Get Help With Grants!

A grant proposal is a document that provides the potential grantor of funds with pertinent information regarding the business or venture. It includes highly detailed goals and objectives as well as timelines and methods for achieving them. It also includes financial projections, as well, to show when the business plans to break even and become self-sustaining.

No! Anytime anyone gives anyone money without expecting repayment, it is not going to be easy. Grant proposals are highly detailed documents that require you to plan for many segments of your business including personnel, operations, and financial segments. However, if you are passionate about your idea, you will most likely not be dissuaded by this hurdle. Detailed documentation and planning may even help you think your business through.

This will depend on the specific grant. For a small business that needs a minute amount of money to continue, it can be a couple of hundred dollars. For scientific research to find a cure for a disease, it can be millions of dollars. A better question is: how much do I really need for my business? Ask yourself this and then see if there is a grant out there that is adequate for your venture.

Grants by definition do not have to be repaid, but because of this fact, grants are difficult to obtain and the grantor of the funds will continue to make sure that you comply with the requirements set forth in the grant.

A date will most likely be arranged for transfer of funds upon approval of the grant. However, the approval process can take anywhere from a few months to a year.

Sure, as long as you qualify, you can apply for them. However, continue to be honest and notify the grantor about past grants you have received.

There are usually five main steps to applying for government grants. They are as follows:

1. Make sure grants are appropriate for your business
2. Prepare your Business Plan
3. Find grants that may be suitable for your business
4. Prepare and submit your grant proposal
5. Conduct post-decision follow up

This simply isn’t true. Grants are for businesses that qualify. Some government agencies have contracts that they prefer to give to underserved groups, but no grants are set aside for specific groups.

Grantors have different deadlines, and those deadlines don’t necessarily fall within fiscal quarters. Some grantors accept applications on a rolling basis, and some accept proposals during a specific window. Make sure to pay close attention so that you do not miss critical dates.

It used to be standard practice to submit paper proposals through the mail, and you were often required to print off and collate a specific number of copies. Nowadays, electronic submission is much more common. Still, even with electronic submissions, you need to know if you should email a pdf to the program officer or upload your proposal to a grant portal. Some grantors will even accept or require video submissions or online presentation links such as Prezi.com. Whether the grantor accepts proposals via videos and links or requests that eight hard copies are flown in by carrier pigeon, pay attention to the rules!

Competitions are especially popular with corporate grantors. These competitions increase awareness regarding the company’s philanthropic aims and ultimately serve to promote the company. These competitions range from social media campaigns to public forums where applicants are asked to present their requests in front of a crowd. Whether you are interested in participating in this type of funding opportunity will indicate if this is a collaboration you should pursue.

Funders seek different information, so it is essential to know what sections to include in your proposal. Some may want detailed information about project budgets, goals, and aims, whereas others may only be interested in your organization as a whole. While there are specific sections that are often required, you never know for sure what a grantor will expect until you do your homework.

Good news, this rule will be easy to follow! If a grantor has a specific word count or character limit on their proposal sections, you likely won’t be able to add more than they require. However, the difficulty may arise in trying to limit your content. Also, if, for some reason, they have a flexible word limit, then you will need to become good friends with your word count function in your Word or Google Doc.

If the grantor doesn’t enforce word limits or character limits, then you want to try to get a feel for how many pages they expect to receive. Your proposal should fall within the grantor’s stated length so as not to provide too much or too little information.

If the grantor does not state how long they expect your proposal to be, then this is a great question to ask a Program Officer. For instance, I once asked a Program Officer this question, and they responded with this statement:

“We want you to write as much as you feel you need to write to us to get a good feel for your program. For some, they write more concisely and may submit a shorter proposal; for others, they are wordier, and they may submit a longer proposal. It is up to you…That being said…don’t submit a 20-page proposal!”

Small business grants often seek financial documentation, business licenses, and business owner resume, and tax returns.

Grants can pay for commercial renovations, hire new employees, pay for consultants, purchase new equipment, or operational costs.

Grants come from various types of funders but can be divided into four broad categories: 1) private or independent foundations; 2) corporations, including corporate foundations and company giving programs; 3) community foundations, located throughout the United States; and, 4) government grants (federal, state and regional). Each of these types of funding sources has its own eligibility requirements, priority funding areas, and grant application requirements.

Most grants are competitive in nature, meaning that for every time there is a funding opportunity, there will be many organizations applying for a limited amount of funding. For this reason, it is critical to stand out among the crowd. Here are four tips to get you started: 1) Read and adhere to the grant guidelines (or “directions”) very carefully; 2) Have a clear and solid project for which you can track measurable outcomes because every funder wants to know, “What have you achieved with the funds?”, and  “What has changed as a result of your work?”; 3) Be able to articulate your project in writing in such a way that the funder/reader can really picture what you will do and how; and 4) Be willing to spend time researching the funders that best fit your organization and project priorities.

A funder’s guidelines or Request for Proposals usually indicate when they will notify applicants of grant awards (or denials). Since every funder is a bit different, the time from grant application submission until notification varies. Usually, foundations have the quickest notification periods of 3-6 months from application. Federal and state applications can vary from a month to over a year. This means it is very important to plan ahead when deciding to apply for grant funds.