Competitive Grant Seeking for For-Profit Businesses will provide you with a better understanding of: • The type of grant funding for-profit businesses are eligible for; • What types of activities and outcomes within a business are appropriate for grant funding; and • How to apply for grant funds as an individual business or through partnerships.

1. Competitive Grant Seeking
for For Profit Businesses
Presented by
Diane H. Leonard, GPC
Micki Vandeloo, GPC
DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services, LLC

2. Introductions
• Diane Leonard, GPC, Owner,
DH Leonard Consulting & Grant
Writing Services
• Thirteen years of fundraising
experience
• More than eleven years of
professional experience in grant
seeking and grant making
• Success percentage of 65% of
proposals being funded - have raised
tens of millions of dollars for clients

3. Introductions
• Micki Vandeloo, GPC, Grant
Consultant, DH Leonard Consulting &
Grant Writing Services
• 25 years of manufacturing experience
• 10 years writing grants for for-profit
and non-profit organizations
• Bachelors in Industrial Engineering,
MBA
• Unique combination of technical skills,
creativity and writing expertise

4. Workshop Objectives
To learn:
● The type of grant funding for-profit businesses are
eligible for;
● What types of activities and outcomes within a business
are appropriate for grant funding;
● How to apply for grant funds as an individual business or
through partnerships; and
● Best practices from case studies of for-profit company
experiences.

5. Agenda
•
• Overview of Grants
• For-Profit Business Grants
• NYS Combined Funding Application
• Case Studies
• Resources
• Questions

6. What is a Grant?

7. What is a Grant?
noun
1. a sum of money given by an organization, esp. a
government, for a particular purpose.

8. What is a Grant?

9. How Grant Applications Vary by
Funder Type

10. How Grant Applications Vary by
Funder Type
• Important to understand the motivation
behind the funding opportunity as it will
change how you put the application together
• Government funding focuses on connection to
governmental policy (i.e. - job creation)
• Private funding focuses on connection to mission
and often the hands on program

11. Creating Compelling Grant
Elements That Tell a Story

12. Creating Compelling Grant
Elements That Tell a Story
• Critical to create a consistent story/message
• Need to engage reviewer, share passion for
project
• Need to demonstrate how proposed project
will create impact

13. Cover Letter
• Request amount
• Tailor the message
• Reference past contact
• Components of proposal included
• Offer to answer questions/meet
• Signature from leadership

14. Executive Summary
Typically, a maximum of one page
Should Include:
• Request
• Need
• Project Description
• Organization and its expertise

15. Statement of Need
Include:
• Statistics to demonstrate need
• Anecdotal information (quotes, cases, etc)
Appeal to:
• Senses
• Things anyone can relate to
• Funder's organizational priorities

16. Project Description
5 Main Sections
• Goals & Objectives
• Methods (Activities & Timelines)
• Organizational Capacity/Staffing
• Evaluation
• Sustainability

17. Organization Capacity
• Date of founding and mission
• Organizational structure, expertise and
programs
• History/success of providing similar programs
• Information on staff and board
• Audience served

18. Evaluation
• What does success look like for the project?
• Are goals and objectives measurable and
how will they be measured?
• If goals and objectives are not being met,
what corrective actions will take place?
• What will be done with evaluation
information?

19. Sustainability

20. Sustainability
• Answer the question of how the
program/project will continue beyond grant
support
• Be honest about plan
• Continuous grant seeking isn’t a long-term
solution

21. Budget
Expense Information Including:
Personnel
Non-Personnel
Overhead (know each funder’s limits related
to overhead!)
Income Information Including:
Earned Income
Grants and Gifts

22. Budget Narrative/Justification
• Use of formulas within
budget forms and
within budget
narratives
• Critical to have budget
narrative/budget
justifications align with
the project narrative

23. Attachments
Provide only the attachments
requested
If there are other attachments
you wish to provide that are not
requested with the application,
reference them in your cover
letter as available upon request
from the funder

24. Top Reasons Proposals are
Denied
1. The program does not meet the funder's
priorities
2. The program is not located in the
geographic area of funding
3. The proposal does not follow the required
format
4. The proposal is poorly written and difficult
to understand

