A recent Google search for "grants" yielded a dizzying 111 million hits! Funding possibilities abound, but how do you find a grant opportunity that fits your needs
If you’re reading this article, you have already discovered that finding grant opportunities is easier said than done. First, you need to have a good idea of what your funding needs are. Only then is it time to look out and find grant opportunities that match your needs:
Think local.
- This is a good tactic if your funding needs are modest (ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to maybe $25,000) and your project focuses on a local issue.
- Google your city, county or parish, and state and the word foundation, such as “<my town> foundation” and “<my state> foundation”. Many locales have community foundations or the like that provide grants for organizations geared toward improving life in their community.
- Make a list of businesses and stores in your area, then see if they give grants or donations. Many national corporations give money at the local level. You can usually find out by googling the company name and “grants”, “foundation” or “community service”. Local businesses are usually also keen on supporting community organizations, though they may not have a formal grant program. They may, however, be able to give you several hundred dollars worth of cash, gift certificates, or merchandise. It never hurts to ask.
Think topical.
- This can be a good tactic for any organization, whether new or well-established, small or huge.
- Search for grants that address your organization’s specific area of concern, such as “childhood literacy grants” or “arts grants” or “animal welfare grants”. If you come up with too many grant possibilities, you can narrow it down by combining this type of search with a geographic search, such as “literacy grants Colorado”.
- Browse professional associations and passionate member sites. Many professional associations provide grants themselves, but they will also often list grant opportunities from other organizations. If you see mention of a relevant list-serv or e-newsletter, join it, so you can get information as it hits the pipeline. Even blogs, such as http://librarygrants.blogspot.com/, can be a source of grant listings.
Think government.
- This tactic is best for well-established organizations seeking more funding (around $10,000 to multimillion dollar) and/or multi-year grants.
- Both state and federal governments give millions of dollars in grants to non-profit organizations each year. The downside is that the grant application is usually longer, more detailed, and more tedious than for other grant opportunities.
- Go to Grants.gov and search for current grant opportunities from the federal government.
- Go the website of the state or federal department most relevant to your topic (such as the Department of Education for literacy or education or the National Endowment for the Arts for the arts) and see what grant opportunities they have.
File it away.
Finding the right grant opportunity can be a time-consuming process. More often than not, you will find many funding opportunities that aren’t quite right, either because a deadline just passed or is too far in the future, or the grant guidelines don’t quite match the project you are currently trying to fund. Still, these are not lost opportunities, just ways to shorten the amount of time you need to find the right grant next time around.
File the information for future grant possibilities somewhere – including the topic, website url, and grant deadline. You can even mark a computer task-list or calendar to remind you to re-evaluate a certain grant listing a couple of months before the application is due.
