit and for-profit applicants operating in specific interest areas. Health and scientific studies, alternative energy, domestic violence programs, justice, and education, are among the hot interest areas. Opportunity types include grants, loans, and Cooperative Agreements.
Finding Federal Funding Opportunities
There are several internet databases that list federal funding initiatives, but my favorite remains the one that is operated by the federal government: www.grants.gov.
Its searchable grants database is comprehensive and easy to use.
Use the links at the left of the grants.gov homepage and click on “Find Grant Opportunities”. There, you may use a Basic Search (useful if you have heard about a specific opportunity by name or number), by category or federal agency, or use Advanced Search to find open solicitations using specific keywords, interest areas, or grantors.
A few general tips regarding Federal Grants
Many, but not all, federal grants now require that the applicant organization register with the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) prior to applying for federal grants. Additionally, a separate registration if often required with the grants.gov online system, in addition to the CCR registration.
Each federal agency is different, however, and some have their own unique online systems for grant applications. For example, the Office of Justice Programs, Office on Violence Against Women maintains an online application system known as GMS (Grants Management System). It is highly advisable to identify federal grant opportunities as early in the grant cycle as possible, so that you may identify and begin registration steps far ahead of the deadline.
Featured Grant Opportunities:
Programs for Children and Youth in Austin
A Glimmer of Hope Foundation
http://www.aglimmerofhopeaustin.org
Interest areas: "Giving primarily in East and South Austin, TX", please check website for eligible postal codes. "Improving the lives of young people (up to age 25), who suffer from exclusion, social injustices, and educational disadvantages."
Deadlines: April 1 and September 30
Range: $12,000 - 36,000 typical
Lowe Foundation
www.thelowefoundation.org
Interest areas: Giving to benefit at-risk women and children in TX. Giving limited to the Dallas-Fort Worth-Midland and Austin-San Antonio areas.
Deadlines: Letter of Inquiry, December 1; Full Proposal, December 31
Range: $15,000 - 80,000 typical
The Webber Family Foundation
www.webberfoundaiton.org
Interest areas: "The foundation offers grants to organizations that are aligned with its mission of helping lower-income youth perform at the highest levels of achievement in academics and the arts."
Deadline: None (proposals evaluated on a continuous basis throughout the year)
Range: $25,000 - 50,000 typical
The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
www.msdf.org
Interest areas: "The foundation's mission is to fund initiatives that seek to foster active minds, healthy bodies and a safe environment where children can thrive." Addresses five essential focus areas: "children's health, education, safety, youth development and early childhood care".
Deadline: Ongoing, check website for specific updates
Range: Varies widely per program and interest area: Low, $500; High, $7,500,000
Sustainability as an Outcome
New watchwords have emerged in world of grant funding since the advent of the recession – transparency, basic needs, and sustainability are among them. In this case, what we are talking about is program sustainability, rather than environmental sustainability. This includes funding sources, community partnerships, capital resources, and volunteerism.
When responding to grant solicitations, be prepared to discuss how the program for which you are requesting grant funds (whether that program is old, new, or simply in the planning phase) can be sustained by your organization after the requested grant funds come to an end.
Have a plan in place to track sustainability – more foundations are interested in using this as an Outcome.
New Service:
Do you have a staff member, volunteer, or intern who would like to learn grant -writing? Would you like to receive expert grant writing advice and services while helping your staff learn new skills?
Our new Grant Mentoring concept will bring our Grant Writer directly to your offices eight hours per week and offer an additional two hours of mentoring by email and phone. Working directly with one or two of your staff members, volunteers, or interns, we will teach, mentor, guide, and review their work in key areas of grant skills including:
- Prospect Research
- Planning and preliminary steps
- Writing and editing
successful narratives
- Developing and formatting budgets
- Administration and reporting.
This new service will launch in Austin, TX.
Please email or call Cindy Taylor
for more information.
cindy@highroadgrantwriting.com
512.358.4359 or 928.380.2442
