This month's feature article is a quick overview of where to find data and statistics for grant writing projects. Wait ---- there's more! While we were writing this article, we were inspired to gather ALL our favorite sources into one spot. Visit our website to download our new guide, Data Sources for Grant Writing, an annotated list of go-to sources for data and statistics ---- federal and state agencies, databases, and other helpful websites.

Most grant projects start with an idea. But where does the idea come from? And what turns it into a good project design?

The answer is---- or is often---- data.

Data and statistics play a large role in grant writing efforts. They tell us about need: A large percentage of students aren't reading at grade level.

They help us design projects to answer the need: Our state isn't graduating enough qualified teachers; a large number of teacher candidates drop out during their first year.

And they help us zero in on effective strategies: Most of the candidates drop out because they lack basic skills, so we'll concentrate on postsecondary remediation.

Where do you find the right data for your grant proposals and projects? GrantProse has developed a new guide to help you find data on a wide range of subjects and indicators: demographics, workforce and economic, education, children and youth, agriculture, nutrition, health, crime, transportation, and energy.

Here are a few of our favorite places to start a data search. Download our guide Data Sources for Grant Writing to access the entire annotated list of sources.  

Federal

The federal government collects all kinds of statistics and provides you---- the taxpayer---- with all manner of data tools. A good place to start is the U.S. Census Bureau, which collects demographic information every 10 years on the country's population and breaks it down by state and smaller divisions. The American Community Survey collects data yearly for its 1-, 3-, and 5-year estimates. (Want to know how young adults have changed over the last 30 years? Check out the latest ACS.)

FedStats is a one-stop clearinghouse with broad search capabilities and links to more than 100 federal agencies that collect and disseminate data, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice's SMART System for Kids.  

State

North Carolina's state agencies offer numerous data resources. The NC Department of Commerce has several tools for users, including the D4 application (labor market data), AccessNC (economic and demographic profiles by county, region, and state), and its Labor and Economic Data Analysis (labor and economic information, as well as industry and occupational projections).

The NC Department of Public Instruction keeps a wealth of information and statistics on public schools, students, and teachers, including academic outcomes and school "report cards." The University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill maintains a little-known database of application and acceptance rates of NC high school students by campus, school year, race, ethnicity, and gender.

And Beyond

Other resources include the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Center, which allows users to download data and create reports and graphics on child and family well-being. StatsAmerica has a tool that allows users to calculate the economic distress of counties, regions, and neighborhoods. And don't forget reports, which often provide statistics in the form of study findings. Many of the sources in our guide provide reports, and Google Scholar is a great starting point for report and study searches.

Do you have other data sources? Let us know! We'll be happy to add them to our data sources guide for the grant writing community. Visit our Resources page to view and download all our guides on grants and grant writing.

Elizabeth City Wins Golden LEAF Grant

Congrats to Elizabeth City State University! The Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded the university a $1.1M grant to develop a fifth specialization in its aviation science curriculum, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations & Management Program. ECSU offers the only four-year aviation education program in the state; the two-year grant will help strengthen aviation education and workforce development in northeastern North Carolina.

Leveraging Collaborations

This December 17 webinar will share tips on leveraging collaborations to get grants, while avoiding the stumbling blocks that often come with multi-organization partnerships. Sponsored by 4Good, Better Together (?) will cover such topics as grantmaker expectations, sizing up a potential collaboration, and ways to resolve conflict. (Also see our September feature on establishing better grant partnerships.)