We often hear that grantseekers aren’t sure whether their organization is eligible for federal grants. The federal government makes thousands of grant awards annually to many types of organizations, and even to some individuals. Don’t write off this important funding source until you’ve examined the possibilities. Here are a few thoughts to consider.
Dashing off a grant proposal to meet a deadline is sometimes unavoidable, but it’s not enough to just ‘get it done’ and ‘get it in.’ Planning ahead and taking the time to craft a polished proposal is a must for winning grants.
Inconsistencies in a grant proposal flag a faulty planning process, rushed writing, or carelessness. They can cause the reviewer to wonder if you know what you’re doing.
Pay particular attention to the following elements. They’re where problems are most likely to occur.
When the new Uniform Guidance on grant administration is implemented as an interim final rule in late December 2014, the procurement rules governing purchases made with grant funds will change somewhat. Procedures must become more structured, and purchases above $3,000 will have to be accompanied by varying levels of documentation as the dollar value of purchases rises.
Understanding and implementing the new guidance on short notice will be difficult for many nonprofits. That’s why The Grantsmanship Center (the Center) has asked Henry Flood, our Senior Advisor for Grant Administration, to address procurement issues that are raising concern in the nonprofit community.
We get enquiries almost every day asking when the updated version of Program Planning & Proposal Writing will be available. Even though this classic guide for the nonprofit field was written in 1972, it's still in demand. With more than a million copies used and treasured by organizations all over the globe, we are delighted to tell you that the updated version will be ready this October!
In the meantime, here's a sneak peek, just a small slice—the first part of a 2-part excerpt from the addendum of Grantsmanship: Program Planning & Proposal Writing. The topic is the difference between a planning and an implementation (or program) grant proposal. Enjoy!
Here’s a story from the early days of The Grantsmanship Center—a valuable lesson learned in 1972, still relevant today. Norton Kiritz, founder of The Grantsmanship Center, shared this experience with his classes. Hope you enjoy this brief tale from a class transcript.
Several times each year, people ask The Grantsmanship Center how to evaluate the performance of grant development professionals. Here's what we tell them:
One of our alumni recently asked about submitting a grant proposal to a specific funder. She wanted to know what percentage of the organization’s annual budget she should request in her proposal for general operating funds. And if the organization decided to seek program funds instead, she wondered what percentage of the program budget she should request. Here's what I told her:
The energetic and imaginative changemakers who staff nonprofits are full of great ideas. They’re constantly coming up with ways to make things better and looking for grants to support their vision.
Our vision for this blog is simple—to present the best thinking in the field of grant development—what we call grantsmanship.
First I want to establish The Grantsmanship Center’s footing because, historically, we’ve got a lot to live up to. Norton Kiritz established The Grantsmanship Center because he was deeply concerned that nonprofits making valuable social contributions had trouble getting grants. Norton began teaching proposal writing when no one else was doing it. In 1972, he founded The Grantsmanship Center because it needed to be done and no one else was leading the way.
