This presentation provides an overview of resources for researching grants as a first time grant writer. It discusses finding potential funding sources such as foundations, government grants, businesses, and community groups. Several online databases and libraries are recommended for researching foundations and learning about the funding landscape. Demographic resources can help in understanding the community being served. The presentation emphasizes telling a clear story about the proposed project or organization through defining elements such as the need, beneficiaries, activities, budget, and timeline.

1. Researching Grants for
the First Time Grantwriter
Presented by Gary Sharp & Buzzy Nielsen May 24th, 2011
This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution United
States license. For more information, visit http://www.creativecommons.org.
A member of

2. Grants are stories Image source: "book" by Steve Mishos
<http://flickr.com/photos/flyzipper/342012313/>

3. Telling your story
Starting your tale
Finding listeners
Storytelling is a process

4. A registered 501(c)(3)
Oriented toward sustainability
Serving a distinct need in your community
Willing to collaborate and fundraise locally
Starting your tale
Who you (hopefully) are

5. What need are
you fulfilling? What type of
project are you doing?
When do you need
the funding? Who are you
serving?
Where is
your project?
How much do
you need?
Starting your tale
The elements of your project

6. What need are
you fulfilling?
Environment
Public safety
Arts & culture
Starting your tale Image sources (L to R):
North Bend Fire Department | South Slough National
The elements of your project Estuarine Research Reserve | “Coos Art Museum,
Coos Bay, Oregon” by Cafe Guerbois on Flickr

7. Homeless
Who are you
serving?
Children & families
Starting your tale Rural communities
Image sources (L to R):
The elements of your project Lou Sennick, The World | “Cold” by
Misserion on Flickr | Coos County Fair and Rodeo

8. Statewide?
County-wide?
Specific community?
Who are you
serving?
Where is
your project?
Starting your tale
The elements of your project

9. What type of
project are you doing?
Capital projects
Endowments
Program support
Starting your tale Image sources (L to R):
The elements of your project North Bend Public Library | Oregon Coast
Community Action | Jefferson Public Radio

10. How much does the
organization usually give?
When are applications
for funding due?
What process do they use
When do you need
to decide on funding?
the funding?
Is a pre-application or
letter of interest required?
How much do
you need?
Starting your tale
The elements of your project

11. Books
Starting your tale
Resources to help you Image source:
Lin Pernille Photography on Flickr

12. Books at NBPL
 The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing (5th ed.) by
Jane C. Geever, c2009. Call #658.15224 FOUNDATION
 Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing (4th ed.)
by Mary Hall, c2003. Call #658.1522 HALL
 Grant Writing for Dummies (3rd ed.) by Beverly A. Browning, c2009.
Call #658.15224 BROWNING
 The “How To” Grants Manual: Successful Grantseeking
Techniques for Obtaining Public and Private Grants (5th ed.) by
David G. Bauer, c2003. Call #658.15524 BAUER
 Writing Grant Proposals That Win edited by Deborah Ward,
c2006.Call #658.15224 WRITING
 The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing by Waddy Thompson,
c2003. Call #658.15224 THOMPSON
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

13. The Grantseeker's Guide to Winning Proposals
Sample budgets
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

14. The Grantseeker's Guide to Winning Proposals
Sample letters of inquiry
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

15. Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing
Details on funding sources
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

16. Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing
Application checklists
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

17. Getting Funded: A Complete Guide to Proposal Writing
Diagrams and procedures to help you
through the application process.
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

18. Foundation Center
http://www.foundationcenter.org
 Basic online classes on grantwriting
 Guides to online resources for grantseekers
 Overviews of philanthropy, nonprofit
management, and other topics.
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

19. Foundation Center
Online courses
Reference
Guides
Proposal
Writing
Online
Training
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

20. Foundation Center
Online courses
Registering on the site
gives you access to
some free online courses
on various grant and
nonprofit topics.
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

21. Foundation Center
Online courses
Starting your tale
Resources to help you

22. What need are
you fulfilling? What type of
project are you doing?
When do you need
the funding? Who are you
serving?
Where is
your project?
How much do
you need?
Telling your story
The elements of your project

23. American Factfinder
http://factfinder.census.gov (http://factfinder2.census.gov)
 Demographic profiles of incorporated
communities
 Information on economics and housing
 Detailed Census data
Telling your story
Demographics

