Tools
1.
Sample
Funding Proposal
| 2.
Guidelines For Grantsmanship
|
3.
Potential Funding Contacts |
4.
Helpful Fundraising Websites
2. Guidelines
For Grantsmanship
The
following are some general guidelines and steps to consider
when you’re ready to approach funding agencies for grant support.
We
hope this section provides you with a realistic idea of the
work that is involved in applying for a grant, and guides
you away from some of the potholes on the road to getting
funding for your project. We focus here on general principles
of grant writing, so that the information is relevant to a
variety of different sources.
Find
out who the agencies are:
Before
you even consider applying to a granting agency, learn as
much as you can about it. How can you find out? The simplest
way is to contact the agency directly, either by visiting
their website (an increasing number of granting agencies are
on-line) or calling and asking for information. They probably
have a standard package of information that they send out
to those who are interested in applying for funds. It will
probably include: basic application guidelines, an application
form, and an annual report and/or grants list, which will
tell you more about the agency’s goals and organization, to
whom it has made recent grants, and so on.
Another
good reason to call is to make personal contact with staff
at the granting agency In some cases you may find someone
who can tell you if your plans fit generally with their criteria,
and they may even provide tips for the application process.
If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to stay in touch with an individual
who will continue to answer your questions and guide you along
the way.
|
"Call
first and ask for a copy of our report, which describes
previous grants, so people get a sense of what the amounts
are, and what kinds of projects we’ve been supporting"6 |
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Narrow
the field
Your
research may turn up dozens of agencies that could potentially
support your mental health promotion project. That’s encouraging,
but you are probably not going to apply to them all. It’s
time to narrow the field further through some careful checking:
- Check
the fields in which grants are offered. Are you sure you’re
barking up the right tree?
- Check
the purpose of the grants offered. You may want part of
the funds to cover staff salaries, but the agency may not
fund salaries, and will only provide start-up or seed money.
- Check
the size of the grants offered. You may be looking for $25,000,
but the maximum award size of a promising-looking granting
agency might be $10,000. Keep in mind, though, that it is
possible to apply to more than one funding agency at the
same time.
- Check
the locations where grants are offered. Are you sure the
agency covers your geographic area? Some have geographic
preferences, as well as restrictions.
Through
checking and re-checking, you can narrow the field to a manageable
number of leading candidates. Now you are ready to do some
further investigation of your leading prospects.
Learn
the guidelines
Each
granting agency does business in a slightly different way.
Some agencies will ask for a short one or two page "letter
of intent" describing your proposal, and nothing else
to begin with. Others prefer to get the whole application
upfront. Certain agencies are interested in knowing your credentials,
while others are primarily interested in your ideas. Some
want detailed budgets, and for others, the discussion of budget
comes later.
It
never hurts to write a short letter of intent before embarking
on a full proposal. If you’re turned
down
at that point, you’re saving yourself a lot of time; if you’re
given the go-ahead, you’ll know that you’re on the right track.
"DO
your homework, not just in finding out how to apply, but
in making the match between your needs and our needs.
Although we have a broad giving program, it’s very clear
in our annual report that we’re most interested in funding
what’s important to us."7
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Follow
the guidelines
Now
that you know what the guidelines for application are, follow
them closely. If the agency asks for a two-page letter, make
sure to keep it to that length. This brief letter should contain
a fairly complete description of the project, with headings
pointing out the major points of interest, and a basic line-item
budget, if they’ve requested one.
State
clearly the amount of money that is requested and the time
period in which it will be spent. Staff at the agency will
then read these letters, screen out inappropriate inquiries,
and request more information if your proposal is of interest.
If
the agency wants the application to be submitted, without
first receiving an introductory letter, then read through
the guidelines very carefully, and follow them as closely
as possible. If there is an area you are not clear on, it’s
best to clarify it before continuing. This leads us to the
next point:
Ask
questions, if needed
Even
though funding agency guidelines are usually clear, you may
still have a few questions. Some issues may not be covered
by the guidelines, or you may be puzzled by a certain section
of the application. In such cases, the best thing to do is
call and ask. The agency will no doubt have someone on staff
to respond to calls like yours.
Think
before calling, though. A call (or other contact) generally
means that you have to identify yourself. Since first impressions
are important, you will want to present yourself in the best
possible light. Be sure you don’t ask questions that are clearly
covered in the guidelines.
| "Read
our guidelines. We have a number of printed materials
related to our programs. Study our past history and then
contact us with a specific request based on an understanding
of our guidelines." 7
|
However,
if you have a good reason to do so, there are advantages to
making a personal contact. Discussing
the project with the funding agency can be helpful for several
reasons. First, the staff person may give you some information
not explicitly contained in the guidelines, which may be helpful
to you. Also, in the course of conversation, you can ask other
questions or check on other guidelines to make sure you’re
on the right track.
Sometimes
it’s also possible to set up a meeting with an agency staff
person to explore your idea before a proposal is written or
delivered. If you see value in a pre-application meeting,
and if the guidelines don’t tell you otherwise, consider making
a request to meet with someone.
If
you do arrange a meeting, you can have your questions answered,
which will help you either improve your application, or prevent
you from wasting your time. You will also have made a personal
contact, and perhaps gotten some tips along the way.
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Tools
- Potential Funding Contacts >
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