25. Top Reasons Proposals are
Denied (cont.)
5. The objectives and plan of action for the
project greatly exceed the budget and
timelines for implementation
6. There is insufficient evidence that the
program can become self-sufficient after the
grant is completed

26. For Profit Business Grants

27. Funding Sources for Businesses
● Local Sources of Funding
○ Local government economic
development programs
○ Local utilities
○ Community colleges
○ USDA regional offices
○ Funding through Tax Increment
Financing or Zones (Blighted or
Empowerment)

28. Funding Sources for Businesses
(cont.)
● Statewide Sources of Funding
○ State economic development entities
○ Federal funding issued to states for
management/distribution (ARRA)
○ Funding to support initiatives
■ Recycling
■ Training
■ Transportation

29. Funding Sources for Businesses
(cont.)
● Federal Sources of Funding
○ Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR)
○ Small Business Technology Transfer
(STTR)
○ More likely to access by partnering with
a college or non-profit

30. Projects That Stand The Best
Chance of Getting Funded
● Job creation/retention!!!!
● Avoiding layoffs or plant closure
● Local economic impact

31. Projects That Stand The Best
Chance of Getting Funded
● Increased skills
● Individual/group training

32. Projects That Stand The Best
Chance of Getting Funded
● Equipment energy savings
● New technologies

33. Projects That Stand The Best
Chance of Getting Funded
● Well thought out and planned
activities

34. “Must Have” Documents for
Successful Grant Applications
● Business plan
● Strategic plan
● Project plan with realistic numbers and
schedule
● Training plan
● Financial statements

35. Potential Funding Hurdles
● Project not consistent with funding cycles
● Project delays waiting for funding approval
● Unwillingness to share financials/personal
information
● Davis-Bacon and other federal regulations
● Inability to commit to project objectives

36. NYS Combined Funding
Application (CFA)

37. NYS Combined Funding
Application (CFA)

38. NYS Combined Funding
Application (CFA)

39. NYS Combined Funding
Application (CFA)
Frequently Asked Questions
● What is the CFA?
● What agencies make funding available
through the CFA?
● Who is eligible? How often?
● How are applications score?

40. NYS Combined Funding
Application (CFA)
Additional Information and Resources
http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/

41. Case Studies

42. Case Study 1: Equipment
Funding
● Steel service center received a $2.3 million
grant
● Grant was to purchase machinery to serve
the wind energy industry
● Resulted in 25 new jobs, 8 retained jobs
and a 25% increase in sales

43. Case Study 1: Equipment
Funding
Notes
Lessons Learned

44. Case Study 2: Training Funding
● Company wanted to train its employees on
continuous improvement and quality
techniques
● Launch of training program was delayed
while funding applications were reviewed
● Awarded $15,400

45. Case Study 2: Training Funding
Notes
Lessons Learned

46. Case Study 3: Recycling Funding
● Company collects and processes recyclable
material
● Need to purchase equipment to increase
capacity to serve a growing customer base
● Applied for $30,000 in funding
● Denied because the company couldn’t obtain
the customer commitment letters

47. Case Study 3: Recycling Funding
Notes
Lessons Learned

48. Case Study 4: Company That
Turned Down $600,000
● Company applied for manufacturing incentive
program.
● Awarded the grant several months after application,
but funding was contingent on hiring 20 additional
people.
● In the time it took for the funding to be approved,
the company had already hired 10. They turned
down the funding as they couldn’t commit to hiring
20 more.

49. Case Study 4: Company That
Turned Down $600,000
Notes
Lessons Learned

50. Resources
Published Daily on the Grant Writer’s Blog
www.dhleonardconsulting.com

51. Resources
Micki’s Blog
http://www.lakeviewconsulting.net/blog.html

52. Resources
Federal Register
www.federalregister.gov
Grants.gov
www.grants.gov

53. Resources
New York State Grants Gateway
http://www.grantsreform.ny.gov/
Consolidated Funding Application
https://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/

54. What Will Be Different?
What will YOU do differently when you
return to your office?
What/how will you share with members of
your team?

55. Questions?
Think of a question afterward?
Email Diane at diane@dhleonardconsulting.com
Email Micki at micki@dhleonardconsulting.com