24. American Factfinder
Overview
Telling your story
Demographics

25. American Factfinder
Community profiles
The profile includes
statistics on:
●
General demographics
●
Social characteristics
●
The economy
●
Housing
Telling your story
Demographics

26. American Factfinder
Community profiles
Telling your story
Demographics

27. Oregon Labor Market Information System
http://www.qualityinfo.org
Telling your story
The economy

28. Oregon Labor Market Information System
http://www.qualityinfo.org
Telling your story
The economy

29. Oregon Labor Market Information System
Telling your story
The economy

30. GuideStar
http://www.guidestar.org
 Information about various nonprofit organizations
 The ability to search for nonprofits in your area
 Tax & financial data (990 forms) from various
organizations
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

31. GuideStar
Overview
GuideStar lets you search
for specific nonprofits or
find nonprofits that work
on specific topics.
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

32. GuideStar
Search results
Clicking the name of
the organization will
give you more detailed
information about the
nonprofit in which
you're interested.
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

33. GuideStar
Nonprofit profiles
Telling your story
The nonprofit environment

34. Foundations
Government
Community groups
Businesses
Community members
Finding listeners
Funding sources

35. Foundations
Finding listeners
Funding sources

36. Foundations
Government
Finding listeners
Funding sources

37. Government
Community groups
Finding listeners
Funding sources

38. Image sources:
The New Yorker Cartoon Bank

39. Oregon Foundation Databook
Available in all Coos County libraries
 Profiles of hundreds of Oregon foundations.
 Indexes to search by areas of interest, types of
grant projects, and other factors.
 Sample grants for each foundation.
Finding listeners
Oregon foundations

40. Oregon Foundation Databook
Sample entry: Meyer Memorial Trust
Basic info: Address,
contact info, etc.
Finances: Assets, grant
amounts, distribution of
grants given.
Mission & focus: Purpose,
geographic focus, restrictions,
Finding listeners areas of interest.
Oregon foundations

41. Oregon Foundation Databook
Sample entry: Meyer Memorial Trust
Recently awarded grants
Finding listeners
Oregon foundations

42. Oregon Foundation Databook
Indexes and other tools
Category index
Geographic distribution
of grants
Deadline calendar
Finding listeners
Oregon foundations

43. Oregon Foundation Databook
Indexes and other tools
Finding listeners
Oregon foundations

44. Foundation Grants to Individuals
Available at the North Bend Public Library
Finding listeners
Grants for individuals

45. Foundation Directory Online
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/ (only available in Library)
 Profiles of thousands of foundations around the
country.
 Database allowing grantseekers to search by
geography, areas of interest, and other factors.
 Up-to-date contact information for many
foundations.
Finding listeners
National foundations

46. Foundation Directory Online
Getting started
Also search for
Click here to search Or for specific grant
charitable opportunities
for foundations. opportunities.
from companies.
Finding listeners
National foundations

47. Foundation Directory Online
Searching for funders
Finding listeners
National foundations

48. Foundation Directory Online
Indexes
Finding listeners
National foundations

49. Foundation Directory Online
Types of support
Searching by this factor allow you
to find foundations that support
endowments, capital campaigns,
operating expenses, etc.
Finding listeners
National foundations

50. Foundation Directory Online
Your results
Results can be sorted in a wide variety of ways,
saved, and even exported into a spreadsheet
program to help you keep track of applications.
Finding listeners
National foundations

51. Foundation Directory Online
Foundation profiles
Finding listeners
National foundations

52. Foundation Directory Online
Foundation profiles
Finding listeners
National foundations

53. Philanthropy In/Sight
Finding listeners
National foundations

54. Foundation Directory Online
& Philanthropy In/Sight
Come into the Library and and we
can connect you to these great resources!
Access them from any library computer or
on the Library's wireless connection at
http://northbendlibrary.org.
Finding listeners
National foundations

55. Grants.gov
http://grants.gov
 Access to thousands of federal grant opportunities
 Online applications for grants
Finding listeners
Government grants

56. Grants.gov
Overview
Finding listeners
Government grants

57. Grants.gov
Searching for grants
Federal grant opportunities
general have standardized
numbers assigned to them.
You can use these numbers
to find the grants on
Grants.gov.
Finding listeners
Government grants

58. Grants.gov
Searching for grants
Finding listeners
Government grants

59. Grants.gov
Search results
Finding listeners
Government grants

60. Grants.gov
Grant notices
Finding listeners
Government grants

61. Questions?
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