This document provides guidance on identifying and applying for federal funding opportunities. It outlines several key steps, including assessing your organization's capacity, researching potential funding sources, and developing required application materials like a grants matrix, work plans, and supporting documents. Place-based community development is highlighted as an effective approach that allows organizations to coordinate their efforts to address community needs in a collaborative way. An example project in Humboldt Park is described to illustrate this place-based model.

1. Identifying Federal Funding: Matching Capacity to Opportunity James Pfluecke, IRN Outreach Coordinator

2. Where do we Begin? Know who you are: does your organization have clearly defined mission, goals and purpose statements? Does the organization have a strategic plan? Who is driving the grant-seeking process? Who will manage the proposal development process?

3. Assess Your Organization’s Capacity Board Governance Strategic Planning Management Systems Financial Management Systems Fund Development Plan Human Resources (Leadership, Management & Program & Administrative Staff

4. Identify Funding Research Federal Funding Sources Illinois ResourceNet www.illinoisresource.net Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov Grants.gov Federal Register/NOFA (Notice of Fund Availability) www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/

5. Big Fun with the Internet Comparative Search: grants.gov vscfda Using the web sites together What does it all mean?

7. Plans are not dependent upon any one participant

8. Allows the work of many community based organizations and government bodies to coordinate their work and create multipliers

10. Develop Deliverables “Grants Matrix” Supporting Documents “Cheesebook” Work plans

11. My Take on Foundation Funding Copy Cat Approach Network Ask your current funders Avoid overreach