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GrantProse, Inc., Newsletter
North Carolina's leading newsletter on grants
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Vol. 6, No. 8
| August 13, 2014
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Dear Colleagues,
Thirty to 60 days ... that's usually all you get between hearing about a federal grant and submitting your proposal. In this issue, we discuss steps you can take to get a jump on federal funding opportunities and hit the ground running.
We also include links to announcements and grant-related resources, and as always, two new funding opportunities. Be sure to download the complete list of current funding opportunities from our website, and follow us on Twitter for your daily Grant Alert.
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Ready, Set, Apply: How to Identify and Prepare for Federal Grant Opportunities
Anyone who's watched the mouse hole of federal funding knows that quick reflexes are essential. The time span from grant announcement to due date is often 30-60 days -- less, if you don't spot the announcement immediately.
Here are three steps to help you identify and prepare for opportunities that might emerge in the next flurry of federal grant activity.
Identify the possibilities
Get to know Grants.gov, the portal to federal funding opportunities past and present. Users can search on various criteria, such as general keywords (e.g., "special education"), funding instruments (grants or cooperative agreements), and eligibility requirements.
For example, searching all open, closed, and archived opportunities with "grant" as the funding instrument type, and "Department of Education" as the agency yields a list of nearly 700 opportunities. Adding the keyword "safety" narrows it to about 175.
Tweak the search parameters to find your best prospects, and then take note of the sponsoring agencies and program offices -- this is where you want to concentrate your efforts.
Look behind closed doors After you've identified promising agencies, zoom in: Examine old (closed or archived) announcements to get a feel for when new ones might be issued. Established grant programs often hold competitions at predictable intervals. For example, the U.S. Department of Education's closed opportunities (with due dates just past) include the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSC). A quick look at the ESSC program page reveals yearly awards for the last several years.
The program office may post application guidelines for past competitions, helping you learn program requirements and assemble boilerplate material in advance. But be careful about writing polished text to old guidelines -- if the program changes focus, you could waste a lot of time and effort. Study funded proposals, if available; you can learn many lessons from winning proposals. Watch the mouse hole Grant seekers can monitor a number of sources for upcoming federal opportunities: - Check Grants.gov daily for new opportunities, or subscribe to its RSS feeds and email alerts. You can customize alerts for specific agencies, funding categories and instruments, etc.
- Subscribe to the Federal Register, which publishes daily notices (including grant announcements) from all federal agencies.
- Many federal agencies offer a grants forecast for the coming fiscal year (subject to final congressional funding), as well as agency budget news.
To leave no stone unturned, check with your professional organizations, which may provide funding alerts for members. Contact federal program officers, or your congressperson or senator's office, about program status or funding in the pipes; sign up for agency newsletters and email updates, follow Twitter feeds, etc. Keep up with legislation and funding news from the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations (check the press releases under the Newsroom dropdown menu).
Happy hunting!
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Announcements Awards, events, training opportunities
2014 Nonprofit Conference
The NC Center for Nonprofits -- dedicated to nonprofit advocacy and capacity building -- will hold its 2014 Statewide Conference September 18 and 19 at the Sheraton Hotel in Research Triangle Park (Morrisville, NC). Sessions will cover nonprofit professional development, accessing capital, using data, nonprofit sustainability, and more, and participants will have opportunities to connect with grantmakers and "curbside consultants." Visit the center's website for registration information.
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Resources News you can use
2014 Poverty Guidelines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued its 2014 poverty guidelines, which define federal measures of poverty for administrative purposes (i.e., eligibility for certain federal programs). DHHS's poverty guidelines are a simplification of the Census Bureau's poverty thresholds used mainly for statistical purposes. Both resources can be helpful in developing grant proposals requiring stats on poverty.
Annual Fund Advantage
Nonprofits with annual fundraising drives are more likely to meet their fundraising goals, according to a new report from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative, which surveys nonprofits in the U.S. and Canada on nonprofit fundraising methods and success. The report found that 77% of nonprofits with an annual fund met their goals, versus 57% of those without one. NRC's March 2014 Nonprofit Fundraising Study documented changes in foundation grantmaking over the last several years, with 50% of nonprofits reporting an increase in 2013 (versus 40% in 2010).
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Grant Alerts Now updated on the GrantProse website
The sooner you know about a new grant, the more time you have to write the proposal! Visit our Grant Alerts webpage to view the latest funding opportunities, including the two below. We also post new Alerts several times a week on Twitter, and smaller grants on our Community page.
NEW
Deadline: 09/23/14 Program: National Maritime Heritage Grant Program Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior
Description: Grants to support maritime education or preservation projects Award Amount: $25,000 - $200,000 Website: USDOI Eligibility: state, local, tribal governments; nonprofits
NEW Deadline: 10/21/14 Program: NEA Research: Art Works, FY 2015 Agency: National Endowment for the Arts Description: Funding to support research that investigates the value and/or impact of the arts in the U.S. Award Amount: $10,000 - $30,000 Website: NEA Eligibility: local, state, tribal governments; independent school districts; institutions of higher education; nonprofits
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GrantProse, Inc., assists institutions, agencies, and organizations in expanding fiscal resources and program operations, helping them locate and secure grant funds matched to their interests and needs. Please forward this email to colleagues using the link at the top right, and join us in social media to help us spread this valuable information.
We welcome feedback from our readers! Email questions and comments to Rita Lewis, newsletter editor.
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